A Dublin firefighter was injured when the tanker he was driving rolled over after responding to a field fire.
The accident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 26.
Bentonville Fire Department had responded to a large field fire and combine fire north of Bentonville in Fayette County.
Bentonville requested mutual aid from Dublin, Cambridge City, Milton, Raleigh and EMS and received automatic aid from Everton. Two local farmers also assisted in making perimeters with their tractor and disc.
As Dublin’s firefighters were returning to the station after the run, the front right tire of its 1989 GMC 7000 tanker went off the edge of the narrow country roadway.
The tanker, which holds 2,300 gallons of water, was pulled into the ditch and unable to recover after a struggle, according to a statement from department officials. The truck finally landed on its passenger side and was stopped by a tree.
The driver, a 27-year member of Dublin’s volunteer department, was the only one inside.
Dublin Fire officials said the vehicle was traveling at a safe rate of speed, believed to be approximately 30 mph.
The driver was treated on scene by Fayette County EMS and then his family took him to Reid Health in Richmond. He was released to recover at home with non-life-threatening injuries.
A social media post by the Bentonville fire department indicated the Dublin firefighter was wearing his seat belt, and noted the accident was just one of many dangers faced in fire service.
Fayette County Sheriff’s Department investigated the accident.
A version of this article appeared in the November 6 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.