West Michigan Fire Department Accidentally Catches Itself On Fire

Obviously when there's a fire nearby, the first person you want to call is the fire department. But, who does the fire department call when they have their own fire?

This unusual situation happened Friday afternoon around 1 p.m in Constantine, Michigan when a routine maintenance check of their rescue truck got a little hotter than expected.

According to a representative with the Constantine FD, a firefighter was performing routine maintenance on their rescue truck when he left the vehicle to work in another area of the station. When he later returned, he found the vehicle engulfed in fire.

That's when the Constantine Fire Department sprung into action to save their own building. Dispatchers asked for backup from the Fabius-Park and White Pigeon fire departments before retrieving their own full sized engine to begin battling the flames.

What caused the fire?

Officials believe the fire was started by a electric or mechanical spark that turned into a small fire after the deputy went to another part of the building. It was an incredibly rare and almost impossible incident to prevent.

What was damaged?

The Constantine Fire Department reports that the rescue truck itself is a total loss, but thankfully their building and other trucks are fine at this time.

Will this effect their ability to fight fires in the city?

At this time the department doesn't expect this to effect their service times or ability to help people in the Constantine area.

These rescue trucks are there to help assist fight fighters in getting to the scene, and can be easily replaced compared to a full sized engine, or something worse.

We're all glad everyone involved is okay, and that this accident didn't turn into something worse. Because trucks can be replaced, but the awesome people who keep us safe cannot.