NORWICH – As part of their training, volunteers from Chenango County fire departments and other nearby areas traveled to Norwich and faced what could be considered their first fire.

The live burn occurred on Saturday morning at the training grounds on Hale Street in the City of Norwich and over 20 volunteers took part in the burn as another step towards becoming a full-fledged firefighter.

"We have two vehicles to set on fire, and they've both been drained of potentially explosive materials such as gas, oil, and struts," said Fire Coordinator of the Chenango County Bureau of Fire Matthew Beckwith.

Beckwith said the training session was a great way for the firefighters in training to experience their first fire and to practice the safety maneuvers they've learned in the classroom.

"The training session is to ensure firefighters know the proper way to extinguish car fires."

"Instructors are making sure they put the fires out safely and paying attention to potential hazards as they approach the vehicle," he said.