NewsWest 9
HOBBS- State funds paid for the $185 thousand dollar fire truck, tailor-made for fighting grass fires, last summer. It wasn't until this year that the Unimog Mercedes Benz truck got put to use.
"Everything the tires, the engine, the ground clearance, the bumper nozel your visibility up here, just everything combined together helps when we're fighting on the line," said Lt. James Nelson, HFD.
The station took the base of the truck and hired a company to add on everything they need to fight grass fires. Crews say a 2 day supply of oxygen in the cab, equipment to stomp out fires on any terrain, and thousand gallon tank helps keep fire fighters safe.
"You know one of the reasons we purchased it is, because it can go in all the terrains in Lea County, it can go in sand, brush and mesquite," Nelson said, "If we puncture the side wall of the tire, the truck has a compressor on it, and will convert all the air to this tire so we can continue to drive on it."
Just this morning, Hobbs Firefighters were called out to a small grass fire near the Highway. They say over the next couple days the fire danger is extreme, and the fourth truck in their arsenal is a big help.
