Merced Fire to burn building for training
The Merced Fire Department plans to set a controlled fire to a south Merced structure as part of firefighting training Friday.
The training exercise is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 530 W. 13th St., a few hundred feet east of Sacred Heart Church.
Firefighters need to practice the necessary skills for fire suppression and analyzing fire behavior, officials said. Controlled burns also allow firefighters to practice tactical decision-making; hose deployment; search-and-rescue efforts; and other techniques related to the protection of life and property.
The public will likely see several fire engines and other equipment in the area, officials said.
Traffic may be interrupted on 13th Street between M and Canal streets during the burn. Officials said the smoke produced from the flames is expected to waft to the southeast of the building.
Fire department officials said the training is possible thanks to Sacred Heart Church, which donated the property and completed the requirements to allow the building to be used for the training.
For more information, call Fire Station No. 51 at 209-385-6830.
This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Merced Fire to burn building for training."