On April 19th, 2019, the Lawrence FD (MA) was dispatched to a reported fire on Brookfield Street. Responding companies had heavy smoke showing while en route and struck the working fire. A second and third alarm were struck shortly after arrival due to heavy fire and exposure issues. The vacant house had originally been involved in the September 2018 gas explosions and suffered a collapse of the roof and alpha side wall. At one point, an ember from the fire set a building across the street ablaze. Companies stretched one line and knocked that fire down quickly. Both fires were brought under control in about an hour, although companies remained on scene well after that to chase down hot spots and overhaul.
The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to a fire in the Furniture Depot store at 2523 West Lincoln Avenue on Milwaukee’s south side on Saturday, April 13th. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found the front of the store engulfed in flames. A second alarm was called before being elevated to a third alarm. The fire completely destroyed the store and damaged nearby businesses and a home.
We took in the extra alarm fire last week on the westside of Chicago. It was a food manufacturing warehouse and the first-in companies encountered heavy fire on their arrival. A lot of in-line pumping operations took place at this job which required many resources, which at the peak of the fire, made it to a 5-11 and 4 Specials. Twenty two engines, ten trucks including four tower ladders, Squad 2, plus a plethora of special equipment responded to this. We got to this about an hour into the fire.
Kitchener Ontario fire dispatch received a call for a basement fire at 603 Mill Park Drive at 1:40 February 15, 2019. P6, P1, A1, R1, and Car 23 were dispatched to the call. P6 arrived on scene and reported they had smoke showing and a 360 showed they had a fire in the basement. Command reported all five students in the basement were out of the house and that the owner of the house was out of town.
Station 7 was added to the call, they were running in the tanker for the shift. Multiple lines were pulled into the building. Crews encountered a very cluttered house, full of furniture on every floor and even the garage was full of furniture which prevented access as it was so full. There were three pianos in the bedrooms on the second floor and an organ in the living room which was not accessible due to all of the furniture.
Firefighters were pulled from the basement due to untenable conditions, and the first floor became well involved minutes later. It was not long before the entire building was alight. Two hydrants were picked up to feed the pumper and aerial. Small and large lines as well as an aerial master stream were used to fight the fire.
Gary Dinkel photo
Due to the tremendous amount of furniture in the house, it took hours to knock the bulk of the fire down. The day shift replaced the tired crews, and worked till 12:30 to fully extinguish all the spot fires. Due to the severe damage in the house, all overhaul had to be done from outside. Crews even pulled a cellar piercing applicator to use on hot spots. That is the first time I have seen this tool used in 31 years on the canteen. Damage has been set at $800,000, cause has not been determined yet. Box 690 provided breakfast and lunch at the fire. Photos and videos shot 35 minutes into the fire.
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel, Box 690
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A major fire destroyed four homes and a popular sandwich shop on Center Street in Ashland, PA early Sunday morning (3/24/19). The first alarm rang out shortly after 3:30 AM and was upgraded to a third alarm within four minutes. Firefighters from three counties responded on the alarms as well as a group of tankers to supplement the municipal water supply.
