Sublette County Unified Fire responds to three incidents on Friday the 13th

Pinedale, Wyo.— Last Friday, Nov. 13, proved to be a busy day for Sublette County Unified Fire. Crews were dispatched to three different incidents and reported no injuries.

The first two were in Pinedale, and the third was in Boulder.

The first incident was a possible electrical fire at a business with a living area on N. Franklin Street; firefighters from Battalions 1,2,4, and 5 were on the scene. The fire crews found a smoldering fire in the attic of the building and were able to contain it quickly because of the owner’s quick action to call for help. The quick discovery and response prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings nearby. The cause is still under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the family while repairs are made.

The second call came from a smoke report at a shop on Crear Lane, crews were still at the N. Franklin Street fire so units 1, 2, and 5 responded directly. No active fire was found but a malfunctioning electric hot water heater was determined to be the cause of the smoke and hot electrical odor in a shop adjacent to a residence. The breaker was turned off to the hot water heater and the property owner was advised to contact an electrician to inspect the water heater before turning it back on again.

While fire units were cleaning up gear and equipment from the previous two incidents, a chimney fire in Boulder was reported. On arrival, units initiated an attack and extinguished the fire. The structure fire cause and origin was determined to be from a wood-burning stove chimney fire. The excessive heat from the fire in the stove pipe ignited the wood siding on the exterior of the building, where the stove pipe penetrated the building wall.

A neighbor also helped the crews by spraying the exterior of the structure with a garden hose. Fire crews don’t recommend civilians getting involved but in this case, the neighbor was in a safe area and his assistance helped keep the fire from spreading.