Members of the Otter Lake Fire Department joined other area departments to fight a 2012 Old Forge blaze in this Weekly ADK file photo.
By Marianne Christy
The Otter Lake and Old Forge Fire Depart-ments will open their doors to area residents on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26 so they can learn about what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter in their respective communities as part of the fifth annual Recruit NY state-wide initiative. Continue reading
The annual Turkey Party sponsored by the Eagle Bay Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary will be held Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Bay Fire Department on Route 28.
The evening will include the raffle of many turkeys, 50/50 raffles, and raffle for a Dan’s Big M gift certificate.
There will be donuts, popcorn and a variety of other refreshments. All are invited to attend.
Old Forge Fire Chief Charlie Bogardus reported two fire calls over the Fourth of July weekend.
Old Forge fire personnel responded to an early morning fire on Saturday, July 6 at Tony Harper’s Pizza & Clam Shack on Main Street, Old Forge.
According to Chief Bogardus, the fire appeared to have started from smoldering material in a planter outside the door of the restaurant.
At the time of the call, occupants of the apartments above the restaurant were evacuated with the assistance of Town of Webb Police Chief John Russell and Officer Tony Sege.
The fire was extinguished and there were no reported injuries. The restaurant experienced some water damage but was able to open the same day, Bogardus said. Continue reading
Old Forge Volunteer Fire Department Chief Charlie Bogardus paid visits to Kinderwood Preschool students and elementary students at the Town of Webb School this week to educate them on the basics of fire safety.
Chief Bogardus met with the three-year-old Kinderwood class on Wednesday, October 10 and talked to them about the dangers of handling matches and cigarette lighters, the importance of testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and how to Stop, Drop and Roll in the event of a fire.
He also brought along a fire phone prop and showed them how to dial 911 in case of an emergency.
Following the demonstrations, Chief Bogardus gave the fire phone to Head Teacher Diane Heroux so she can reinforce the emergency skill with her students, and fire hats were distributed to the students. Continue reading
by Jason Pallotta, Asst. Chief, Inlet Vol. Fire Dept
January turned out to be another busy month for local fire fighters and EMS crews. Though the month started off quietly, by the middle of the month things got pretty active.
On January 18th there was an accident on Trail 1 and the Old Forge Fire Department was called to extricate an injured woman from the woods using its rescue sled. She was ultimately transported to a Utica hospital by Old Forge ambulance.
The next day, Eagle Bay Fire Department personnel were called out for a snowmobile motor vehicle accident (MVA) on the Big Moose Road, however the accident actually occurred on the Uncas Road and the victim was transported by Inlet Ambulance to a Utica hospital.
At approximately midnight on January 20th, the Eagle Bay Fire Department was called to respond to an accident on Trail 5 where the victim was reportedly unresponsive.
Upon arrival at the scene emergency personnel found the patient to be responsive but suffering from serious injuries. The patient was transported by Inlet Ambulance to a Utica hospital assisted by an Advanced Life Support (ALS) crew.
The next day the Inlet Fire Department was called out for a motor vehicle accident on Seventh Lake. Due to the questionable ice conditions, the Inlet Department responded with its air boat. They were assisted by the Eagle Bay Fire Department. The victim was transported by Inlet ambulance to a Utica hospital.
A young male patient was transported by Old Forge Ambulance to a Utica hospital on January 22 following a motor vehicle accident (snowmobile) on Trail 5. The victim sustained serious chest trauma in the accident.
On Saturday morning , January 28, Old Forge Fire Department was called out for a structure fire at RPM Snowmobile Rentals on Route 28 in Thendera.
Upon arrival, Old Forge Chief Charles Bogardus reported a working fire and requested mutual aid from Otter Lake and Eagle Bay Fire Departments. Manpower from Inlet and Big Moose Fire Departments assisted at the scene.
To finish off the active month, Eagle Bay Fire Department was called out for another snowmobile MVA on Big Moose Road where responding units found an injured snowmobiler 30 feet down an embankment.
The male victim was extricated by Eagle Bay and Inlet Fire Fighters and transported to a Utica hospital by inlet Ambulance.
The Old Forge Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire that engulfed the RPM Snowmobile Rental business on Route 28 in Thendara on Saturday, January 28. 
The call came in at 8:30 a.m., and according to Old Forge Fire Chief Charlie Bogardus the department was assisted by fire personnel from the Eagle Bay and Inlet Fire Companies, with the Woodgate and Otter Lake Fire Departments on standby.
The fire occurred, Bogardus said, when gasoline spilled while Mike Kelly, operator of the business, was working on an ice auger in the attached garage.
Photos by Reed Proper
“When he tried to wipe up the gasoline the fumes came across the floor just as the furnace kicked on and it ignited everything,” Bogardus said.
Kelly suffered minor burns on his hand and was treated at the scene. His wife, Windy, who was also in the building at the time of the fire was uninjured.
It took three hours to bring the fire under control and the building was a total loss, according to Bogardus.
Bogardus said Mike Hunkins of Mike Hunkins Excavating brought his excavator to the scene to help knock down the metal roof so the fire could be extinguished.
The fire forced the closure of Route 28 for three and a half hours, causing traffic to be backed-up for miles. The Town of Webb Police Department assisted with traffic control.
The Big Moose Fire Co. and Big Moose Ambulance Co. recently received a $1,000 donation from Dave Peterson of Fourth Lake and Boonville, to install a new Camoplast track on its rescue snowmobile.
The snowmobile is used to tow the Big Moose Ambulance Rescue Sled and the Big Moose Fire Co. Fire Sled on EMS, fire and rescue calls in their service area. Continue reading