Addison firefighters practice skills on house

It looks like a house fire, but it's not, at least not yet.

Addison firefighters Tuesday entered a house on Army Trail Road just west of Mill Street to practice putting out a smokey fire. For the next few weeks, the Addison Fire Department and firefighters from surrounding towns will be using the house and its next door neighbor for training.

For now, they're setting wet hay on fire to generate smoke.

Fire Lt. Charles Baxa said firefighters will be practicing on controlled simulated fire situations. They start by attacking a fire with the first hose line and then doing a primary search of the house. When the fire is out, they go in again for a secondary, more extensive search for victims.

Firefighters have to wait for EPA permits though, before they can actually set the house on fire. That will happen a couple of weeks from now, said training officer Lt. Ted Sciaky.