Somebody shouted smoke was pouring from the old warehouse behind the Post Office, the one used to house roofing and construction materials along with electrical equipment. Immediately, a call went out to the fire department.
Elko only had a volunteer fire department, with five trained members and several dozen volunteers in August 1964. By the time the department arrived, the building was totally engulfed.
Men scrambled to haul the hoses from the trucks, only to find at least one of the fire rigs was too far from a hydrant. They wasted time getting the vehicle repositioned.
Another fireman couldn’t open the fire plug because he didn’t have the right wrench. A bystander loaned him the correct tool.
Firefighters next discovered the water pressure from the hydrant was to low. They had to search to find one that could support at least a minimal flow.
Then out of nowhere came a World War II “Twin Beech” AT-7 Navigator — flying low and slow over the burning warehouse. The pilot made a turn, lining up on the warehouse and dropping 300 gallons of fire-retardant.
When the retardant hit, the warehouse roof collapsed. Three volunteer firemen, including one visiting from Sparks, Nevada received injuries – though not seriously.
Unfortunately, the retardant didn’t put out the fire. Instead fire crews returned to the warehouse three times that night to prevent fires from rekindling.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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