Artois Volunteer Fire Dept.

Tuesday Training Nights. Last night we got together with Artois Fire Department for our first drill night of the month. We met up at our station before all head...ing to the Willows Airport. At the airport we broke up into two training sections. The first taught our newer firefighters how to operate the ladder and aerial pump on our Truck 4. The second focused on drafting and monitor/deck gun operations. Our Water Tender 15 comes equipped with a deployable 3,000 gallon port-a-tank. This is the yellow swimming pool like structure pictured in these posts. Setting up this artificial pond allows our water tenders to shuttle back and forth from permanent water sources and this tank, quickly dumping their water before returning to get more. This allows us to keep our engines always pumping on scenes that don't have established water sources close to the fire. Our engines can draft, or essentially suck up, the water from this tank. While training on drafting, we also flowed water from our deck guns mounted to the top of our engines and portable monitor gun set up some distance from our engines. These are high-pressure water nozzles used for penetration and distance. During this training Willows learned how to use Artois equipment and engines, and vice versa. To give some perspective on how powerful our monitors and deck guns can be, at one point our monitor was putting out about 700 GPM at 100 PSI. To finish the training off, Artois Engine 73 drafted from the port-a-tank to demonstrate how to flow water through Truck 4's aerial nozzle without using Truck 4's pump at all. All in all, it was a fantastic training night and we are thoroughly enjoying and appreciating partnering with Artois Fire to have more trainings like this.

***For Immediate Release*** To: The Constituents of the Orland, Willows, and Artois Fire Department From:... The Willows, Orland, and Artois Fire Department On October 1st, grant funding was obtained for the purchase of new battery powered extrication equipment known as the Jaws of Life. This purchase of life saving equipment was made possible through grant dollars provided by the Office of Traffic Safety. Two full sets of vehicle extrication tools were purchased as well as a Combination tool. The full sets of equipment will be placed in Orland and Willows and the Combination tool will be placed in Artois. The addition of these tools procured though the Office of Traffic Safety will bring unprecedented interagency compatibility up and down the I-5 and Old Hwy 99 corridor. This will lead to more effective emergency operations once at scene and will lead to increases in patient outcomes. In Service, The Willows, Orland, and Artois Fire Department

Artois Volunteers are excited to announce that along with Orland Fire and Willows Fire, we were awarded a grant for a new extrication tools. We received a new battery powered Combi Tool, also known as the Jaws of Life. Although we hope to never have to use it, we are excited to be able to better serve our community.

***For Immediate Release*** Shortly after 8 p.m. last night, Willows Fire was dispatched to a Residential Structure Fire in the area of N. Crawford and Walnut S...t. Firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the residence. One of the residents informed WFD Personnel that an occupant may still have been inside the building, so an aggressive interior attack along with a search was launched. During this attack, the back half of the structure collapsed. A second alarm was struck, calling for mutual aid from Artois and Orland. The search was concluded after the second occupant was located safely outside of the structure. At this time, operations turned completely to interior and defensive attack to quell the flames and protect neighboring structures. By 2230 (10:30 p.m.) the fire had been contained and all mop up operations concluded. One occupant suffered minor injuries during their escape from the fire. No other injuries to report. We extend our thanks to Artois and Orland Fire, as well as all personnel from other agencies who assisted last night. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Just after 8pm yesterday evening, Artois Volunteers responded to a mutual aid structure fire in Willows. Engine 75 responded and assisted with fire attack and mop up operations.

At 07:09am this morning Artois Volunteers responded to a reported traffic collision at the intersection of County Rd 25 and County Rd D. Orland’s Chief 20 was first on scene and reported one minor and one moderate patient. Both patients were transported by Westside Ambulance.

