Fire Damages #5 Paper Machine at Kapstone Mill (Photo) - 04/13/14
Longview, WA - A fire erupted in Kapstone paper machine #5 just before 9:00 PM tonight. Initial callers to 911 reported a "serious" fire in a paper machine building. Mill personnel, including the Kapstone emergency response team (ERT), battled the blaze as firefighters from Longview and Kelso responded to the incident. Crews arrived to find low visibility conditions due to smoke and steam; this added to the difficulty of firefighting operations.

Longview fire personnel quickly accounted for all mill personnel and worked side by side with the ERT to gain access to equipment and to investigate for fire spread. A Longview fire crew opened large hatches on the roof of the mammoth commercial building to allow heat, smoke, and steam to escape. By 9:21 PM the fire was declared confined to the paper machine with an automatic sprinkler system continuing to drench the area. By 10:00 PM, the sprinkler system was turned off and the fire was declared out.

Thirty firefighters responded both to the scene and to Longview and Kelso area fire stations in case of other emergency calls during the duration of the fire. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and Kapstone officials have not yet released a damage estimate. There were no injuries reported at the scene.

Fire officials attributed the success of the operation to cooperation and preparedness. "Local fire departments train with the Kapstone ERT annually; it is that training and overall level of readiness that paid off tonight," said Longview Fire Battalion Chief Eric Koreis. He added that the department recently completed training exercises at Weyerhaeuser; the next regularly scheduled training at Kapstone is on April 25.

Speed a factor in rollover accident; streetlight severed (Photo) - 04/08/14
A Longview woman escaped serious injury this morning after she lost control of her vehicle. She was traveling Northbound on NE Nichols Boulevard at a reportedly high rate of speed just before 5:30 AM. Unable to maintain control, the car careened off the roadway crashing through a streetlight pole. The light pole tumbled into the roadway as her vehicle flipped over onto its top.

Police officers arrived on the scene, forced their way into the badly damaged car, and began to render aid. A Longview Fire Engine and Paramedic unit arrived soon after to continue the rescue effort. They deployed a standby fire hose as a precaution as the woman remained trapped in her vehicle. After the arrival of additional personnel, the firefighters pulled the woman from the wreckage. AMR paramedics transported her urgently to St John Medical Center for trauma care.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation by police. Based on initial witness reports, excessive speed is suspected as a contributing factor to the incident.

Semi Truck Ignites Next to Nursing Facility (Photo) - 04/07/14
On the morning of April 7th at 503 AM Longview Fire Department was dispatched to a truck fire. The reporting party stated that his semi-truck was on fire behind the Frontier Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center, located at 1500 3rd Ave, in Longview.
Longview Police were first to arrive and advised dispatch the semi was fully involved in fire and immediately adjacent to the nursing home. Shortly thereafter a loud explosion occurred when the trucks drivers-side tire exploded. Longview PD made contact with Frontier Rehab and advised them of the fire and to move all occupants to an area of safety.
When Longview Firefighters arrived they found a Spring Valley Dairy (Salem based company) delivery truck with its cab fully involved in fire - spreading to the trailer. The truck was approximately 10 feet from the Frontier Rehab laundry facility, which is accessed off the back of the building. As firefighters further evaluated the situation they identified a commercial gas meter immediately behind the truck as well as a fixed propane tank.
Firefighters deployed two hand-lines to extinguish the blaze and protect the exposures. Shortly into fire extinguishment another loud explosion erupted, this time from the trucks on-board refrigeration unit.
The fire took nearly 20 minutes to fully extinguish. Once extinguished extensive overhaul was conducted to the engine compartment, the cab, and the trailer unit.
The fire is under investigation and no damage estimates are available at the time of this release. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported. Frontier Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center was occupied with approximately 115 patients and staff at the time of the fire.

