Photo of Frozen WI Fire Chief Goes Viral

After battling a house fire Wednesday morning in a 51 degrees below zero wind chill, Cameron firefighter Dan “Bimbo” Gifford pulled out his cellphone and snapped a picture of Fire Chief Mitch Hansen before they left the charred scene.

“The sun hit him, and I could see every tiny hair on his head was frosty,” Hansen said. “I figured I better take a picture.”

Because it was so cold, Gifford first had to have someone peel his gloves off, before he could reach for his phone.

“I took three quick pictures and I was surprised at how well they turned out,” he said. “I posted it on my Facebook page, and I kind of made a joke out of it. All of a sudden, people started sharing it.”

By Thursday morning, national media had taken notice of the picture, which perfectly shows the challenges the Cameron Fire Department had battling the blaze in sub-zero temperatures. The picture appeared on “Good Morning America” Thursday, and soon, it began popping up on news programs across the country. Gifford even got a call from a news agency in London. He did a series of interviews on Thursday and Friday about it.

“It’s exciting because I’m not much of a photographer,” Gifford said. “It’s exciting for the whole department.”

Hansen couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

Experienced firefighter knows the cold weather challenges

Gifford, 66, says he is marking his 50th year serving on the volunteer-led Cameron Fire Department. He’s only had a couple of fires that came in severe, below-zero temperatures.

“The cold isn’t quite as bad as the wind chill,” Gifford said. “It becomes a real challenge, I would say when it is below -30. I’ve had three fires like this.”

The call of a fully-engulfed house, about three miles south of Cameron, came in at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Six firefighters, including Gifford, were already at the fire hall from a prior call.

“All we had to do was slip on our gear and head out,” he said.

However, equipment begins to malfunction at that temperature, and firefighters quickly lose body temperature.

“You have to keep water circulating and the pumps running, or everything will freeze up,” Gifford said. “Ladders freeze up, and become icy and difficult to climb. Your suit becomes stiff. Your hands probably are the worst, because they get wet, and then they get hard.”

Soon, 25 of the department’s 30 firefighters were on scene. Gifford estimated they were there three hours. He said the scene was a dangerous mess by the time they were able to clear.

“Everything turned to ice, and you are slipping and sliding,” he said.

The house was owned by Ryan Nelson. He and his children, 10-year-old Brady and six-year-old Ellie, lost everything in the blaze, including Ryan’s truck that was in the garage. They got out of the house with just the clothes on their backs.

Gifford asked people to consider donating to the Nelson family. He said just a dollar at a time for everyone who has seen and enjoyed the picture would help them tremendously. About $6,100 has been raised so far. To learn more about the fundraiser, click here.

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