Conn. brush fire consumes firefighters' pump truck

[April 01, 2011]  KENT, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut firefighters responding to a brush fire instead watched one of their trucks go up in flames.

Kent Fire Marshal Stanley MacMillan says the pumper truck pulled onto a field Wednesday to battle a blaze when it had a mechanical problem and stalled. The wind picked up, the fire spread, and soon the truck was ablaze.

The vehicle and equipment on board, including half the department's self-contained breathing apparatus, were a total loss.

Fire Chief Eric Epstein tells The Waterbury Republican-American he's unsure what the truck was worth, but the volunteer department was talking about buying a new one for $450,000.

The good news is that the blaze, sparked by a large grass mower, was brought under control and no one was hurt

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Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com/

[Associated Press]

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