Sedona AZ (October 28, 2016) – Sedona Fire District Oak Creek Canyon Fire Station #5 Incident Update:
Good news on the Fire Station itself, it has reopened! Thanks to the contractors and Sedona Fire Staff members for working hard to get the station operational.
Thank you for your continued support! (end update)
SFD incident update reported mid-afternoon today:
Last night, October 27, there was a fire at our Oak Creek Fire Station 5 that caused injuries to one of our Firefighters. The fire was contained to the upper exterior entry level of the fire station.
The Firefighter was flown to Maricopa County Burn Center in Phoenix. The Firefighter is currently being treated for burns.
The Fire Station is currently undergoing repairs to the upper entry level. In the meantime, the Crew and Fire Engine will be positioned in the Oak Creek Canyon area during the daylight hours and then, during the evening hours, positioned at our Sedona Uptown Fire Station 4 to serve the Oak Creek Canyon.
The Fire District is working with a regional fire cause investigation team to determine the cause of the Fire.
We will provide periodic updates as we get them.
Please keep our Firefighter and family in your thoughts. (end update)
Original report posted this morning:
October 28, 2016 – On Thursday, October 27, 2016, at approximately 8:30 in the evening, the Sedona Fire District (SFD) responded to a reported structure fire at SFD Fire Station #5 in Oak Creek Canyon, just north of Indian Gardens on SR 89a. Emergency crews located a fire on the back patio of the building, involving a portable BBQ, which had been extinguished by a Station #5 fire crew member. A SFD firefighter was flown to Maricopa County Burn Center by air ambulance as a result of sustaining burn injuries.
SFD Fire Marshal Gary Johnson reported that a single sprinkler head inside the station activated which limited fire spread into the building.
Sedona Fire District will continue to provide uninterrupted emergency services to the Oak Creek Canyon area using its existing resources.
Further SedonaEye.com updates will be reported when available.
Read www.SedonaEye.com for daily news and interactive views!
That really makes you feel safe, 16 million in property taxes annually and their own station catches fire.
Is it put out quickly? No, the dummy gets injured putting out a fire in what is his own home, filled with fire fighting equipment. You could not make this stuff up.
Great job SFD, raise our taxes some more.
Perhaps we tax payers misunderstood. Sedona Fire Department is a jobs program. Fire stations are built so they can be burned down, and the firemen injured so to provide jobs for hospitals? There is no way a city of less than 10,000 people needs 5 fully staffed fire stations.
Aside from being stupid enough to start your own station on fire the other side of the coin is they are professionals in sticking it to the tax payers. Who can blame them though as the voters themselves voted out the 3 on the board that was controlling the outrageous spending habit of our fire department so guess after that vote they thought great we now have a blank check.
Apparently Mary C. and unknown initials have been fortunate enough to never have the need to make emergency calls. Only then does one realize the value of these professionals.
Instead of sniping how about showing compassion for a man that was badly burned due to an ACCIDENT.
Because of the vast invasion of tourists, all exposed to potential need for emergency assistance, the Sedona Fire District legitimately expands beyond city limits and must therefore provide extended service.
Thank incorporated Sedona and their alliance with the regional chamber of commerce for turning Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon into potential death traps because of inadequate infrastructure to protect the public from the perils of historical periods of flooding and most recently increase of wild fires over and above more cars amount to more traffic accidents.
Mary C I learned a lot during those SFD recall times and one of the most informative bits was that because our city is so vast yet restricted by USFS, if we want acceptable response times we need the stations we have. But if YOU really want the one closest to your house closed down by all means let Chief Kris know and I’m sure he can look into that for you. Please also share your “concern” with your friends and neighbors and let me know how that works out for you.
While we, rightfully so, hold our SFD firefighters up to high standards, incidents do happen and fires at a fire house are not unique to just SFD. Instead of having compassion for that young fire fighter who was burned, you take it upon yourself to poke ridicule at these men and women who will rush into a burning house to save you or bring quick medical attention to you at 3:00 AM. Sad, very sad.
Hope the Firefighter that was burned is doing well……things happen and haters are gonna hate……always under any condition
Firemen setting fires.They were recreating Fahrenheit 451, just doing their job, nothing to hate.
@wsr
Nice hack job……I respect the fire service and the work they do……don’t mind paying my share to support them……you must be a frustrated firefighter wanna be….who hates their life and job
To the first several commenters… you are clueless and rude! …Cowards actually. You don’t know what you are talking about.
