Supply trailer fire unites communities in hurricane relief efforts
A sign outside Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department’s front doors lets residents know that hurricane donations are accepted at the station’s back door. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Firefighters Bobby Brooks and Alex Fantome collect donations at the Calcutta VFD on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Sara Mellinger and her son Preston Persohn, of Calcutta, unload cases of diapers and baby formula she picked up from AIM in Steubenville to donate to the Calcutta VFD’s donation drive for hurricane victims in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Preston Persohn, Calcutta, hands a case of donated diapers to Glenmoor Firefighter Dalton Simons while Calcutta Firefighter Alex Fantome heads out to unload more donations and Calcutta Firefighter Bobby Brooks speaks with Brian Shepherd who donated new baby gates. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
In addition to cases of water Calcutta VFD has received much needed baby items such as a crib, bassinettes, diapers and formula. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Donations of health and hygiene items including pain relievers, insulin and inhalers have been donated for hurricane victims. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Supplies in one of the trailers heading to Asheville, North Carolina to help hurricane victims suffer smoke damage after one of the trailers catches fire. (Photo courtesy of Chief Don Warnock, Antrim Community Volunteer Fire Department)
Calcutta Assistant Fire Chief Shayne Hamilton packs cots for him and Glenmoor Firefighter Dalton Simons to sleep on while they are assisting in hurricane relief efforts in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Murray Trucking has provided Calcutta VFD a truck with a 53-foot trailer to transport donated items to hurricane victims in Asheville, North Carolina. A driver from Murray Trucking will be leaving with the truck loaded with supplies on Sunday. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Stacks of dog food sit in Calcutta VFD waiting to be loaded onto the truck leaving Sunday with supplies for hurricane relief to victims in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Cleaning supplies which are critically needed for the victims of Helene are collected by the Calcutta VFD. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
A sign outside Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department’s front doors lets residents know that hurricane donations are accepted at the station’s back door. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Firefighters Bobby Brooks and Alex Fantome collect donations at the Calcutta VFD on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Sara Mellinger and her son Preston Persohn, of Calcutta, unload cases of diapers and baby formula she picked up from AIM in Steubenville to donate to the Calcutta VFD’s donation drive for hurricane victims in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Preston Persohn, Calcutta, hands a case of donated diapers to Glenmoor Firefighter Dalton Simons while Calcutta Firefighter Alex Fantome heads out to unload more donations and Calcutta Firefighter Bobby Brooks speaks with Brian Shepherd who donated new baby gates. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
In addition to cases of water Calcutta VFD has received much needed baby items such as a crib, bassinettes, diapers and formula. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Donations of health and hygiene items including pain relievers, insulin and inhalers have been donated for hurricane victims. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Supplies in one of the trailers heading to Asheville, North Carolina to help hurricane victims suffer smoke damage after one of the trailers catches fire. (Photo courtesy of Chief Don Warnock, Antrim Community Volunteer Fire Department)
Calcutta Assistant Fire Chief Shayne Hamilton packs cots for him and Glenmoor Firefighter Dalton Simons to sleep on while they are assisting in hurricane relief efforts in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Murray Trucking has provided Calcutta VFD a truck with a 53-foot trailer to transport donated items to hurricane victims in Asheville, North Carolina. A driver from Murray Trucking will be leaving with the truck loaded with supplies on Sunday. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Stacks of dog food sit in Calcutta VFD waiting to be loaded onto the truck leaving Sunday with supplies for hurricane relief to victims in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
Cleaning supplies which are critically needed for the victims of Helene are collected by the Calcutta VFD. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)
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ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP -- Following the fire in the supply trailer being towed by Pat King, owner of First Class Towing, to Asheville, North Carolina, for hurricane relief efforts, community members in Guersney County are happy to join forces with the communities of Columbiana County to get much needed supplies to hurricane victims in a town nearly destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
The trailer left the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department on Monday night along with a trailer from the Calcutta Fire Department containing Fire Chief Dave McCoy and firefighter Wesley Baxter and K9 Solace when the trailer caught fire on Interstate Highway 70 in Guernsey County between Old Washington and Cambridge.
According to Antrim Community Volunteer Fire Chief Don Warnock, whose department responded along with Old Washington and Lore City volunteer fire departments, they were dispatched at 11:23 p.m. and on the scene until 2:10 a.m.
Warnock noted he has a theory on the cause of the fire but isn't ready to release it because it is only a theory at this point, and he said he wanted to look at the trailer in daytime to see if he could figure out the cause which he believes to be accidental due to possible equipment malfunction.
Firefighter Scott Smith, Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department, said Antrim firefighters seemed very nice and helpful and want to help as much as they can. Scott said Antrim firefighters even talked about trying to collect items themselves to add to what Calcutta firefighters had collected and they felt bad about what happened
Warnock said he doesn't want the fire to discourage anyone from making donations and noted that residents in his community are wanting to do something to help with the Calcutta Fire Department's efforts.
Warnock said that he has a resident looking into using a facility for a donation drive and who is willing to use his trailer to haul the donated items to Asheville and that he would like to attach that resident to the team from Calcutta when they come through his area on Sunday.
Warnock shared a post on his Facebook page Chief's Corner to let Guernsey County residents know that he had been in touch with Calcutta VFD and found out they have a semi ready to be loaded and would be holding donation collection days. He noted that if there is room on the semi-truck, Antrim Community Volunteer Fire Department would put out the call to help fill it up when it comes through Guernsey County. Warnock is concerned over collecting a lot of donated items and not having a way to get them delivered.
Smith said that Murray Trucking has donated a truck with a 53-foot trailer which was parked at the fire station on Tuesday afternoon to transport the donations to Asheville. The trucking outfit has also provided a driver which will leave with the truck on Sunday.
Smith also noted that only a small portion of the supplies collected on Monday were lost in the fire. Most of the donations were still at the station waiting for a second load to go.
Even though no collections were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon multiple people showed up at the station with cars, SUVs and even a pick up truck full of items to donate.
Calcutta Firefighter Alex Fantome said that Ergon who has previously donated palettes of water, toilet paper, dish soap and other items, was planning to make another larger donation.
Assistant Fire Chief Shayne Hamilton who left Tuesday night with Glenmoor Firefighter Dalton Simmons to go to Asheville, North Carolina and meet up with McCoy, Baxter, Lt. Randy Schnieder, CVFD, and Ty Edwards, Liverpool Township Volunteer Fire Department, said he thinks it is amazing the outpouring of donations and not just from Ohio residents, but residents in Pennsylvania and West Virginia also. It just shows how people will step up, Hamilton said.
"We are so really proud of the community on this one," Firefighter Bobby Brooks, CVFD said.
"It's good to see another department doing something similar to try to help especially after a loss like that," Brooks said on Antrim Community Volunteer Fire department's willingness to help.
kgarabrandt@mojonews.com