(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Had the fire department called for a machine shed fire!!!

J

JD Seller

Well-known Member
Passerby called the fire department and told them we had a machine shed fire. Only problem was we did not have a fire. Lots of smoke but no fire. LOL

With the warmer weather we have had I was able to get the driveways graded. Got the majority of the pot holes cut out and refilled. So I needed to haul some gravel to cover up the messy mud/gravel mix.

I have a 1991 Ford LTL 9000 tandem dump truck. It has a CAT 3406 motor and the whole truck only has 45,000 miles on it. Family friend bought it new. It is a really nice truck. The only draw back to it is that it does not like cold weather starts. Well we have been up in the upper 30s and 40s. So I did not see the need to have the block heater plugged in on it. It starts right up down to around 25. So half way through chores at the upper farm, I started the truck to warm up and air up, while I finished chores. It really white smokes like crazy for the first 5 minutes or so after a cold start. I deliberately left the shed doors closed. Smoking up the rafters really helps keep the birds out of the shed.

So I am about finished with chores and my son calls up all excited wanting to know where the shed fire was???? The fire department was at the home farm already to put the fire out. This kind of really puzzled me. I told them there was nothing on fire up here. So the fire department got ahold of the 911 operator and had her call the person that reported the fire to find out if they had the wrong location. That person told them the big red and white shed right along the county road with all the cattle around it. Well that was the farm I was at. Looked around and saw the diesel smoke coming out the roof vents. Well I bet it did look like it was on fire right after I started the truck. LOL

Well I gave the fire department a $200 donation for their timely response. Then wished them a Merry Christmas. I got my gravel hauled fine. I guess I will have to open the doors the next time. That will make the birds happier anyway. LOL
 
That is a good story and sounds as if a timely response. You read stories about the IDIOT departments who have a pay or play check list. Peope pay a yearly fee. If you arn't on the payed up list you are screwed. Read several stories where the owner is begging them to put their house out and they say sorry and just watch. One story the home owner was there for only a couple of months and had no idea about the fee.
 
I have thought about that possibility when I start up an old dozer or something in the shop. I open the door but sometimes you still can't tell what is going on in there.
 
My buddy gets a smoke alarm when he starts the 4620, I am copied on the texts, so know when it is started.
 
I have never heard about a dept letting one burn here but I know it happens. I believe all of the depts around here now have their own tax levee,your bill comes with the property tax.
 
That?s a really nice story with a happy ending JD. That sounds like a barely broke in truck too 😊
 
I was drying corn in a GT570 batch dryer a couple weeks ago, almost dark. dryer sits close to the road, by the granary. a pickup stopped to ask if there was supposed to be fire in the thing. I thanked him for stopping, and assured him it was OK. better that, than having no one care or check it out.
 
Did the same thing a couple years ago. Was driving through town and seen A LOT smoke pouring out of a guys shop so called 911 and was talking to dispatch as I was running to the shop to see the guy under the hood of a car working on it like nothings wrong. Didn't ask him if he just started a car that was sitting or if he was fogging it, just told dispatch nothing was wrong and sorry for the call.
 
JD, when I was building canopies (fire trucks) on the new 8000 series with 3208 it took 2-1/2 weeks to do one. When finished and started it to move outside after setting in shop, I know what you mean. White smoke filled the whole shop and in winter had to open east and west doors before even thinking about starting it. By the time air came up could not see a thing in there!
 
There's a farm on the south side of Lansing that made the news several years ago. Their farm is right nest to US127 so everyone can see. They said in their interview they get the fire dept called on them several times every February. Because their Maple Syrup shack has all that steam. Seems someone will be driving down the highway and call it in as a fire. Now they have an agreement to be called before the fire run to see if it's legit.
 
Many years back i owned a Farmall 450 diesel and had the wick turned up on it , a friend asked if i would help with silo filling and put my 450 on the blower . The silo pad was behind the main barn that sat on a state highway and blowing silage up a 80 foot silo would bring on the smoke big time Myself and a hired hand were blowing a load up with the 450 pouring black smoke in the air when out of nowhere came three fire trucks followed by a half dozen pick ups and cars . Some passer by called it in from a pay phone down the road a couple miles . People would tell my one firend and i they knew how many rounds we made plowing with the two 450 D's as both were turned up and looked like and old 250 Cummins with a # 10 button in it.
 
