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N.Y. asst. chief goes driver-only, knocks down trailer fire during parade

West Hurley First Assistant Chief Garry Chislett singlehandedly fought a fast-moving trailer fire, saving part of the home as crews were busy at a parade

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First Assistant Chief Garry Chislett.

West Hurley Fire Department

By Diane Pineiro-Zucker
Daily Freeman

WEST HURLEY, N.Y. — West Hurley Fire Department First Assistant Chief Garry Chislett singlehandedly extinguished a trailer fire Sunday on Bundy Lane, while most of his fellow firefighters were tied up at Kingston’s St. Patrick’s Parade, Chief Andrew Doyle said Monday.

At about 12:50 p.m. Sunday, March 15, the fire was reported by neighbors who saw smoke coming from the trailer at 26 Bundy Lane. The sole resident was not home at the time.

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No injuries were reported. “All of the animals were able to get out. He did such a good job on it,” Doyle said.

Chislett “knew that a bunch of the crew was at the parade on Broadway and made a decision” to go to Company No. 3, grab an engine, and handle the blaze until help could arrive.

When Chislett arrived, Doyle said, the flames were shooting 5 feet in the air from one end of the burning trailer. Chislett decided to “grab a deck gun, darken it down and save the other half of the trailer,” Doyle said. Deck guns are mounted on top of the fire truck.

“He did it on his own. Then the engine pulled up shortly after that … and they went inside,” Doyle said. “He pulled up, and he knew we were low on manpower and everything he did was 100% what we trained on and training and experience kicked in, and he did exactly what needed to be done.”

The resident was unable to return to his home because of fire damage, the chief said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Doyle said.

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