New Baker Fire Department ATV built for off-road blazes

Photo provided by Baker Fire DepartmentThe Baker Fire Department used a federal grant to purchase this $33,900 six-wheel, all-terrain vehicle for fighting grass and woods fires. The off-road unit is equipped with water and foam tanks, a pump, hoses and other equipment.

BAKER — The Baker Fire Department this week added a new vehicle for fighting off-road grass and woods fires or conducting rescues in places hard to reach with large fire engines.

The six-wheel, all-terrain vehicle was purchased for $33,900 with an Urban Areas Security Initiative grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fire Chief Danny Edwards said.

The ATV carries a 95-gallon water tank, a pump powered by a gasoline engine, a 5-gallon chemical foam tank, hose and nozzles, Edwards said.

The vehicle enables the Fire Department to extinguish grass, wood or trash-pile fires off city streets without having to stretch hoses for long distances, he said.

The ATV also carries a Stokes basket or stretcher used for transporting a patient over rough or wet terrain.