Welch Island rescue

[Descant]

Originally Posted by retired

Let's say you identify a fire burning on Welch or any other island this time of year when the ice isn't totally safe. How are you going to put it out? You can't drive a fire truck or other heavy vehicle out there.

First priority is life safety--rescue people and pets. No truck needed.

Contractors work on the islands year round using hovercraft and airboats designed to go on ice, water, snow, whatever. And, of course, helicopters. Portable pumps and other equipment comes into play, as it would in most rural areas. Unbridged island properties tend to be small with outbuildings rather than the large buildings on the mainland, so it is easier to keep fire size down and prevent spreading.

[TiltonBB]

Typically a portable pump using lake water and 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" hand lines would be used on properties that are not accessible by fire trucks. The time involved in the response would mean that the fire would have a substantial amount of time to grow.

The equipment would be brought to the island by whatever means is safe and available like a hovercraft or even placed in a small flat bottom boat to be towed across the ice.

[retired]

Makes sense. I guess if you live on an island you have to be extra careful about fires, since your house will likely burn to the ground. That's what insurance is for.