Let me guess? You moved to Sedona within the past 10 years, you are retired and your golden years now suck! I know you well!! Now you are bored with your miserable life and you get some kind of thrill by thinking you’re hurting someone, while under the cloak of secrecy!
Again, you are clueless, heartless cowards! One of these days, you will experience an emergency, EVERYONE does at some point! Especially those in their golden years. Trust me, when you are writhing in pain and gasping for air from a heart attack, you will be praying for the fast arrival of SFD!
Accidents happen! Karma is no fun! The injured firefighter is a good man and a solid professional, unlike you.
Here here Matt and count on everyone sending best wishes for a fast recovery and high fives to all you great guys on the job!
The injured Firefighter may be a good man and I am sorry to see anyone injured and I wish him a speedy recovery.
The facts are,
1) He started the fire while operating a barbeque on duty.
2) he was an on duty fireman, trained to put out fires.
3) he got burned when the barbeque caught fire.
4) if there had been no canyon fire station or no firefighters on duty there would not have been a fire.
He should get a lifesaving bonus for not dying. This is proof we need more fire stations for a faster response time. Haters gonna hate.
Once again the above was hacked by a loser who hates the fire dept…..apparently a wanna be firefighter who could not make the cut..
Your ignorance is blinding how can you honestly say that “The facts are, 1) he started the fire while operating a barbecue on duty?
Where was it reported that your “facts” are in fact, facts?
The way you say that means to me that you think that he was careless??
How did you come up with that stupid idea????
In your blinding need to stir the pot did you even think for a second that while he was operating a barbecue an accident of some kind happened and he got injured?
IMO I think that you’re one of those who just hates SFD for the sake of hating.
If there had been no canyon fire station or no firefighters on duty where would all of those people be during the Slide Fire???
If there had been no canyon fire station or no firefighters on duty where would all of those people be that needed medical attention? How many residents would have died had it not been for our trusted SFD, the past few years.
While we all hope for speedy recovery,we should also be questioning the adminstration of the SFD. Why would such a unsafe proceedure be allowed? Just as why did the SFD approve a wood burning stove for Mariposa that caught the building on fire? Because of bad policy and management someone was hurt, since he was hurt on the job, we the taxpayers will pay for this big mistake. BTW I have nothing but respect for the SFD. It about safety proceedures. Sad that this young person got hurt.
It looks like a lot of wanna be firefighters, some already employed by Sedona Fire Department.
The biggest loser and hater award as always goes to Wsr.
What does heart attack response time have to do with firefighters setting the fire station on fire?
@Wsr…
Cowards gonna cower! People don’t realize how stupid someone is, until they open their mouths, or try and write a blog, about something they know nothing about!
Wsr, thanks for clarifying, for us!
(named deleted by editor) it is in your best interest to stop your silly immature posts. We all know about your friendship with (name deleted by editor). Let it go.
Will post the same thing here as with the ongoing rants about the election. A fire fighter was badly burned because of an unfortunate accident. Those that continue to turn this misfortune into a platform for your personal petty issues should be ashamed. One day you might have cause to regret your harsh inconsiderate attempts to use serious matters for your own purposes. More pathetic pity party participants.
Don’t go past the cause of action. Thank you @ Jim for bring up the fact that the Sedona Fire Department policy allowing a barbecue on the job is the core issue. Was this operation inspected, reviewed and approved officially? Is it ironic that the Fire Department job is to do just that. They inspect buildings on a regular bases, along with other devices that potential can do exactly what happened.
While I am saddened that this firefighter got hurt, I agree with Jim. Everything occurring in the workplace should be routinely inspected, reviewed and approved my management. Injuries on the job especially ones like this could have been avoided. Instead of calling names and pointing fingers FIX the problem. Learn from it, grow and move on in a positive way.
So anyone that says anything about the fire department hates fire fighters as you people see it. Well don’t hate fire fighters just the ungodly cost of the way they run it and a couple of years ago even with full time fire fighters they stuck it to us for over a million dollars overtime. Now how can you justify that when you have full time fire fighters plus they only went on 11 fires all year long. Their pay is a lot higher then it is in Phx. and Phx. is a lot more dangerous then it is in Sedona. Yes we could be a fire station on every corner and it would even be quicker response time but would hope people had brains enough when they moved here to know we don’t have the same facilities as they do in the big city.
@glenn…
More BS from a nameless coward. And your four sentence post is full of blatant lies!!! …jealous much? Obviously… Sad! Are you someone who “couldn’t pack the gear” to make it on the SFD, or one of those miserable, bored retiree’s, who hates everyone and everything?
Nearly every fire station in the nation has a BBQ grill!! …and sometimes they malfunction!
