The following is an activity report for the Covington Fire Department for the month of January.
During the month, the department responded to 16 calls for service.
Of those, all 10 were calls within the city of Covington, while 6 were located in Alleghany County.
Firefighters logged 163 miles and 113 hours while responding to calls for service in the city.
Firefighters logged 157 miles and 100 hours while responding to calls for service in the county.
Command units responded on an average of two minutes, 18 seconds during the month, and arrived on the scene on an average of five minutes, 11 seconds.
Responding apparatus marked en-route to calls on an average of five minutes, 25 seconds and arrived on the scene on an average of 10 minutes, three seconds.
Of the calls received during the month, five were for motor-vehicle accidents, three were structure fires, three were brush fires, three were mutual aid calls and two were false alarms.
An average of 17 firefighters responded to calls during the month.
The following is a summary of calls received during the month:
Call 1 – Sat., Jan. 1, 4:44 a.m. The department was called to the intersection of Jackson and Lee streets for a motor-vehicle accident. Fourteen firefighters and four pieces of equipment responded.
Call 2 – Mon., Jan. 3. The department was called to assist the Covington Rescue Squad at 334 Lauren Kay Lane. Two firefighters responded.
Call 3 – Tues., Jan. 4, 3:56 p.m. The department was called to the 1300 block of Potts Creek Rd. for a motor-vehicle accident. The department also set up a landing zone for the Covington Rescue Squad at the Mallow Mall to transport a patient to Roanoke Memorial Hospital via LifeGuard 10. Twenty firefighters and four pieces of equipment responded.
Call 4 – Fri., Jan. 7, 3:09 p.m. The department was called to the 500 block of S. Lexington Ave. for a report of fire in the area. The fire was found to be coming from CSX Railroad employees doing maintenance on railroad tracks. Twenty firefighters and two pieces of equipment responded.
Call 5 – Sun., Jan. 9, 9:11 a.m. The department was called to 1103 Cherokee Tr. for a flue fire. Fire was contained to the flue area. Eighteen firefighters and five pieces of equipment responded.
Call 6 – Mon., Jan. 10, 7:40 a.m. The department was called to 1121 S. Alleghany Ave. for a motor-vehicle accident. Thirteen firefighters and one piece of equipment responded.
Call 7 – Mon., Jan. 10, 8:23 p.m. The department was called to the 300 block of Mallow Road for a brush fire. Fifteen firefighters and five pieces of equipment responded.
Call 8 – Thurs., Jan. 13, 4:15 p.m. The department was called to the intersection of Cedar Street and Rockbridge Avenue for a motor vehicle accident involving a school bus and a car. No injuries were reported. Fourteen firefighters and one piece of equipment responded.
Call 9 – Sat., Jan. 15, 9:47 p.m. The department was called to assist the Boiling Springs Fire Department at a flue fire at 4122 Potts Creek Road. Twenty-one firefighters and three pieces of equipment responded.
Call 10 – Tues., Jan. 18, 9:36 p.m. The department was called to Station 1 for standby for the Covington Police Department as officers raided a meth lab. Twelve firefighters and two pieces of equipment responded.
Call 11 – Wed., Jan. 19, 12:11 a.m. The department was called to 223 E. Pine St. for a structure fire. The fire was found to have originated from a wall outlet and caused approximately $40,000 in damage. Twenty-six firefighters and seven pieces of equipment responded.
Call 12 – Fri., Jan. 21, 4:31 a.m. The department was called to the entrance to Kmart at the Mallow Mall for a motor-vehicle accident. Sixteen firefighters and two pieces of equipment responded.
Call 13 – Sun., Jan. 23, 11:48 a.m. The department was called to Smokey Bear Lane for a brush fire. The fire was contained to under one acre. An investigation is pending by the U.S. Forest Service. Twelve firefighters and four pieces of equipment responded.
Call 14 – Tues., Jan. 25, 11:26 a.m. The department was called to Granbery Memorial United Methodist Church, 435 W. Main St., for a mulch fire. The fire was caused by a lit cigarette that had been thrown into the mulch. Sixteen firefighters and two pieces of equipment responded.
Call 15 – Tues., Jan. 25, 5:37 p.m. The department was called to the railroad tracks behind 210 McDonald St. The fire was coming from CSX, which was burning its switches. Fifteen firefighters and three pieces of equipment responded.
Call 16 – Fri., Jan. 28, 6:30 a.m. The department was called to 632 N. Beverly Ave. for an air freshener that has shorted out in a wall outlet. Damage was minor. Sixteen firefighters and three pieces of equipment responded.