Firefighters will train and gain valuable insight on multiple facets of rescue, containment and cleanup

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - A Gridley landmark will soon be no more. CAL FIRE and Butte County Fire Department has announced plans to use the building on the corner of Hwy 99 and Ford Street in Gridley, formerly the home to Grumpy’s, El Tamborazo Mexican Restaurant, and most recently, Habanero Fish and Taco’s, for a Live Fire training exercise and demolition.

In a press release from January 30, 2020, CAL FIRE says it has contracted with the county and the property owner to conduct the exercise wherein firefighters will train and gain valuable insight on multiple facets of rescue, containment and cleanup including: Realistic search-and-rescue scenarios, incident size-up, hose-lays and interior attack, fire behavior analysis, mitigating demolition and cleanup impacts to the community, and in this instance, the removal of an empty building from the main route through town.

Battalion Chief for CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department Sean Norman says, “The training our firefighters get from a structure like this is invaluable.” He continues, “They can take the lessons learned here and apply them directly to saving lives and property.” This is the second live fire training exercise that the department has held in the last month. Properties used for training must have an applicable training value and property owners must go through a detailed process to qualify for a live fire training exercise, including procuring a demolition permit, prepping the building in accordance with CAL FIRE standards, and signing over liability to CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department.

The Fire Department apparently took possession of the property last week and is using the building and surrounding area for various training scenarios before the scheduled burn and demolition, Thursday, February 4^th.  Businesses in the area or that share the block with the building may be closed, such as Gridley Country Ford and CAL FIRE will post training signs along the highway to alert traffic of the exercise.

Community members should be prepared for smoke, potentially heavy, between the hours of 9:00 am -1:00 pm. Those that have sensitivities and live in the direct area may want to take precautions and the public is asked to avoid the area where possible.