CFD responds to trio of calls

<p class="p1">The Chester Fire Department had a busy day on Thursday, as firefighters responded to a trio of calls in the city.

<p class="p1">The first was reported at 10:51 a.m. for a lift assist on Diamond Cross Road.

<p class="p1">"Somebody broke their ankle in their yard and needed help getting to the ambulance," said Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert. "No big deal."

<p class="p1">The second, and most interesting call of the day, came almost five hours later at 3:19 p.m., when a tractor - which was attached to a brush hog - at the city's maintenance garage on Long Street had reportedly caught fire.

<p class="p1">"The way I understand it, the guy parked it after mowing around 3:15 p.m.," Bert said. "They started to put everything away and head home and when they came back out (of the office), that's when they saw smoke."

<p class="p1">Bert said street department workers had already extinguished the fire with fire extinguishers by the time CFD firefighters arrived.

<p class="p1">"There was quite a bit of damage," Bert said. "It burned all the wiring out of it. It wasn't completely totaled, but the insurance might total it."

<p class="p1">The final call came at 11:31 p.m., a report of a homeowner smelling smoke in her kitchen at 2009 State St.

<p class="p1">"When we got there, the house was full of smoke," said Bert. "She had the air conditioner on and it was the blower motor on the furnace.

<p class="p1">"It kicked the breaker off, but filled the house up with smoke."

<p class="p1">The CFD was on scene for ventilation and returned to quarters around 12:15 a.m.

<p class="p1">"Three calls in one day makes for a busy day," Bert said.