Longview and Cowlitz Firefighters Conduct Joint Training with Weyerhaeuser (Photo) - 04/06/14
On April 2, 2014 Firefighters from Longview Fire Department and Cowlitz County Fires District #2 converged on the Longview Weyerhaeuser site located at 3410 Industrial Way to take part in an annual training exercise to better prepare themselves for possible emergencies within this expansive industrial campus. In addition, members of the Weyerhaeuser and North Pacific Paper Corporation (NORPAC) Medical Emergency Response Team (MER) and Lifeflight Network participated in the drill.
The exercise simulated an explosion and subsequent fire that had disabled the built-in automatic fire sprinkler. In addition, there was victim who had been electrocuted and fell from a mezzanine requiring evacuation and medical treatment.

When fire crews arrived they found a massive wood framed structure with simulated fire showing through the roof. The facility was filled with a combustible product called Wet Lap that was freely burning inside the Warehouse. Shortly into the incident crews were advised they had a victim inside and that the NORPAC MER team was responding.

Big fires demand big water. The incident commander ordered one engine to flow water from a 2 Â1/2 inch handline and a deck gun, which is a pre-plumbed water turret mounted to the top of the apparatus. In addition, the ladder truck was strategically located and an elevated master stream was established. Between the two apparatus more than 3000 gallons per minute were being flowed (the water was aimed in a greenspace for drill purposes). Crews were also sent to the roof to evaluate rooftop ventilation needs. Ventilation techniques are used to open a large hole in the roof to allow heat and smoke to be released.

After the MER's provided initial medical treatment and moved the electrocution victim to a safe location fire crews from Cowlitz Fire took over medical care and activated Lifeflight. The use of Lifeflight is dictated anytime there is a critically injured victim that requires intervention in a trauma hospital and 10 minutes can be saved in total transport time. Lifeflight was landed in a safe area just adjacent to a series of large chip piles on the Weyerhaeuser campus.

At the conclusion of the drill a post incident review and familiarity tour were conducted.

The objectives of the drill included firefighting operation, master stream utilization, coordination between fire agencies and MER's, the on-site water supply performance, Lifeflight Landing Zone viability, and facility familiarity. At days end much was learned, making all the emergency responders better prepared for tomorrow. Weyerhaeuser Safety manager Stacy Fanchin shared,"The region's emergency responders are critical to maintaining the safety of the men and women who work at our Longview complex. To that end, we understand the importance of training for the emergency responders and are more than happy to host response drills in order to ensure the emergency responders are prepared in a time of unexpected emergence response need."

There will be two additional drills scheduled at the Weyerhaeuser location, April 9th and 16th. In these drills two additional Lifeflight Landing Zones will be utilized.

Dog Rescued from Bluff Just Outside Kalama (Photo) - 04/03/14
At approximately 7:30 PM Kalama Fire was notified that a dog appeared to be stuck on the bluff located above Old Pacific Hwy, between Bluff Road and Mt Pleasant Rd in Cowlitz County.
When Fire Crews arrived they could see what appeared to be a Golden Lab mix-breed scared and limping on the bluff, unable to find its way off. The owner of the dog was not initially on scene and firefighters looked for options to make the rescue. As rope rescue teams were gaining access above the dog's location the Ladder Truck from Longview Fire was requested. With darkness setting in, slippery climbing conditions, and rain falling - if the Truck was able to gain access it would be the quickest, easiest, and safest way to affect the rescue.
Firefighters were able to use the reach of the 100' telescoping ladder to easily gain access to the dog, which was placed on a leash, walked into the trucks bucket, and lowered to the ground. Its owner told firefighters that the dog was quite old and had been missing for two days. He was grateful to find "Zeeke" because he would be leaving on vacation in the morning and didn't think he would have seen his dog again. Zeeke was not injured during the rescue, and seemed to enjoy his ride in the trucks bucket. The entire rescue took approximately one hour. The name of the owner is unknown.
Although firefighters typically save and rescue human lives, performing animal rescues offer excellent training for firefighters and specialty rescue teams. The injured dog on the bluff above Old Pacific Hwy could just as easily been an injured hiker, and this carefully coordinated rescue not only saved Zeeke's life, but has better prepared the rescuers for future rescue situations.
###

