Sanborn, Iowa — While en route to a fire call on Thursday afternoon, a Sanborn Fire Department tanker truck was involved in an accident and was flipped on its side on the highway. We recently had a chance to talk with Sanborn Fire Chief Randy Lyman and he told us about the fire, and told us what they are doing now with no water truck.
You can find out about the accident by clicking here.
As far as the fire call, it was a mile north and about a half a mile east of Sanborn on 310th Street, and was paged as a combine fire. Lyman says he was in the responding unit behind the tanker truck and saw the accident happen. He says he asked for the Melvin firefighters to be paged at that time as they were going to be without a water truck and some personnel. But some Sanborn personnel continued to the fire. When they got there and found out what they were dealing with, they told dispatch that the Melvin firefighters wouldn’t be needed.
Lyman tells us that the farmer had driven the burning combine to a harvested bean field, as it had happened in a cornfield, where there was more combustible material. He says it was burning in what is called the “throat” of the combine. Lyman stated that the farmer had it partially put out with a fire extinguisher, but the firefighters took care of the rest of it with water from their truck.
As for the fire tanker, Lyman tells us it was totaled in the accident, but it had been insured for the replacement cost of the truck, which would be over $200,000. He says they’re waiting to see how that pans out.
In the meantime, he states that Farmers Co-op Society is looking for a tanker truck that they can let them use as a water truck temporarily. According to Lyman, other departments around have also volunteered to respond with a water truck when the Sanborn firefighters get called out to a call at which they would need a water truck.
Also, says Lyman, they are hoping to be able to use something from Midwest Fire Equipment temporarily, as the fire department’s insurance is supposed to provide a loaner.
Lyman tells us they are also hoping to find a grant to help the City buy a new tanker truck.
