On this day, fire fighters are going through the typical steps they would take during a routine house fire.

"There are hose lines that need to be put out, we have people searching the building [for occupants], another group of fire fighters are ventilating the building, we have people running the trucks, and they're all working in groups," explained Lt. Luciano.

Although fire fighters train every day, controlled burns are something fire crews get the opportunity to do approximately once a year.

Dan Larkin of the Bangor Fire Department was part of the first fire crews to participate in last week's training exercise.

"Before we went in, we knew there was a sharp stairwell, so we planned how we were going to advance the hose line. You can't always do that when you show up on a scene," said Larkin. "A benefit of training like this is knowing the layout of the building."

More often than not, fire departments today are responding to medical calls or false alarms.

"Part of what we do is medical calls so there's a lot more skill and training involved before someone can be hired," said Lt. Luciano.

Which means on the job training where fire fighters can practice knocking down a fire, navigate different exit routes, and find ventilation points in a controlled environment, is a welcomed opportunity.

"Each department here and the community they work for will benefit from this," said Lt. Luciano.