It always comes or happens before you’re ready or expecting it but when the time comes … it comes. Here at the Ironfiremen Ponderosa, it seems as if that moment is upon us. We have moved to another level and it’s all encompassing. The Buckaroo, the farm, this blog and even my friends have been affected. I LOVE it … ...

LMAO … no…. that’s not “the” Coon I’m referring to pictured on the left. I’m speaking of past “Melrose Misfit”  Scott Boone … aka “Coon” (although I do see some similarities in the real Coon and the one pictured left). The Coon we all know and have grown to love turned 40 today .. HAPPY BIRTHDAY COON! Sherrie, his expecting ...

The following  poem is read at the beginning of every Roanoke City Recruit School and has become the unofficial creed of the Roanoke Fire / EMS Department. “If you want to be a clown, you’d better be lookin’ for a circus. If you’re lookin’ for a free ride, here’s a dollar; call a cab. If you want to be a ...

This past Wednesday, a Rocky Mt. Va Grand Jury decided not to indict driver Terry Valentine on charges of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving and failure to yield. WDBJ 7 news has the story below. The fatal accident happened this past July while Chief Dillon and Firefighter Altice were responding to a report of a structure fire. You can find coverage ...

The Fire Critic and MyFoxBoston.com are reporting the return of Fallen Firefighter Mike Urban’s helmet. The helmet was dropped in a backpack at an unmanned fire station. The helmet will be given to the family today. Firefighter’s helmet returned to family: MyFoxBOSTON.com Captain Wines

Who am I kidding? I don’t need a gun. I’d kill the guy who did this with a hand full of cotton balls… Fallen firefighter’s helmet stolen from family: MyFoxBOSTON.com More on this story from the link above or from Rhett over @ Firecritic   HERE Captain Wines

My point here is this ... multiple fires in a single tour in our department, more often than not; has the same members battling both fires. Multiple fires in DC or PG County may not even see the same companies much less the same members.

Here in "The Noke", our brothers and sisters were also faced with battleing two fires ... one residential and, the second; a commercial multi-alarm fire.

“Fire Boy” Rhett Fleitz..aka The Fire Critic is on scene of the multi-alarm fire in Roanoke. Rhett reports that the building remains heavily involved with fire and Roanoke’s bravest are at work. The roof has been cut, ladders are up and master streams flowing. As if the job isn’t hard enough, our brothers and sisters have even more to deal ...

Crews are on scene of a multi-alarm fire on Orange Ave. in Roanoke, Va. The fire is located in a vacant (under construction) 3 story hotel. Local news coverage can be found  HERE  and HERE. I will post further details and photos when available.  “Fire Boy” Fleitz has his gumball light mounted in the mini-van and is en route for on-scene ...