Asheville Fire Department chief says it took 'extended' amount of time for an effective attack on fire that killed Capt. Jeff Bowen. Also, video of weekend fundraiser for Bowen family.

Read entire Asheville Citizen-Times article

I am on a road trip with the family heading to FRI in Atlanta. Our travels brought us to Asheville, North Carolina where we quickly learned of many ongoing fundraisers by the community to benefit the family of Asheville Fire Department Capt. Jeff Bowen. Capt. Bowen was killed on July 28 in what has been identified as an intentionally set fire at 445 Biltmore Avenue.

Yesterday, before we had a chance to check out the motorcycle ride and weekend Memorial Band Jam at Mack Kell's Pub & Grill up the street from our hotel, it came to us. The many bikers, with a police and fire escort, traveled Tunnel Road as we were at a traffic light. It took almost 15 minutes before it passed our location and quite a few citizens paused to greet them. The video is above.

The list of fundraisers that have occurred and will occur is quite impressive. Check it out here on the website of IAFF Local 865. And here is a link to make donations to a fund set up to assist in the education of Jeff Bowen's children and for other fallen firefighters.

Also, yesterday the Asheville Citizen-Times published a very detailed article by Jeffrey Ostendorff that looks at what is known, so far, about the fire department operation at the July 28 fire. Ostendorff uses public records (including the fire incident report), fireground audio recordings released by the city under an open records request and an interview with Chief Scott Burnette.

The article provides some insight into the actions of Chief Bowen's crew and also focuses on difficulty in getting water to the fire.

Here's an excerpt:

Crews from Engine 2 went to the fourth floor to hook up to the standpipe station while Engine 1 hooked to the standpipe connection on the Biltmore Avenue side of the building.

But the water never came.

It was nearly 38 minutes before firefighters, using a hose brought in through a window from a ladder truck, got water on the fire, according to the radio recordings.

Burnette in his interview Thursday did not dispute the time frame, though he said it was still being investigated. He said it took an “extended” amount of time before firefighters were able to mount an effective interior attack.