That large plume of smoke rising from a central Fremont neighborhood Wednesday signaled more than a house burning.
Before the house at 309 N. L St. was allowed to burn to the ground, Fremont Fire Department personnel conducted training on interior fires.
Training officer Earl Rudolph said the exercises allowed firefighters to learn how to control a fire in an interior room to limit damage and to keep the blaze from spreading. The exercises simulate many of the fires crews would face.
One of the three shifts was involved in the training drill.
Using a real home -- this one was donated to the department -- has its benefits, Rudolph said.
“There are some things you can do at the house that you can’t do at the training tower,” he said. “We learn from every one we go to.”
Being offered a home for training doesn’t happen too often, Rudolph said. The last one was about six months ago.
After firefighters completed their training for the day, they allowed the fire to burn the house to the ground. Firefighters kept an eye on neighboring houses, sometimes spraying them with water to keep them cool.
Neighbors snapped pictures and watched during the morning.
In all, firefighters spent about 4 1/2 hours at the scene and then made checks throughout the day to make sure there were no flare ups.
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