December was busy month for Goldsboro Fire Department
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on January 11, 2006 1:51 PM
Goldsboro firefighters in December put out five major blazes that caused an estimated $70,600 in damages.
Fire Chief Bobby Greenfield said his department went to 180 fire and-or service calls during the month.
A faulty panel box may have caused a Dec. 17 fire that resulted in the most damage -- $25,000 -- at an apartment at 2100 E. Peachtree St. After a quick knockdown, firefighters determined that the fire may have started in the laundry room. The occupant, Vickie Johnson, was not home.
Damage was set at $15,000 to the building and $10,000 to the contents, officials said. The apartment building was valued at $350,000, and contents were valued at $20,000.
Four cars were damaged in a fire Dec. 24 in the Berkeley Mall parking lot. One driver stopped his vehicle that was smoking, went inside the mall and called for help. Three other adjacent vehicles were damaged.
The fire destroyed the contents, valued at $2,500, in the four cars. Damage was estimated at $15,600 to the vehicles that were valued at $54,000.
Unattended cooking was blamed Dec. 7 for a fire that caused about $16,000 in damages to a home and contents at 1013 Greenleaf St. A resident had left a pot on the stove, went to another room and returned to see the kitchen on fire.
The home, valued at $50,000, was occupied by Shalonda Wooten and owned by Woodard Realty. The contents were valued at $3,000.
A malfunctioning floor furnace was blamed for a Dec. 13 fire at 1615 Rawlings St. The fire damaged duct work and spread through the home. Damage was set at $8,000 to the home and $3,000 to the contents.
The home, occupied by Rosellen Allen, was valued at $45,000. The contents were valued at $8,000.
Clothes left on a baseboard heater on Dec. 8 started a small fire at an apartment at 1602 Courtyard Circle. Damage was put at $300 to the building and $200 to the contents. The residents put out the fire before firefighters arrived at Tyhesha Williams' home.
Training
Fire Department employees completed 292 hours of company training and 1,062 hours of individual training in December, Greenfield announced.
Company training was held in a drill at Cherry Hospital, trench rescue equipment and awareness, sprinkler connections, fire ground command, building construction, pump operations, pre-plans, hose lays, friction loss and personal protective equipment drills.
Fire prevention
A total of 338 people attended fire prevention activities in December. Students from two schools toured the fire safety house, and students from WAGES Head Start toured the headquarters station. A fire prevention program was presented at an assisted-living home.