Chris Andrew (Paradise FC)
"Amazing Maize" - Photo Gallery
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Pictures Courtesy
of Chris Andrew (Paradise FC) |
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On Saturday October 14, at 2:56 PM, the Paradise Fire Company (Station 4-7) was
dispatched to a possible brush fire in the area of 152 Cherry Hill Road in
Paradise Township. The fire was
reportedly in the area of the Amazing Maize Maze, a popular seasonal attraction
involving a maze made out of a cornfield. Arriving
on the scene, fire chief Barry Wenger reported a brush fire in a temporary
parking area, involving several vehicles. The parking lot was a cornfield, which had been mowed down
that morning, allowing cars to park on top of the corn fodder.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Chief Wenger immediately called
for mutual aid assistance. With a
stiff west wind, the fire was spreading rapidly, and was consuming multiple
vehicles. Arriving on scene,
engines 4-7-1 and 4-7-2 began attacking the fire with 4 1’3/4 pre-connects. Firefighting efforts were hampered by many factors.
The parking area was almost half a mile off the roadway, which made
access to the scene difficult. Water
supply was limited, and water had to be hauled to the scene via tanker trucks,
and relayed to the attack engines. Initial
attack crews encountered multiple vehicles on fire, with numerous explosions due
to fuel tanks, and other vehicle parts. The
wind was spreading the fire towards the nearby farm house, and the exposure had
to be protected. Tractors and a tow
truck were used to pull locked vehicles from the path of the fire.
With the intensity of the fire growing, more units were called to the
scene. At the height of the
incident, 14 engines, 10 tankers, 5 brush units, 4 squads, one rescue, and one
air unit operated on scene. Once a
large water supply was established, the fire was attacked with large lines and
master streams, and knocked down. When the fire was extinguished, a total of 31 cars had been
completely destroyed. The
Pennsylvania State Police and Fire Marshal were called to the scene to
investigate. Hot exhaust contact
with dry corn fodder was believed to have started the fire.
The damage was estimated to be in excess of $750,000 dollars.
No damage was done to the farmhouse, or the Amazing Maize Maze, and the
attraction was reopened as scheduled. The
Paradise Fire Company remained on scene for several hours knocking down
hotspots, and assisting with the investigation.
Assisting at the scene were crews from Kinzer (4-5), Strasburg (5-10),
Bart (5-1), Witmer (4-10), Intercourse (4-4), White Horsee (4-9), Gap (4-2),
Lampeter (5-4) Bird-In-Hand (4-1) Gordonville (4-3), Christiana (5-2),
Quarryville (5-7), Ronks (4-8), Cochranville (27), Atglen (26), and Pomeroy
(29).
-Chris
Andrew
Paradise
Fire Company