Jealousy, hatred, boredom and regret = the avg. grumpy Sedona retiree.
Just because you claim they all have a BBQ doesn’t make it right. No employer lets a operation or procedure in the workplace that is potentially dangerous like this without safety procedures. Since a BBQ is a leisure activity and NOT part of the job at hand it is in the best interests to remove them or put in place safety procedures to protect the men and women working there.
Please get off your high horse calling names. For the record I am not a glenn or a “Jealousy, hatred, boredom and regret = the avg. grumpy Sedona retiree.” This type of conversation is no way to rationalize that a PERSON got hurt on the job doing a leisure activity that was not controlled, routinely inspected and could’ve killed him. It is really time that safety is the first priority and not your ego. It truly looks bad when the government agency that is supposed to control such things has it happen in their own station. If it is true that every station across the us has a BBQ for FF leisure and those are so dangerous as you say, then sir they should all be removed and banned in order to protect those that serve.
Yes the is very true @Glenn we pay extremly high property taxes here. The residents pay more because of the tourists. So you pay so they can play. In addition we pay our firefighters higher salaries as employees are scarse here. Same thing for city employees.
Harry is correct. Property owners in the School & Fire Districts (expanded area of Sedona City Limits) do pay more to provide emergency services for millions of tourists. Remember all the hiking rescues in addition to traffic accidents and other emergencies. The City Council and other whiners that constantly complain because Sedona residents don’t pay their fair share. Well, think twice you morons before pointing fingers. Want to see my property tax bill – that comes from the county. Thank heavens we do not have city property taxes. That final blow would drive even more people out.
cool it these guys aren’t superheroes, get better man accidents happen to the best of us
So Matt I am a nameless coward and how did you come to that conclusion and if you want will give you my name. Then what will you do with it, meet me at high noon?
The last time there was an opening in the fire department it sure didn’t look like employees were scare to me. We had a fire chief that was reducing the cost of the fire department but the council which had special interests in the fire department made sure they go rid of him. Did you ever wonder where all the money came with the Constance adds to get rid of those 3 council members who were trying to keep the cost down. Those 3 didn’t have a single add in their favor but sure had a bunch against them. So tell me special interests weren’t at work here. Our fire department costs more then what we pay for our education system in this county.
@nameless…
It is too easy to spew your BS under the cloak of secrecy, or cowardess! Most commenters feel like they are free with their random lies with no accountability, just like you! The nameless coward who hates everything! …and btw, thinks they know everyone, when in fact, you/they are generally clueless!
@ Matt Schobert
Name calling and insults is the refuge of those with no real defense. The new Chapel station is 5 minutes from the Uptown station and the Village station. This without lights and sirens. Dispute that fact when you claim fire department critics know nothing. We would of course have better response times and be safer if there was a station on every corner. There is also the possibility, exceptionally remote, that all stations may be out on call, so we would need more stations, just to be safe. It would also give the firefighters more time to barbeque, watch TV and work out. That is, when they are not setting their station on fire.
@Paul D-
Still no real name… you spelled mine wrong BTW! I love it when people like yourself complain about firefighter’s working out!! That is no different than complaining about the soldiers who train. Absurd!!!
Firefighter’s need to eat! What makes the difference if they use the microwave or the BBQ?
Your five minute estimates are close, unless you account for the ridiculous roundabouts people like you incorrectly pushed 10 years ago! Keep in mind if you stop breathing, you can last about four minutes!!! What’s your silly point?!
Admit it! You are a bored, lonely, grumpy, old retiree, with nothing left to do but complain about your local government! I’ve got you pegged. Listened to it for years! Spend your “golden years” angry at the world! …truly sad, actually. Take up painting.
And if we didn’t have more traffic than Sedona can accommodate, we could go back to having volunteer firefighters that worked very nicely back in the day. However, now thanks to the brilliant maneuvers of the incorporated part of Sedona, giving millions of dollars to the chamber of commerce to attract more day trippers, all of us in the fire district (different than city limits) must pay the price as reflected in the property taxes from our respective counties. Way to go incorporated Sedona. You’ve done us no favors.
@Matt Schobutt
“Firefighter’s need to eat! What makes the difference if they use the microwave or the BBQ?”. If you don’t know the difference, you should not be a firefighter.
“Keep in mind if you stop breathing, you can last about four minutes!!! What’s your silly point?! ” Well, you just made it, if you don’t get here in 4 minutes I’m dead anyway. At least let me keep what little money I have left after all the taxes I have paid my entire life. I’d rather die of asphyxiation than starvation, it’s a lot quicker.
