Intentional burning down of house a win-win for city

     A large crowd of fascinated Hampton residents gathered on July 29 in the south part of the city to watch local firefighters burn down an abandoned house as part of a training exercise.

     The controlled burn fire was conducted by members of the Hampton Fire Department at an abandoned house in the 400 block of First Street Southwest.

     The fire served two purposes       for the city – as a training exercise on a live fire for members of the fire department but also as a way for the city to destroy an "eye-sore" condemned property it had taken possession of.

     "It's probably about the best training you can get because it's a real, live fire," said Hampton Fire Chief Kent Wilkinson. "We get the older guys showing the younger guys what to do; it's a lot of good training."

     Wilkinson said fires such as the one on July 29 allow his firefighters to practice important techniques such as rescue in a burning structure, use of power saws and tools, and fire truck set-up and correct usage of water hoses to battle a residential blaze.

Read the full article in the Aug. 7 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.