Local family makes structure available to NVFD for live burn

On a recent Saturday morning, most of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles converged on Wheeler Road, not to put out a fire but to set one. The property owners, David and Cindy Leffell, had decided to clear their land of the existing house and garage. In early spring, they offered the structures to the fire department for a live burn training exercise, and the fire department responded enthusiastically. Six months later, Cindy Lefell had gathered the necessary permits and certifications, and at 7:30 a.m. on September 26 the exercise got under way. “It provides good muscle memory for the guys,” said Fire Chief Matt Ludwig. “It keeps all that material out of the landfill,” said David Lefell, “and everyone likes a good fire.”

Photo by Christopher Little.