It was pretty observant of the passer by to see something and call it in so kudos to them. Good to know somebody's looking out. Just in case it was actually a fire.
 
Well don't have shed for my 83 Ford F800 8.2 Detroit. It does same thing when cold. On paying fire dues the place I bought in St Clair Co Mo has dues for fire dept. Guess if don't pay they arrest you or something.
 
Years ago retired widow neighbor lady slid off side of her driveway (very steep into woods) They called me, truck would not move it, started JD630 (had been parked about 8 months) started right up but lots of oil smoke. was pulling car out when phone rang, was another neighbor telling me they called FD because smoke coming from barn.. They called FD and cancelled call. No harm no foul, did get the car out and 22 years later still plowing her driveway every time it snows..
 
I had a customers 460 D in my shed a while before he picked it up. He called & asked if it would start, so I went & started it. Not plugged in & it was cold. Lots of smoke too pouring out of the big door. A passer by stopped in to see if it was on fire.
 
(quoted from post at 17:47:32 12/21/18) Let me see if this will post. Can you imagine letting your house go for a stinking $75.oo fee???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
looks like it did.
Click to expand...

Can you imagine living in a town where they choose to not fund a fire dept. like the rest of the world does? I am sure they feel pretty smug about their low taxes. Its up to the townspeople to step up and vote a department in or have a written coverage agreement, which is also common in rural areas.
 
A few years ago, my neighbor was kicked back in his recliner when he heard a bunch of hollering out in front of his house. He looked out to see what was going on, and a passerby was franticly trying to extinguish a fire that was licking up the side of his old turn of the century barn. He rushed out to help, and they got it out before it got a real good start. Turned out the guy was a fellow he had worked with on a construction job many years previous who was just passing by to attend a local gathering of some sort, and they were able to renew an old friendship.
 
Jeff, I've heard of such fees before, hard to believe it could come down to that!

Think of the "what if's"...

What if there were people inside?

What if they had actually paid and the payment wasn't recorded?

Pardon the pun, but sounds like they are actually playing with fire!
 
Probably back in the late 70's, early 80's I was working at a large mfg facility in the maintenance department.

I had procured the use of the shop afterhours to do some side work on a fellow employees car. I had replaced the head gasket, it was a Japanese something, overhead cam 4 cyl. The machine shop that worked the head left the valve seals out. When it started it smoked horribly!

The building had smoke alarms, and sure enough, before I could get the doors open the fire alarm went off. Here came the fire trucks, but they didn't stop...

They went all the way down to the other end of the building complex. There was a night shift working, they sent them away, said no problem, no alarm here. Somehow the alarm system wasn't assigned to the correct building.

They finally found their way to the right building. By then the smoke was cleared, I explained what had happened, they left without incident.

I don't know what went on behind the scene, or if the alarm system was ever corrected, but for the next couple years the fire department was there every few weeks doing inspections, checking extinguishers, blocked electric panels, fire lane striping, flammables storage, anything they could find to nit pick and look for reason to write a citation.

I don't think they ever found anything serious enough to write a citation, but they sure were looking!
 
We pay every year a membership fee for rural fire protection. Wild fires move quick out here and it's nice to have a additional fire protection. BLM will fight fires but there job is to put the fire out not protect structures. In a county that is 10,000 square miles and only 7000 people emergency services may take awhile. The rural fire department stages water trucks all over for a quicker response.
 
I had the same truck, set up as a single axle tractor. With a small shot of ether and a large bus battery it would start at -20. Should have seen the smoke!
 
