MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas from the Hucksoll Clan. Hope that yours was as good as ours. See ya in a few days.

Coming Up

Well I am going to take a break from blogging for a couple of days, as I have posted a few days in advanced (I know, cheating). But over the next week or so we are going to revisit some of my photos from the Wichita Falls Fire Department, where I used to live and work. I know a little something about this place so I will take each station and make a new post for them. Its a lot of work I know. Not sure if anyone reads this but that's okay, its fun for me. The photo shown here as taken at a grass fire along Texas Highway 79. Shown are Engine 8, Mini Pumper 2 and Battalion 1 from the Wichita Falls Fire Department.

Moore Fire Department, Oklahoma

My last stop in Oklahoma is the Moore Fire Department. I kinda grew up with this department as Moore is where I spent most of my childhood. Moore is located south of OKC. The Moore Fire Department consist of 3 stations. They house 2 Engines, 1 Quint and a Battalion Chief. Reserve Units include an aerial ladder, light/air unit and several brush pumpers that are in service when grass fires are expected. Below are photos of Engine 1 and Quint 2. We caught them as they were finishing up a weekend workout session at the Moore community center.

Norman Fire Engine 1, Okla

Staying in Oklahoma moving back towards the Metro, the Norman Fire Department runs this E-One Engine as Engine 1. Norman in located about 25 miles south of Oklahoma City and is home to the University of Oklahoma. This truck was shot outside the annual Touch A Truck event held in Norman. The event draws trucks for all kinds from fire departments to tv stations, to cranes and even mobile weather radar trucks for kids young and old to touch and jump in and explore. Do not know much about the trucks except they are yellow-orange. Norman Fire is the only department in the metro that runs in service rigs in that color.

Chickasha Fire Department, Okla

Well I thought I had more but I guess not. Chickasha is located south of Oklahoma city by about 40 miles. Its the mid-way point between Oklahoma City and Lawton. I do not know much about the department, but they are a paid department. The Chickasha Fire Department covers the city and some rural areas. I see their EMS trucks in the city all the time, so they must stay busy with EMS rides. I will try to find more pics later and update the post with a few Engine shots.

Out Of Service

This truck is something special. It was found abandoned along side US Highway 81 between Minco and Chickasha in the tiny town of Pocassett, Oklahoma. It was sitting in a field and is beat to hell and back. Not sure who owns it now, but it would be a great restoration project for someone to put some TLC back into it. The door say Norman, but other then that I do not have much information on it. I submitted this for a calander this year and it was featured in the month of November. Pretty good acomplishment for me, I have never been published before.

Tomorrow we will continue south on 81 to Chickasha and take a look at a few rigs from there. Next stop after that will be Moore and Norman and that will end the Oklahoma collection.

Minco Fire Department, Okla

Here are a few shots from a small town I used to live in. Minco is located south of El Reno on US Highway 81 about 35 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The Minco Fire Department is and all volunteer department that provides fire and first responder services to the town of Minco as well as most of Northwest Grady County.







As mentioned before, several departments received several Ford trucks to help make new brush rigs after wild fires depleted several small departments equipment and funds. Minco FD received one of them and this is the end product.

El Reno, Okla - Engine 1

At the time of posting, I was only able to locate this one photo, but I have a few more. This shot is of Engine 1 belonging to the El Reno Fire Department. El Reno is located 20 miles or so west of Oklahoma City. This photo was taken in February 2006 as the crews trained with other apparatus during a busy grass fire season 2006. This proved to be a tough year for several Oklahoma Fire Departments and put a strain on equipment, manpower and department budgets. The state came through and provided several Ford F250 chassis to these departments to put into service as brush rigs. The trucks arrived in Mid 2006. In the photo posted, it shows 2 firefighters going over pump operations while a mobile deck gun is set up in front of the engine to provide a stream of water onto a field.



Tomorrow we will travel south on US Highway 81 to Minco as I continue to go through the archives. Later in the week I will post a photo I took that made it into a Fire Truck Calender last year.

House Fire - 5/20/2006

I caught this house fire while visiting OKC back in May of 2006. What I thought was a car on fire on the highway turned out to be much more then I expected. I arrived as the first engine company from the Oklahoma City Fire Department were showing up. I was able to shoot from across the street and got a few shots worth sharing. The first photo is probably my favorite shot as well as one of the best photos I have taken. Crews were on scene for about 2 hours in temps well over 100 degrees. To see the complete series check out http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/photohuck/Fire%20EMS/Structure%20Fires/
The fire was in the 1300 block of Murray Drive in Oklahoma City. Units on scene were Engines 25,19,21 Rescue Ladder 25, Rescue 8, Brush Pumper 25 and 605.

Oklahoma City Station 5

Oklahoma City Fire Department Station 5 is located near NW. 23 and Broadway Ave. Station 5 is home to Engine 5, Hazmat 5 and Hazmat 55. Hazmat 55 was purchased with funds from Homeland Security and also serves as the regions Hazmat team in the event of a disaster, terrorist attack or anything Hazmat related. It is the only OCFD truck that is white. It is also identical to the other trucks bought for the state. This door logo appears on all of Station 5's equipment.

Oklahoma City Station 1

Oklahoma City Fire Department Station 1 is located near NW 5th and Shartel and is home to 2 engine companies, Engines 1 and 51, as well as Recsue Ladder 1, and 601 (Okla City District Chief - District 1 of 6). There is additional room to house 2 more apparatus, but the bays sit empty at this time. OCFD headquarters also shares the property with the only 2 story fire station in use in OKC. The top photo shows Engines 1 and 51 and the bottom photo shows Rescue Ladder 1 and Air 1.

Welcome!

Welcome to my fire photography page, SMOKE SHOWING. Soon I will be posting my fire photography, from fire engines all the way to working fires. To get things started, I will be visiting my collection and sharing from there. Hope to have new camera gear soon.