McGregor Co., a fertilizer and farm implement dealership, has branched into rapid-response firefighting equipment.

Coming at the peak of fire season, Colfax, Wash.-based McGregor has introduced the compact FireBoss pumper and foam unit. The 110-gallon unit rides on the bed of a pickup but can draw directly from lakes or water tanks.

McGregor forester Bob Kolva, who also serves on the Newman Lake volunteer firefighting crew, said FireBoss was designed for loggers, timberland owners and farmers who can respond quickly to a fire. McGregor conceived the idea for the machine after fires ravaged thousands of acres in 1991.

FireBoss sells for $5,100 and can project water 85 feet; foam, 75 feet. McGregor producers FireBoss at its Colfax manufacturing center, Kolva said.

, DataTimes