Be a real fireman, go to work for Rural Metro in Phoenix, they work stand up 24 hour shifts, no time for working out, they are working. Very unlike Sedona fire 48 hour shifts where they may not even get a call. Am I wrong?
@Harry –
…c’mon man… again you are spewing lies and falsehoods, behind a nameless face!
More angry rhetoric from a retired Sedonanan, the place you thought would soothe your soul in retirement. Sounds like you bay live in the VOC… the village is not missing their idiot!
As a community we need to take egos and special interest out of it. It is no different than how you raised your kids. We all know that drugs and alcohol have risk factors. We don’t allow our children to buy tobacco and alcohol under certain ages. If you teenage son or daughter came home and asked that you host a alcohol – pot party for their friends would you? Even if they whined and said it’s fun? You wouldn’t.
Making the workplace a safe and a productive space is a focus for all. We have banned smoking in many public places. Whether you have a personal favorite taste for BBQ these men and women are there to work. Period. It’s not supposed to be fun, games and a party while they are duty.
With those objecting and playing bully Matt Shobert it makes me realize the one would only do so if there was many more issues at our lovely fire department. Makes it clear that a watchdog group needs to step up to the plate and start overseeing their actions. The Fire department is a huge amount of property taxes.
The tourists drive up our costs and apparently the fire department employees feel that it is a party on the taxpayers dime. Regardless of your excuses there is none that can rationalize allowing a operation that is for leisure and not a direct job function that hurt and or could potentially hurt any employee.
I am now curious on the spending and how high off the hog they are living at the cost of the taxpayers. Yep we need to stop funding tourism and cut off the special interests – regional chamber as they are destroying sedona living. Volunteers would do a better job.
@matt S
Hey Matt…..Let it go…..your talking facts and common sense. These people your arguing with are the same 2-3 (deleted by editor) … there about as knowledgeable as the 3 moronic recalled board members…. They didn’t know anything about the fire service either…..save your breath
You are wrong, Rich C. “These people your arguing with are the 2-3 (deleted by editor)” We represent the more than 700 who protested the city’s proposal to control who picks up our garbage.
It is clear that something is wrong with you people. Someone got hurt on the job doing an activity not required by the job BBQ. All you are doing by posting retarded excuses is proving to the world that you don’t deserve to have or be a part of the government that is stuck in a 1800’s hole. Grow up, fix it, take responsibility for the mistake and make it better. Ok I get it that is the way you do it in Sedona. Backwards and with the public paying your salaries. You should be world class as high as the taxes are. I agree with Harold W. stop bringing in the tourists causing our property taxes to be high and bring back a volunteer firefighters. Stop making lame excuses and playing the blame game.
@What wrong with you people??
You should look closely into the mirror. It’s people like you that make this city a nasty place as it is. Allow me to dissect your rant:
Someone got hurt on the job doing an activity not required by the job BBQ. – When you go to work or when you used to go to work were you allowed to have a meal break of some sort? Well firefighters across the world work mulitpal shifts and (wow surprise surprise) even get to sleep on the job so that they will be ready to respond to your medical calls ASAP. They are entitled to have one or more meals and that just may mean that they choose to BBQ their food. To think otherwise just shows your ignorance.
All you are doing by posting retarded excuses is proving to the world that you don’t deserve to have or be a part of the government that is stuck in a 1800’s hole- You moron, these aren’t excuses at all, just facts of life that you choose to ignore.
Grow up, fix it, take responsibility for the mistake and make it better. – I’m sure that Chief Kris will be sure to correct the safety issue. He’s a stand up guy much more than I can say about you, the “recalled” ones.
Ok I get it that is the way you do it in Sedona. Backwards and with the public paying your salaries. – OK you got me on this one, I can’t for the life of me figure out what stupid comment that you are trying to get across.
You should be world class as high as the taxes are. – What are you talking about?? Just ask the many of my friends who’s lives have been saved by our SFD and tell me how they’re not world class.
I agree with Harold W. stop bringing in the tourists causing our property taxes to be high. – tourists pay a tax to receive fire and EMS service it’s part of their room rate so get over it. If it weren’t for those tourists (granted they don’t know how to drive on a round-a-bout) you would really know what a property tax would be.
and bring back a volunteer firefighters. I liked the volunteers back 20 years ago but that issue is dead and buried 10 times over, move along and get a life.
If you have anything constructive to offer why not run for the fire department board and see how that works for you., oh yeah, you did that and got recalled by the biggest recall initiative in AZ history.
THAT IS ALL….