Dive Brief:
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When firefighters in Janesville, WI, needed to practice extinguishing house fires, and a local contractor had to demolish a dozen homes on a tract slated for a new fire station, they joined forces to burn down the buildings.
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The final house burned to the ground on Saturday as firefighters kept the flames in check after practicing techniques for ventilation, rescues and hose maneuvering, according to local TV station WKOW.
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“We have burn rooms and so forth but you can’t simulate what we’re doing with real structures,” Janesville’s Deputy Fire Chief Bill Ruchti told the TV station. “They react different.”
Dive Insight:
The joint effort was a win-win for the firefighters and the contractor who will build the new station, which is slated to open in about a year.