HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT The red barn on Loop Road went up in flames Thursday during a live-fire exercise. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Members of the Pahrump Valley Fire-Rescue Department, including the new guys and the volunteers, gear up for a planned blaze on Loop Road. Advertisement

A lot of hard work and preparation went into the burning of the big, red barn last Thursday.

The fire, which ultimately burned the barn to the ground, was the culmination of a months-long advanced training program undergone by every member of the Pahrump Valley Fire-Rescue Service, including the volunteer firefighters.

But before the PVFRS could literally host a barn-burner, the building had to be inspected by the Pahrump Building and Safety Department as well as the PVFRS to determine whether it was safe to use as a training facility.

After that, Fire Chief Scott Lewis developed a comprehensive advanced training program focusing on several aspects of fire rescue procedures, including fire suppression technical rescue and firefighter survival skills training.

The training exercises increased in difficulty with time, beginning with non-live fire related exercises and advancing to exercises conducted in smoke-filled conditions.

The exercises included search patterns and rescuing dummies of various sizes. Firefighters also practiced "breaching," or tearing down walls to get from one area of a burning building to another without becoming trapped inside.

The training then progressed through situations in which there were isolated fires within certain rooms of the house until finally culminating in last week's live fire rescue operation.

Even PVFRS cadets were on hand to witness the building-encompassing fire so they could study fire behavior and learn about fire scene management. The cadets also received valuable lessons in protecting surrounding power lines, fuel tanks and other exposures that may be around a fire.

Lewis stressed that although nearly 50 PVFRS firefighters, cadets and supervisors were present, there were still units available to handle any incidents that occurred in town during the evening training exercise.

"It adds a great benefit to the community for us to be prepared with advanced training," Lewis said.