Sterling Volunteer Fire Company

On Tuesday, April 24th at 0252 am crew 5 staffing Sterling Engines 611, 618 and Tower 611 along with Chief 11 in CMD-18 were dispatched to assist on a house fire on Pierpoint Terrace in Company 6′s (Ashburn) first due area. Heavy fire was reported from the roof and rear of the structure. Crews from Sterling assisted Engine 6 with the initial interior attack. Command requested a second alarm at 0306 due to the amount of natural gas fed fire from the roof and the back side of the structure. Sterling personnel responded to the second alarm, staffing Rescue 615. At 0315 an evacuation was ordered due to heavy fire in the attic area. Shortly after crews were evacuated a partial roof collapse did occur. Defensive operations were started utilizing Tower 611, which flowed water on its very first fire. The tower knocked down the bulk of the fire before crews reentered the structure to finish overhaul. Engine 618′s crew found the family dog alive and well in the master bathroom and returned it to the owner. Crews operated for approximately four and a half hours before returning to service. The Loudoun county fire marshal’s office is investigating and a cause has not yet been determined.

Photos courtesy of Lt. Khoa Pham (AVFRD)

Photos courtesy of AC Ian Buchanan (LVFC)

On April 20, 2007, the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company placed in service a new 2006 Seagrave 104 ft Rearmount TowerMax Platform on a Marauder II chassis. The TowerMax has a 1000 lb tip load and flows 2000 gpm through dual electric monitors. The rig is powered by a Caterpillar C13, 12.5Liter, 525 HP motor with an Allison EV automatic transmission.

The tower is equipped with almost 200 feet of ground ladders, a 20kw hydraulic generator, lights, fans, RIT equipment including a complete Hurst Mini-Lite Rescue Tool compliment and numerous forcible entry tools and hooks.

Tower 611 is stationed at the South Sterling Safety Center (Sterling Park).

Photo by Mike Sanders

We at the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company would like to express our most sincere condolences for our brother firefighter Kyle Wilson of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue who gave his life in the line of duty while conducting search and rescue operations on the scene of a house fire this morning.

We also mourn those lost during today’s tragic events at Virginia Tech. Several of our members are alumni of that proud institution.

The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company along with units from Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, Ashburn VFRD, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire Department, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, and the Loudoun Volunteer Rescue Squad responded to a reported house fire on Yorktown Court in the Great Falls Forest section of Sterling. The Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center received numerous 911 calls reporting the fire. Responding units reported a large column of smoke in the area. Additional callers began to report that there were two houses on fire, and flames were spreading rapidly.

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