Cold thwarts firefighters at Custer fire

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Tuesday, December 16, 2008

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For nearly five hours Sunday, the Custer Volunteer Fire Department battled mechanical problems, hypothermia and 25 below-zero temperatures at a residential fire that eventually claimed the home of Randy Kuper.

Fire Chief Joel Behlings said crews arrived at the single-story home at 3:30 p.m., anticipating a chimney fire. Instead, they found heavy smoke belching from the roof, indicating an attic fire. There are no fire hydrants in the Highway 16 area on the edge of city limits, so firefighters relied on water hauled from town and pumped from trucks.

"We were dealing with temperatures that hit 25-degrees-below zero, causing equipment to freeze and creating problems of getting water to the fire scene," Behlings said.

To battle hypothermia and frostbite, crew members rotated between the fire line and warmth of ambulances and fire trucks. Those soaked by the cascading water were sent back to the fire station for dry clothes.

Just as crews nearly had the fire contained, trucks coated in ice from hours of pumping water started freezing up.

Saturated as it was, the fire spread rapidly through the structure's attic and rafters. The roof collapsed and by 8 p.m. the structure was declared a loss.

"It was no longer worth risking injury to personnel or additional damage to equipment. It was decided to let the structure burn," Behlings said.

No injuries were reported. Argyle and Pringle volunteer fire departments, Custer Ambulance Service, Custer County sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Highway Department helped at the scene.