House Burned To Ground In Geneva F.D. Training Session

GENEVA, IL -- The Geneva Fire Department will be participating in live fire training sessions Friday through Sunday along Richards Street in Geneva. Passersby and area businesses can expect to see minimal smoke during the majority of the training drills and for fire equipment to remain at the site of the training session at 17-19 Richards Street. The location is the future site of the Hamilton Place mixed-use residential and commercial development.

On Dec. 16, a home at the site will be used to practice defensive firefighting techniques and will be burned to the ground over a one-hour span in the mid- to late-afternoon, fire officials said.

"The burn down will generate smoke and flames proportionate to a structure fire," according to the news release from the city of Geneva.

The rest of the exercises will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. The site is currently being prepared and rendered safe for the live fire training. During the three-day period, the fire department will conduct 15 to 20 training fire evolutions to hone their interior and exterior firefighting skills.

These skills include interior attack, vertical and horizontal ventilation, civilian and firefighter rescue as well as command level exercises.

"Live training exercises, such as this, are extraordinary important for Geneva firefighters to develop and maintain their skill sets," fire officials said in the news release.

Residents and businesses near the training site can expect minimal disruption to their normal activities, according to the news release. The fire department plans to notify surrounding property owners of the live training this week.

Lakeshore Recycling Systems, the city’s waste hauler, has partnered with the city to assist in clean up following the fire training sessions. Lakeshore will provide discounted dumpsters to the Hamilton Place developers for debris disposal associated with the training activities.

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