SUMMIT COUNTY — At Summit Fire and EMS, Kyle Iseminger has a fire truck so new it still has temporary license plates.
Firefighters are now busy learning about its key features.
“It’s brand new and under 1,000 miles,” Iseminger said.
Costing about $350,000, Wildland 11 has 4-wheel drive, a 380-horsepower engine, and a 500-gallon water tank. Steve Lipsher with Summit Fire said it also provides a faster way to fight wildfires and protect homes.
“Having the equipment that is capable of going off road and carrying a big payload of water and giving firefighters all the tools they need on the ground to keep a wildfire from encroaching developed areas -- this is what this is all about,” Lipsher said.
The fire truck also features a bumper-mounted water cannon controlled from inside the truck, letting firefighters blast a wildfire on the move. Wildland 11 can be deployed for weeks at a time – not only in Summit County – but anywhere.
“Whether in the county or around the country,”’ Iseminger said.
Shortly after being put into service, Wildland 11 was sent to Basalt and El Jebel on the Fourth of July to help with the Lake Christine Fire.
“The fire season, the way it’s shaping up, it’s a great new tool to have at our disposal,” Iseminger said.
