Columbus firefighters responded to a field fire located on the property of the Columbus Municipal Airport at 8:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Firefighters were sent to the area of East County Road 450N and North Marr Road after receiving a report from the airport air traffic control tower that a believed lightning strike had caused a fire in a field of straw just east of the airport runways, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
The air traffic control tower advised firefighters that the fire was approximately 25 yards wide and moving through the field, Wilson said.
Firefighters from Fire Station 2, located on the airport property, responded to the fire with a traditional firefighting engine and an aircraft rescue firefighting crash truck know as Airport 99. Airport 99 is an Oshkosh crash truck designed primarily for aircraft-related incidents, Wilson said.
In addition to a large water capacity, the crash truck has the capability to maneuver off-road. It also has the ability to pump water while in drive gear, Wilson said. CFD structural firefighting fire engines must remain stationary while pumping.
Utilizing the crash truck, firefighters were able to reach the fire within a short time and apply water to the area using water from the crash truck’s 3000-gallon water tank, Wilson said. The fire was quickly extinguished.
