Monticello Live

A fire was reported at the Sadie Johnson Community Center in Jordan Park around 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon.

The Monticello Fire Dept. responded, but flames had already burned through the north rear wall and roof of the building when they arrived. (more…)

Around 3 pm, Friday afternoon, a grass fire in a field at the end of Old Troy Road crossed into a nearby forest, and started a major forest fire, southeast of Monticello.  The fire, according to Sheriff Mark Gober, was likely started by a downed power line.

An early estimate from someone at the scene indicates that around 200 acres of timberland were destroyed.

(more…)

Around 2:30, Saturday afternoon, a forest fire was reported in the southern part of Drew County.

For several hours, the fire was moving north on two separate fronts, and south, with another fire wall, centered around Gates/Mainline Road, between the south section of Midway Route and Collins Line Road, about 15-20 miles from Monticello.

Local fire departments were standing by area deer camps and watch for road crossings, while 2 planes were dropping water, another plane guiding the firefighters, and 9 fire-plows were also working to extinguish the blazes.

Around 7:30, Saturday night,  it was estimated the the fire was 50% contained, and that the planes and plows would be able to contain and control the remaining fire; and at 9 pm Arkansas Forestry Commission crews reported that the fire had been contained. (more…)

Monticello Firefighters Spent 6 hours Battling "Old Bradley Mill" Fire in Warren, Saturday Night. Photo by David Forrest, of the Guesthouse.

On a day when emergency personnel are recognized across the nation, our local fire dept, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, and both ambulance services were busy proving how important they are to our community.

Here’s a portion of their day…….

Before midnight Friday, Monticello Fire & Rescue was paged out to a single car wreck on HWY 293 near Selma, where an Oldsmobile’s 3 passengers needed them.  Arkansas State Troopers worked the wreck, assisted by Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies.  SEEMS transported the 3 victims to Drew Memorial.  Although it turns out that Fire & Rescue weren’t needed, the caller who reported the crash believed the 3 victims were pinned inside the vehicle.

Prior to this Arkansas State Troopers had made 3 DWI arrests late in the evening, protecting Drew County drivers.

4 am Car Crash on Barkada Road, Saturday.

Around 4am, Saturday morning, a Chrysler 300 crashed into a tree, 4 miles out, on Barkada Road.  The person who called this in reported that the driver was still inside the car, and it looked like the car was on fire.  Fire & Rescue were called out to save the crash victim.  When Drew County Deputies arrived on the scene, with Fire & Rescue right behind them, it was discovered that the “possible fire” was “air bag dust”, but at 4 in the morning, the caller couldn’t tell.  MASI transported the driver to DMH.  Triple A towed the vehicle.

First Responders Recognized by Local Veterans at Flag Dedication Ceremony at 1st Baptist Church

Several of our emergency personnel were recognized for their dedication and service, during a flag and flagpole dedication at First Baptist Church at 10 o’clock, by our local veteran’s organizations and Woodmen of the World.

House Fire at Dead Man's Curve, Saturday, 12:45.

Many of them attended a Community Prayer Rally at the Drew County Courthouse at noon, but were called out to a double-wide mobile home at 12:45, which was called in “the cars are there, but no one is standing outside.”  The photo shows how engulfed the structure was when it was called in.  Firefighters battled the blaze for 4 hours, hauling water from Carpenter Road, 1.5 miles away, until the fire was out.  Also worth noting, SEEMS came to the scene, “just in case” there would’ve been someone inside who needed medical care, and also, Sheriff Gober, an off-duty auxiliary deputy, and an area constable were at the fire, in case they were needed.

SEEMS Displayed a U. S. Flag on their Ambulance, in Honor of 9/11, Saturday

After getting the trucks ready for their next call, whatever it may be, and a very late lunch (at around 4:30), they got to sit down for the first time all day.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the day for the Monticello Fire Dept.  The “Old Bradley Mill” in Warren caught on fire around 11 pm, Saturday night, and they were called to assist Warren’s Fire Dept.  Monticello’s firefighters arrived back at the fire-station 6 hours later.

