STATter 911: Airport fire engine burns. MWAA pumper had already been scheduled for replacement.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Airport fire engine burns. MWAA pumper had already been scheduled for replacement.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Engine 327 had a bad day on May 19. It was undergoing a pump test behind Fairfax County Station 415 (Chantilly) when it failed spectacularly. But it wasn't the pump that failed.

The rig is a 1990 Pierce Arrow that was stationed at Reagan National Airport. Sources familiar with the fire say it began due to a break in a high pressure transmission fluid line. The fluid then sprayed on the engine or exhaust and ignited.

The sources say fire extinguishers were originally put on the fire, but the crew from Engine 415 had to gear up and pull a line to put it out.

MWAA Fire Chief Gary Mesaris tells STATter 911 that the incident is "Unfortunate, but that a replacement for the fire engine had already been on order".

# posted by Dave Statter @ 11:39 AM

Comments:

How can a dealer use a county fire station to pump test another depts.pumper? Sounds like a good deal for the dealer.....

# posted by

Anonymous : May 27, 2008 1:26 PM

I read the article as the Airport was using the near by county station to do its standard pump testing.... not for the sale of the unit.

# posted by

Fetchy : May 27, 2008 2:21 PM

It wasn't a dealer performing the pump test, it was MWAA. Fairfax County allows local departments to use the facility for testing. Get the facts before you post next time.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 28, 2008 12:39 PM

Fairfax provides contract maintenance and testing for MWAA FD

# posted by

Anonymous : May 28, 2008 12:44 PM

Thank God it broke during the pump test and not on a response with firefighters riding in the jump seats!!

# posted by

Anonymous : May 28, 2008 4:34 PM

At least the airport firefighters actually got to see some fire.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 31, 2008 8:48 AM

Let's see, is the fire investigators calling this electric or discarded smoking material like every fire.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 31, 2008 10:41 AM

But, but, but, it's a Pierce, they never fail. Must have been the fault of the transmission fluid manufacture.

# posted by

Anonymous : June 2, 2008 10:45 PM