AFD. Atmore Fire DepartmentDon Fletcher

Smoke-fire detectors save lives in most home blazes
By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer The arrival of 2019 will also mark the onset of the three-month period during which Lower Alabama usually experiences its coldest weather. And the arrival of cold weather increases the odds of a devastating or fatal fire inside the home. Although surveys indicate that most Americans believe otherwise, fire experts agree that in most cases individuals have as little as two minutes to escape…
AFD fights building fire – twice
By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer City firefighters were called twice on December 27 to battle separate blazes that destroyed a Cruit Drive storage barn and threatened several mobile homes in close proximity to the barn. AFD units were dispatched around 1:15 a.m. to the site, just off Jack Springs Road and a few yards from the Escambia County School System Bus Shop, then were recalled shortly after 6 a.m.…
Fire destroys home
By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Atmore firefighters were greeted with a somewhat extraordinary situation — exploding rifle ammunition — when they arrived to fight a December 21 fire that broke out around 11:15 a.m. and effectively destroyed a Cloverdale Road home. “When we pulled up, it was going off,” Fire Chief Ron Peebles said of the ammo. “One of the occupants told us there were two fully loaded AK-47s…
City firefighters collect, donate hundreds of toys
By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Atmore firefighters — aided by costumed characters from movies, comic books and video games — collected more than 600 toys to help make Christmas brighter for local children, as well as the children of Florida families still trying to recover from a devastating hurricane. Atmore Fire Department Capt. Zack Stewart said this year’s toy drive was expanded and divided into two separate projects. The…
Firefighters get hands-on extrication training
By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Atmore firefighters are continuously training to stay on top of the requirements of their job. But they don’t often get to carry out a training exercise like the one a small group of them tackled December 19. Capt. Zack Stewart and firefighters A.J. Beachy, Wayne Kelly and Jesse Boone got to sharpen their skills on several extrication tools by cutting apart a vehicle —…