The morning of Saturday, August 11th came early for the firefighters in Queen Anne's County. Over 65 firefighters and medics gathered at Station 1 at 0630 hrs to conduct a live fire training drill in a 7000 sq ft mansion on the north end of the island. The mansion had been made available for training by a local resident who plans on building a new home on the property.

Instructors and firefighters from Station 1 had been working weeks to prepare the mansion for Saturday's training exercise. All preparations for the burn were made in accordance with NFPA 1403. On the day of the burn, a final inspection of the building was made, a safety briefing was held, crews were assembled, and a RIT team established. Evolutions included fire attack, ventilation and search and rescue. The early morning burns were conducted in the upstairs master bathroom until it was no longer safe to do so. The late morning burns were conducted in the downstairs bedrooms. All throughout the exercise, the structure, and interior, conditions were being evaluated by the Safety Officer and the Instructors. Once the structure would no longer safely support interior operations, the evacuation signal was given and all firefighters and instructors abandoned the building and let it burn to the ground.

Due to the cooperation of all involved, and the compliance with NFPA 1403, this live fire training evolution was conducted without incident. The members of KIVFD wish to thank its members, the Ladies Auxiliary, and the participants from Queen Anne's stations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and the Greensboro VFD for a safe and meaningful day.