Firefighter Dalton Behounek with Gladbrok Fire & Rescue works to extinguish a barn fire north of Gladbrook on Monday, Aug. 4. The barn and its contents subsequently proved a total loss but even with low manpower, first responders managed to keep the fire from jumping the driveway to the dwelling and spreading further. PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG SASH

GLADBROOK – Amid the heat and humidity and with less than ideal manpower, Gladbrook Fire & Rescue with assistance from the Traer Fire Department successfully fought a rural structure fire north of Gladbrook in Spring Creek Township back on Monday, Aug. 4.

“That fire was a workout. There were only six or seven of us initially. One guy has to run the pump, and since it’s a rural fire it took away two others to drive two tankers hauling water. Tackling a structure fire with three or four people will wear you out fast,” Gladbrook Fire training officer, Lt. Craig Sash told the newspaper in an email following the fire.

On Aug. 4, just before 11:45 a.m., Gladbrook Fire was dispatched to a structure fire located north of Gladbrook in the 1300 block of 170th Street. According to Tama County Assessor records, the property is owned by Richard and Danielle Guilliams.

“Upon arrival, the barn was fully evolved and a defensive/contain approach was implemented,” Sash continued. “Given the wind direction and proximity to the house and garage, the primary focus was protecting that. While the barn and contents were, unfortunately, a total loss, no damage was done to the other exposures.”

Fighting the fire with so few members led to calling Traer Fire Department for mutual aid, Craig added, but even with Traer, the response was still low on manpower.

“[Traer Fire] only had two or three guys around, too. One stayed in their tanker hauling water, [while] the other helped relieve some of our guys. But we got it done.”

According to Chief Deputy Joseph Quandt with the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the barn – built in 1950, per property records – was the only structure damaged. In addition to Traer Fire, Gladbrook-Lincoln Ambulance, Tama County Emergency Management, and two deputies all assisted at the scene.

While there were no injuries to either personnel nor the public, the weather conditions that day did not aid much in tackling the fire, leading to, at the very least, exhaustion among firefighters.

“It was a hot, humid day, but that kind of completely describes August!” Sash said. “I think it was a ‘cooler’ day that week after the extreme heat so that was helpful but still, hot. It does wear on everyone a lot more, and guys have to get rotated out more to a rehab area for a little break and rehydration – that’s why we call for mutual aid and keep trying to recruit new members.”

When all was said and done, the response wrapped up in about three hours, Sash said, including extinguishing any hot spots. As of press time, the cause of the fire was still undetermined.

In his comments to the newspaper, Sash further expounded on the need for more volunteers – a plea Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt has also echoed in past Sun Courier reporting.

“This is why we always ask for more volunteers,” Sash said. “[Nine] or 10 of us between a couple towns is normal, but difficult. Anyone thinking of volunteering is always welcome to contact their local [fire deparment]. There’s a pretty decent chance you’ll have an unpaid yet rewarding job!”