It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Chief Buck Cavier. Chief Cavier passed away at his home this afternoon, surrounded... by friends and family. Chief Cavier was a pillar of our community, a mentor and a guiding figure to all he met. He was another grandfather to all of us at Willows Fire over his career, which spanned over 70 years. He attended every meeting possible to give his advice and opinions along with the other Chiefs, and loved to tease and banter with the younger firefighters as good as anyone. He'd always finish his quips with a wink. Chief Cavier was transported with full honors from his home, given a full procession by all available WFD personnel and engines with a Code 3 slow ride down main street. It has been a true honor for all of us at Willows Fire Department to have served with such a man, and we will mourn him deeply. Our utmost condolences go out to the friends and family of Chief Buck Cavier.

At 7:32pm this evening Artois Volunteers responded to an automatic mutual aid request for a structure fire in the area of Oak Street and Lassen Street in Willows. Engines 75 and 71 responded and assisted in mop up operations. Orland Fires’s Truck 26 also responded.

Yes, that was an Earthquake just now.

THANK YOU to Artois Fire for the generous donation to Search and Rescue in memory of Stino Bassetti. Pictured: Sgt. Jon Owens #GCSO Jack Cavier #ArtoisFire

At 11: 55 this morning Artois Volunteers responded to a mutual aid structure fire on County Rd 18 in Orland. Engine 75 and Tender 76 responded.

At 1013 this morning, Willows Fire was dispatched to a vegetation fire on County Road 60, just east of Highway 99w. Units arrived at scene to find approximately... 15 acres of rice straw on fire, sparked by a Rice Chopper. Due to high winds pushing the fire in an extremely fast rate of spread, mutual aid was requested from Kanawha VFD, Artois VFD, and the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge FD due to the threat to the Refuge. The fire quickly exploded in size as backup poured in, so the call was made to utilize back burn techniques; lighting fires on far southern edge of the rice fields to prevent the wind fueled flames from potentially jumping the roads. Once the back burns were completed and the majority of the fire line was held, fire personnel worked to halt the forward progress in areas that couldn't be back burned. Between reinforcing defensible areas and aggressive fire attack, the fire was kept from spreading into the Wildlife Refuge just a short distance away in ground unsuitable for engines and personnel to traverse. This saved potentially hundreds of acres of wildlife preserve from being burned. Unfortunately, while initially responding to the call, Willows Engine 3 was driving on an access road when the softened ground gave out under it's wheels, temporarily giving Willows Fire its first temporary and unexpected Submarine apparatus. Thankfully, none of the personnel involved in the accident were injured. There was no real damage to Engine 3, and it was even able to be driven back to the station. In total, around 180 acres of vegetation was burned, and besides a bit of pride there were no other injuries to report. Thank you to Artois Fire and Kanawha Fire for your support today protecting our Wildlife Refuge.

Engine 71 is currently operating at a mutual aid vegetation fire in the area of County Rd 60 and Hwy 99W.

USDA Forest Service officials on the San Bernardino National Forest have confirmed the death of a firefighter on the El Dorado Fire. The incident took place on ...Thursday, September 17, 2020. The name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time. The cause is under investigation. More details will be made available as they are confirmed.

Pictures from the Frontlines. As of today, our Engine 16 along with four of our personnel have been deployed a total of 18 days straight. Some personnel have tr...aded spots in and out, but WFD Engineer Nathan Monck has been deployed the entire 18 days straight. Currently manning E16 along with Engineer Monck are WFD Firefighter Evan Hutson and WFD Firefighter Brian Ceccon, as well as an intern graduate of the Butte College Fire Program. Not on E16 but deployed to the firelines nonetheless is WFD Engineer Kyle Enos, who works as a Cal Fire Firefighter. Originally called in as mutual aid to Elk Creek for the August Complex, E16 and it's crew are now apart of Tehama Task Force 3 along with Orland Volunteer Fire Department. They are currently battling the Elkhorn Fire. Check out the link we shared yesterday to see pictures from OVFD. Thank you all for your continued support. The guys on the firelines especially greatly appreciate it.