Sanibel fire board learns of fire call, more
The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District’s commission heard about a fire that crews responded to in the front yard of a home and a medical call involving the LeeFlight helicopter during its recent meeting, as well as received an update on the potential acquisition of an east end property for a new fire station.
On March 9, Division Chief of Prevention Larry Williams explained that crews were dispatched to a fire at a home three days prior. According to the incident report, they responded at about 3:30 p.m. to a structure fire at 2564 Wulfert Road. It was initially reported that solar panels on the roof had exploded and caught on fire, but the arriving crews discovered roofing materials and a portable toilet in the front yard fully engulfed. The fire was isolated to the yard and there was no damage observed to the house.
The crews extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported.
Williams explained to the commission that the solar panels, made by Tesla, are designed to look like normal roofing tiles to make them appear like any typical roof. They come with a protective film that, according to a warning label, is not supposed to be removed until the panels are installed as it poses a fire potential. He added that the film may have been removed from the panels stacked up in the yard.
Williams noted that there was no lightning or bad weather and no accelerants were found.
“The only thing it could be is the way the sun came up,” he said.
While the cause of the fire was found to be undetermined, Williams reported that officials are planning to meet with Tesla representatives to learn more about the panels for staff training. He continued that the crews need to be familiar with the roof to know, for one, if they can cut through it to get in a house.
Williams added that two homes in the district already have the new solar roofs.
Also at the meeting, Fire Chief William “Bill” Briscoe told the commission about a medical call that occurred the day before at about 4 p.m. on the west end of the island. The responding medics called for the helicopter to airlift the patient from the fire station, but the pilot decided in mid-flight to land on the Sanibel Causeway instead. The medics ended up transporting the patient to a hospital via ambulance.
“It’s not our choice. The medics choose,” he said of how a patient is transported if needed.
Briscoe explained that it is up to the pilot’s discretion to pick an alternate landing site if he or she say conducts a flyover of the initial site and it will not work for the landing. This pilot did not do that.
He continued that in January, he was contacted about the Fire Station 171 landing site and that maintenance to the vegetation was needed. However, the trees and shrubs have been maintained the same over the past 17 years, and LeeFlight has never had a problem. Briscoe reported that he has repeatedly tried to get officials to come out to look at the site, so the district can fix any issues.
He added that the district has had some difficulties getting one pilot to use the site, and in his recent communications with LeeFlight, Briscoe asked if it was a landing site problem or a pilot problem. Back in January, he had two other pilots check the landing site at the station and they reported it was fine.
Briscoe reported that the pilot who chose to land on the causeway was that particular pilot.
“The medics reported it,” he said of the site change and it going up the chain of command, adding that one medic is a former air medic and he had no explanation. “He even said, ‘I don’t understand it.'”
Briscoe noted that he would be writing a letter to those in charge in regards to the incident.
“It hurts EMS, and it hurts the patients,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt us.”
Also during the meeting, Briscoe provided an update on the property that he had learned about on Sanibel’s east end that has a limited ability to be built on, but could work for a third fire station. Last month, the commissioners directed him to reach out to see if the owner had any interest in selling.
Briscoe shared that the owner is not interested in selling the property to the district. The owner had communicated with the nearby properties and the owners do not want a station in their neighborhood.
IN OTHER NEWS
– The new security system has been installed at both fire stations.
– Two fire commission seats — Seat 1 and Seat 2 — are up for re-election in November.
– The district responded to 147 calls in February, compared to 161 calls for the same month last year.
– The following personnel were recognized for their years of service: firefighter-paramedic Rob Bell for one year; and Lt. Rob Wilkins for nine years.