Throughout the day, our Monticello Police and Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies answered calls of all types, around the clock.  SEEMS and MASI were on duty, providing their services, as always, at a moments notice.   The emergency room staff at Drew Memorial were ready and waiting, for whatever illness or injury came through the door next.

There wasn’t a minute of the day that there wasn’t a dispatcher standing by take you call, in case of emergency at MPD, ready to send whichever of these dedicated public workers your way, in your time of need.

As we look back on 9/11/2001, we should also recognize that same dedication that our Drew County emergency personel serve us with.

A fire at Warren’s “Old Bradley” Mill last night, apparently destroyed a large portion of the facility, and led to fire departments from around the area to be called out to assist.

The Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the blaze, and assisted throughout the night, and returned to Monticello around 5 am, this morning.

No details are available at this time, but Warren Fire Dept. is still on the scene, putting out blazes and hot-spots.

A local family seems to have lost everything, due to a Saturday afternoon fire that destroyed their home on HWY 278 East, near the road construction area around Dead Man’s Curve.

No one was home when the fire began, and flames were rising high into the air, before a passing driver saw the fire.

The Monticello Fire Dept. responded, and battled the blaze, while hauling water to the scene from a hydrant near Carpenter Road.

Princess, the family’s dog, died during the fire.

Monticello Fire Chief Steven “Blue” Faulkner went on what so many times may be considered a “normal fire call” to a trailer fire in the back of the mobile home park in the 500 block of Winchester Road, Sunday around 4:15 p.m., and arrived just in front of the fire trucks.

Upon arrival, someone nearby was heard saying, “I think there’s a man still in there.”

Faulkner went to the front door, opened it, and didn’t get any response; then did the same at the back door: he then knocked on the front window.  The house was filled with smoke too much to just enter and begin looking, without breathing equipment.

When he knocked on the front window, he had woken up the sleeping man, who began calling out.  Faulkner then returned to the back door, near where the man was, and entered the burning home. 

Faulkner told MonticelloLive, “He was close to the door, but fell backwards, when the door opened.  I just went in and brought him out.”

Monticello Police Sargent Carlos Garcia, who also responded to the call to assist with traffic, said, “Faulkner definitely saved that man’s life.”

MPD Patrolman Mark Grant, who also serves as fireman, added, “one thing about “Blue” is that he won’t ask you to do anything that he won’t do, and he proved that this afternoon.”

Faulkner, trying not to draw attention to himself, said, “I didn’t go that far inside.”

Once again, one of Monticello’s First Responder’s has done something that has saved or changed someone’s life. 

Once again, we all need to thank, not only Faulkner, but all of our law enforcement, firefighters, ambulance workers, and others who run towards the emergency situations, that everyone else runs away from.

Captain Eddy Deaton of the Monticello Police Dept. wishes to recognize patrolman Kenny Cox for his actions Sunday afternoon, in attempting to extinguish a fire caused by an overturned b-b-q grill at an apartment on HWY 278 West, while armed only with a standard garden hose.

The Fire Dept. soon arrived and the fire was put out.

Last week it became official, when Randy Pogue, of Greenbrier, visited Monticello on behalf of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and signed over ownership of the “new to Monticello” 1989 Pierce Arrow ladder truck with a 105 foot ladder.

One of the features of the new unit, is that is has a remotely controlled nozzle, with a maximum output of around 1000 gallons per minute.

Shown here, members of the Monticello Fire Dept., Fire Chief Steve Faulkner,  Randy Pogue, MEDC Director Truman Hamilton, local Forestry Agent Joe Friend, and Mayor Joe Rogers.

The estimated value of the ladder truck is around $400,000, if it were to be purchased.

The grant was a part of the Federal Excess Property Program, which has distributed 412 vehicle throughout the state of Arkansas, and has sent aid to 70 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.

Monticello’s Fire Dept.’s new ladder truck came in today.

The 105 foot reach ladder truck was the result of an application that was made to a grant program, involving the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

The unit had been involved in the Navy’s station at Corpus Christi, TX, where our firefighters went to pick the truck up, and drove it to Monticello, arriving around 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Notice the size of the vehicle compared to the men standing next to it.