| Barn Destroyed by Fire on Maryland Road. |
On July 16th 2008 at approximately 10:10pm, the Wayne County 911 Center began receiving 911 calls reporting a
barn fire in the area of Leach Road or Maryland Road near the Wayne/Ontario County Line. One caller was able to
give an address of 564 Maryland Road in the Town of Phelps. The Oaks Corners Fire Department was dispatched
along with automatic mutual aid from the Lyons Fire Department.
Oaks Corners Corners Chief Reifsteck & Assistant Chief Maney called enroute within a minute of the initial dispatch.
Dispatch alerted responding units that multiple calls were being received reporting a working barn fire. Chief
Reifsteck then requested a full response from the Phelps Fire Department, a tanker from the Marbletown Fire
Department, and an additional engine from Lyons to respond to a dry hydrant on Alloway Road to fill tankers.
Assistant Chief Maney reported fire & smoke showing from four miles away and asked for additional tankers from the
Junius & North Side Fire Departments. The tankers were requested as there are no hydrants located on the eastern
half of the Town of Phelps, and water sources are scarce.
Assistant Chief Maney arrived on scene and assumed command reporting a working fire in a large hay barn, with an
attached barn as an exposure on side three and a silo with fire showing on side four. The barn was mostly collapsed
at this point with fire threatening the exposures. The barn owner attempted to remove a hay wagon from near the
barn striking a power line which pulled a utility pole and several power lines into the roadway. Lyons Engine 6 was
the first arriving engine on scene and had to stop short due to the downed power lines. Lyons firefighters, under the
direction of Chief Chuck Witt, stretched hand lines to protect the side three exposure. Chief Reifsteck arrived on
scene and assumed Incident Command, and assigned Assistant Chief Maney to Operations Officer.
Engine 3211 was directed to drop a supply line at the corner of Bohner Road and lay 700' of line into the scene.
Firefighters stretched a 2 1/2" attack line with a Blitzfire monitor to side four to protect the silo. An additional 2 1/2"
attack line with a smooth bore tip was stretched to the front of the barn to knock down the bulk of the fire.
Tanker-Pumper 3231 was directed to set up a portable pond operation at the corner of Bohner Road and supply
Engine 3211. Additional tankers were requested from Port Gibson, Magee, & Clyde. Chief John Dole from the
Phelps Fire Department was appointed as the Water Supply Officer and sent Tanker-Pumper 2131 to the
Canandaigua Outlet bridge on Fisher Road to establish a second fill site. Once a good water supply was
established, the tankers from Magee & Clyde were cancelled.
Special Operations unit 3262 & Phelps Ambulance set up a Rehab & EMS sector with Lt. Bajdas serving as the initial
Rehab Officer.
The North Side, Seneca Castle, Hopewell, and White Springs Fire Departments provided stand-by coverage for
departments involved in the incident. The Border City & Geneva Fire Departments were not used as they were
working other incidents. Additional help was received from Deputy Fire Coordinators Ralph DeBolt & Scott DeCook,
the Ontario County Sheriffs Office, and the Town of Phelps Highway Department.
The barn is owned by Richard Galbraith of Lyons and was insured. The fire is currently under investigation, but not
considered suspicious.
barn fire in the area of Leach Road or Maryland Road near the Wayne/Ontario County Line. One caller was able to
give an address of 564 Maryland Road in the Town of Phelps. The Oaks Corners Fire Department was dispatched
along with automatic mutual aid from the Lyons Fire Department.
Oaks Corners Corners Chief Reifsteck & Assistant Chief Maney called enroute within a minute of the initial dispatch.
Dispatch alerted responding units that multiple calls were being received reporting a working barn fire. Chief
Reifsteck then requested a full response from the Phelps Fire Department, a tanker from the Marbletown Fire
Department, and an additional engine from Lyons to respond to a dry hydrant on Alloway Road to fill tankers.
Assistant Chief Maney reported fire & smoke showing from four miles away and asked for additional tankers from the
Junius & North Side Fire Departments. The tankers were requested as there are no hydrants located on the eastern
half of the Town of Phelps, and water sources are scarce.
Assistant Chief Maney arrived on scene and assumed command reporting a working fire in a large hay barn, with an
attached barn as an exposure on side three and a silo with fire showing on side four. The barn was mostly collapsed
at this point with fire threatening the exposures. The barn owner attempted to remove a hay wagon from near the
barn striking a power line which pulled a utility pole and several power lines into the roadway. Lyons Engine 6 was
the first arriving engine on scene and had to stop short due to the downed power lines. Lyons firefighters, under the
direction of Chief Chuck Witt, stretched hand lines to protect the side three exposure. Chief Reifsteck arrived on
scene and assumed Incident Command, and assigned Assistant Chief Maney to Operations Officer.
Engine 3211 was directed to drop a supply line at the corner of Bohner Road and lay 700' of line into the scene.
Firefighters stretched a 2 1/2" attack line with a Blitzfire monitor to side four to protect the silo. An additional 2 1/2"
attack line with a smooth bore tip was stretched to the front of the barn to knock down the bulk of the fire.
Tanker-Pumper 3231 was directed to set up a portable pond operation at the corner of Bohner Road and supply
Engine 3211. Additional tankers were requested from Port Gibson, Magee, & Clyde. Chief John Dole from the
Phelps Fire Department was appointed as the Water Supply Officer and sent Tanker-Pumper 2131 to the
Canandaigua Outlet bridge on Fisher Road to establish a second fill site. Once a good water supply was
established, the tankers from Magee & Clyde were cancelled.
Special Operations unit 3262 & Phelps Ambulance set up a Rehab & EMS sector with Lt. Bajdas serving as the initial
Rehab Officer.
The North Side, Seneca Castle, Hopewell, and White Springs Fire Departments provided stand-by coverage for
departments involved in the incident. The Border City & Geneva Fire Departments were not used as they were
working other incidents. Additional help was received from Deputy Fire Coordinators Ralph DeBolt & Scott DeCook,
the Ontario County Sheriffs Office, and the Town of Phelps Highway Department.
The barn is owned by Richard Galbraith of Lyons and was insured. The fire is currently under investigation, but not
considered suspicious.