A few years ago, my neighbor was kicked back in his recliner when he heard a bunch of hollering out in front of his house. He looked out to see what was going on, and a passerby was franticly trying to extinguish a fire that was licking up the side of his old turn of the century barn. He rushed out to help, and they got it out before it got a real good start. Turned out the guy was a fellow he had worked with on a construction job many years previous who was just passing by to attend a local gathering of some sort, and they were able to renew an old friendship.
 
in my town passerby's with a cell phone have become a problem--we get many many stupid calls of an assumed fire, and no one ever gets out of their car to check it out. for example--camp fires in backyards, school bus on fire when it was the diesel exhaust, front lawn on fire when it was water mist from plumber blowing out sprinkler lines, house fire on normal chimney smoke---ETC
 
I started the 4440 and L8000 the other day to move hopper bottoms. I opened the south shed door to let the smoke out. I went and got something and when I came around the corner the smoke was just a boilin? out of that south end. I think every farmer around here knows who has a 3208 Cat just in case they see smoke. She will always start, but between November and March you have to quick run for the door when she lites off.
 

I remember reading about that some time ago, also about another fire dept catching a house burn because it was a few hundred feet outside their service area, don't remember where.
Being a member and former chief of a local rural fire dept with volunteer dues I am familiar with those that forget or refuse to pay fire dues.
We have NEVER nor will we ever not fight someones fire because they haven't paid their dues or are outside of our area.

Best thing our county did was add the fire dues to the tax bill, still volunteer but they must now sign a opt out form if they do not want to pay the fire dues, we get a list of those that have refused to pay.
If they have a fire we fight it but they are not allowed to pay the $40 dues, we turn it over to the states attorney to a collect $250-500 suppression cost allowed by the state, if the building or buildings involved are more than 2500 square feet the cost goes to $1000+.
Many banks and finance companies now have escrow accounts in the mortgage that automatically pays the insurance, taxes and fire dues, property owner doesn't have a choice.

It's sad that some fire depts, towns, cities have become so engrossed with the financial side of fire fighting or boundary lines of service areas that they have turned their backs one the humanitarian side.
 
I've been concerned about that myself when I start the 1850 to grind feed and let it sit there and warm up. Nobody has called yet.
 
here they tried to tax the property bills but soon they couldn't without vote so now you can get them back by askng ---yr after the tax grab wet in we had 5 new buildings now how many of them will put a fire ---we have 7 depts. in a small co---my proposal every time the truck left the bldg. the driver pd 1.50 mile plus fuel ie. parades etc---coulda cured money problems in 90 days---they didn't want financial aacountability just more money to spend---WHY????
 

larryh, I don't know what type of local government you have wherever it is that you live but it sounds like you have only a very marginal understanding of how it works. If you were to go to wherever this local govt is based and meets and ask to talk to the board I am sure that they would be able to answer your why???? That is if you really want an answer.
 
(quoted from post at 07:16:32 12/22/18) in my town passerby's with a cell phone have become a problem--we get many many stupid calls of an assumed fire, and no one ever gets out of their car to check it out. for example--camp fires in backyards, school bus on fire when it was the diesel exhaust, front lawn on fire when it was water mist from plumber blowing out sprinkler lines, house fire on normal chimney smoke---ETC
Click to expand...

A couple years ago I pushed up a pile of cornstalks that had floated to the outside of a pond in the field after a heavy rain. After I pushed up the pile I set it on fire and sat there watching it. It was by a lonely gravel road, by the way. When I knew it was safe I went home to get a rake and when I came back the fire department was putting out the fire. I was psst and the fire chief knew it by the posture I was using when I walked up to them. He said someone had called it in and they were required to put out any fire they are called to even though they know it's a false alarm situation like this one. A few months later a distant neighbor asked me if I had a burning bale a few months ago. He said his wife saw it while driving by on the blacktop nearly a mile away and called it in. I was a gentleman when I explained the situation to him but I hope he told his wife what the it was all about. If concerned people see smoke they need to investigate it before they get in a panic and make the 911 call.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
Neighbor lost his machine shed.
Replies
8
Views
2K
J.Wondergem
J.Wondergem
3
I Thought I had enough fire wood
Replies
4
Views
1K
Mike(NEOhio)
M
jd2cyl1943
Feeling a little proud here
Replies
17
Views
1K
Pete in MD
Pete in MD
H
Barn (ok, machine shed) cat questions
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
MKinON
M
P
Re:Speaking of Stick Shift
Replies
0
Views
160
psimmer
P
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top