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Published March 12, 2009, 12:00 AM

One hot training session

A house donated to the Hastings Fire Department was used for live fire training Saturday, March 7, in Vermillion.


A Hastings firefighter inside the house during the training.

  • A Hastings firefighter inside the house during the training.
  • Paid on-call firefighter Andy Knoll, left, laughs with Captain Dale Schoeppner during Saturday’s firefighting training in Vermillion.
  • For each three-person team that was inside the building, a second backup team waited at the door, and a third rapid intervention team was also on standby.
  • Families of firefighters came to watch the training. Here, Kody Niederkorn tries to steal a bite of a cookie from his mom.
  • Firefighters brought bales of hay and wooden pallets into the house that served as kindling to get the fires going.
  • Once all the training operations were complete, firefighters burned the house down. This photo was taken in the early stages of the fire.
  • Hastings firefighters watch as the house catches on fire.
  • It took about 20 minutes for this house to burn down and collapse into a pile of burning timbers. This photo was taken about 7 minutes into the burn.
  • A Hastings firefighter watches the house burn.
  • Once the fire really got going, it wasn't long before the roof collapsed. This photo was taken about 10 minutes into the burn.
  • Hastings firefighters watch as the house is engulfed in flames.
  • This photo was taken just as the roof was collapsing.
  • After a long day of training, firefighters posed for a group picture in front of the burning house. A Dakota County Sheriff's Deputy is getting everyone in place for the photo.
  • This photo was taken toward the end of the burn, once most of the house had collapsed into itself.
  • Joe Wagner, right, and his brother, Ted Wagner, share a toast of red wine as they watched the house they grew up in burn to the ground Saturday afternoon. The home was donated to the Hastings Fire Department to be used for training.