LANDIS — Flames crawled and then rapidly gained speed as they raced up the walls of a two-story wood home Saturday.
Some new firefighters were amazed, seeing for the first time how fast fire can spread in a balloon construction building, a structure without firewalls.
Firefighters from Landis and China Grove conducted a training session Saturday morning at 401 W. Ryder Ave.
The session came with a bit extra when a few sparks flew into a pile of leaves on a neighbor’s house.
“We were there,” said Fire Chief Reed Linn. Firefighters quickly doused the leaf fire.
To ensure that no other sparks escaped, firefighters walked the neighborhood and continued to keep a crew on the scene for several hours after the training exercise ended.
Linn said the older home was a perfect example of balloon construction and how fires can spread.
“They were able to see it crawl up the walls and into the attic.”
The department opted to use the house for training after the town found the house did not meet minimum codes.
Owner Hattie Wright Cordrey had initially planned to convert the house into a duplex.
A contractor who began work on the project more than two years ago, left town, leaving a gutted shell.
Linn said Cordrey has cooperated and will pay the cost of having the debris removed from the site.
The entire training exercise was carried out using water transported by tankers from wells, ponds and lakes.
Firefighters in Landis and China Grove have avoided using municipal water since the onset of water restrictions last fall.
Both departments are continuing to use alternate sources of water.
Enochville Fire and Rescue and Tony Corriher provided tankers to haul water.
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