Fairbanks Firefighters off to a busy start in 2010:

City of Fairbanks FIrefighters finished 2009 with what appears to be another record year for emergency calls.  The unofficial total for 2009 is 4,231 calls, or an average of almost 12 calls per day.  The official tally and other statistics will be released in the departments 2009 annual report which will be posted on this site when it is complete.  This record number of responses continues a trend that spans over a decade with a higher demand for fire/ems services each year.  There has been an increase of over 1,000 calls per year since the year 2000, with no corresponding increase in minimum staffing levels.  The City has added one firefighter per shift in 2009, but the minimum staffing level has yet to see an increase.

There has been a significant number of structure and vehicle fires in early  2010.  The recent cold snap has lead to an increased number of fires.  Please follow the following safety tips to help reduce your risk of fire;

• Clean your chimney regularly.  Many structure fires begin as chimney fires and then spread to the walls and attic.  Keeping your chimney clean and inspecting it regularly will reduce this risk.  Also, do not burn any trash or garbage in your woodstove.
• Inspect the wiring and auxillary heaters on your cars.  Many vehicle fires begin from shorts in the wiring for these devices.
• Be cautious using auxillary heaters inside your home.  Use UL listed heaters in good working order.
• Make sure you have working smoke detectors and CO detectors in your residence.
• Contact your local fire department if you have any questions.

Firefighters respond to Aurora:  Fairbanks Firefighters extinguished a chimney fire Sunday aftrenoon. A fire that started in a woodstove chimney spread to the attic at a residence in Aurora. A rapid response and quick action by fire crews contained the blaze to a small portion of the attic. Having 12 personnel on duty provided sufficient staff to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously reducing damage. Please be sure to inspect amd clean your chimney!

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