Longview Firefighters Score High Marks - Stairclimb Fundraising Champions - By the Numbers! (Photo) - 03/31/14
On March 9, 2014 firefighters from 282 different fire departments from all across the America and 4 Countries numbering 1653 strong gathered at the Columbia Center (formerly the bank of America Tower) in downtown Seattle to participate in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb. The firefighters, dressed in full personal protective clothing and equipped with a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) would ascend 69 flights of stairs, completing a total of 1311 steps to an overall vertical climb of 788 feet - ultimately landing on the Observation Deck overlooking the City of Seattle. The motto for these industrial athletes: Climb, Conquer, and Cure; raising critical funds for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and Myeloma, and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Last year this event raised a record 1.44 million dollars for blood-cancer research and patient services.
This year, for the 7th consecutive year, Longview Fire Department put together a four person team to support this endeavor. The team included Master Firefighter Eric Bergquist, Firefighter Mike Mann, Firefighter Graham Lasee, and Firefighter/ Paramedic Dan Jones. Collectively their overall team performance total-time was 55:58, ranking them #76 out of 188 teams. The fasted team clocked out at 37:35, while the last team to complete the race finished in 2:30:24.
Team Captain Eric Bergquist, who has performed in the last 7 years, clocked a very quick 15:56, placing him 105th overall. Firefighter Graham Lasee, who entered his 5th race, ran a brisk 18:34. Mike Mann, who entered his 4th year ran a 21:29; he placed 45th in his age bracket and 744 overall. Firefighter/ Paramedic Dan Jones ran a 23:53 earning him 995th .
March 31st is the last official day of collections for the fundraising efforts, and at the issuance of this Press Release the Longview Firefighter Foursome is positioned to capture the #1 per capita (average donations per member) designation, raising an impressive $13,572.00 as a team...or $3393.00 per member.
Chief Fundraiser for the team is Firefighter Mike Mann, who leaned upon personal stories involving his mother, his cousin, and his best childhood friend, all who faced life altering bouts with Leukemia and Lymphoma . Living through these close-to-the-heart scenarios inspired Mike to raise an amazing $10,690.00... putting him in the top 5 fundraisers for 2014.
The motto for the City of Longview Fire Department is Quality Service and Timely Response. The Stairclimb team epitomized this vision competing honorably with a 55:58 overall time, and raising $13,572.00, all in the name of charity. Firefighter Mike Mann says it best, "I can't wait for next year"!
* Attached photos read members left to right

Lake Sacajawea Body Identified - 03/21/14
The body discovered in Lake Sacajawea on March 20, 2014, has been positively identified as 29 year old Loren R. Reed. Family members had contacted police on March 3, 2014, and reported Reed as missing. Reed was last seen on February 22, 2014. Police tentatively identified the recovered body from Lake Sacajawea as Reed at the Coroner's Office on March 20. Family members were notified of the tentative identification that evening, but were told the identification would not be confirmed until an autopsy had been completed.

An autopsy was conducted on March 21 and the identification of the body being Loren Reed was confirmed. The results of the autopsy indicate Reed died from drowning. Coroner's Office personnel indicated the condition of Reed's body is consistent with him being in the lake since around the time he was reported to be missing.

Body found in Lake Sacajawea - 03/20/14
On March 20, 2014, shortly after 3:00 p.m., Longview Police officers responded to a report of a body floating in Lake Sacajawea. Officers arrived on scene and contacted two people that had been fishing at the lake. As they were walking along the lake bank, near the 1800 blk. of Nichols Blvd., the two fisherman saw the body floating in the lake and called 911.

Officers located the body floating several feet away from the bank. The Cowlitz County Coroner and Cowlitz County Dive/Rescue Team were called to the scene. The body was removed from the lake and taken by the Coroner around 4:30 p.m.

The body is an adult male that has not been positively identified at this time. An autopsy is scheduled for March 21. Investigators hope to positively identify the male at that time.

It is unknown at this time how long the body has been in the lake or details on cause of death.