NC Fire Apparatus Drags Hoseline, Damages Several Cars

The Wilmington Fire Department Engine 7's hose fell off the truck, hitting several cars while on its way to respond to a structure fire on Tuesday.

Around 1:45 p.m. near the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington, the crosslays, which help store the hose on the engine, came loose and the hose was dragging behind the engine, according to Wilmington Fire Department Public Information Officer Rebekah Thurston.

Thurston said the firefighters didn't realize the hose came loose until it scraped up several cars, and they were able to stop to talk to the people in the cars that were impacted by the hose. There was a total of eight cars hit by the hose: Five stayed until Wilmington police arrived on scene to file a police report and three left due to very minor damage, according to Thurston. There were no injuries.

The firefighters were on their way to a structure fire on Sky Court. According to Thurston, two trucks were dispatched to that fire and ended up being downgraded to one truck, no longer needing Engine 7. There was no delay in response time or injuries sustained in that fire.

The city has liability insurance and that's how damages to the vehicles will be taken care of, Thurston said.

"It can happen sometimes because the way the hoses are laid and if they are less tightly packed," Thurston said.

City safety officials are looking more into the cause, according to Thurston, and the estimation of damage is unknown but it is all "cosmetic" damage.

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