Kitchener (ON) Fire dispatch toned out P4, P3, A1, and Car 23 for a possible fire at 155 Kinzie Ave February 21, 2019 at 10:30. Responding crews were updated by police that there was heavy smoke in the building. P7 was added to the call at this point as R1 was out of service doing ice water rescue training. P4 arrived on scene with nothing visible, but quickly changed to smoke showing from the main floor. Two lines were pulled to the side door to attack the fire. The first line in worked on the main floor, and the second line went upstairs. There was very little fire, as it had mostly burned itself out. Regional Police and Kitchener fire prevention are investigating the cause of the suspicious fire. Photos and video shot a couple of minutes after crews arrived. Box 690 provided rehab for the fire.
Kitchener (ON) Fire dispatch toned out Floradale for a possible fire at 7098 Side Road 5 in Wellington County February 26, 2019, at 8:26. Floradale (Waterloo County) covers this area on contract for first response. A Floradale captain who lives less than a mile from the fire was on scene before any trucks left the hall. He reported a thermal column on approach and asked for a pumper and tanker from Elmira, and a tanker from St Jacobs. Half a minute later he confirmed they had a wood shop fully involved with two exposures.
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Centre Wellington’s other station in Fergus was dispatched once the new report was relayed to responding firefighters. Water was shuttled from a pond located at a business just up the road from the fire. Five tankers were used in the relay. Numerous small and large lines were pulled to fight the fire enabling firefighters to protect the exposures.
The pond was drained after two hours of use, so Elmira’s pumper set up at a hydrant in Elmira to fill trucks. The hydrant on the north end of town was approximately five miles from the scene. Woolwich firefighters cleared the scene just before noon, Centre Wellington remained on scene until 14:00.
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
A high hoe was brought in to pull the building down to get at hot spots. Box 690 provided rehab to the 40 firefighters on scene. Photos and video taken 40 minutes into the call.
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel, Box 690
Units on scene
Woolwich Township
Floradale Pumper, tanker (3,000 US gallons), rescue
Elmira Pumper, tanker (2,500 US gallons), crew stayed at station to staff rescue and 95’ quint
St Jacobs Tanker (3,000 US gallons)
Box 690 stationed in Kitchener at Station 5
Centre Wellington
Elora Pumper, Tanker (3,000 US gallons), 75’ quint
Kitchener, Ontario fire dispatch toned out Wellesley, Linwood, and St Clements firefighters for a possible fire at 1715 Greenwood Hill Road February 15 at 15:15. As the stations were being dispatched, you could hear the phones ringing in the background and the dispatchers asking what was on fire. Units reported a thermal column as they turned north onto Greenwood Hill Road from the main road in Wellesley. They reported a two-story house fully involved on arrival, and that all firefighting was going to be defensive. A four-inch line was dropped in the icy laneway out to the road to supply water. There are two ponds used for water in summer right across the street from the laneway. Unfortunately firefighters couldn’t cut through the ice safely to access the pond so they had to drive a mile back down Greenwood Hill Road to catch a hydrant for the tanker relay.
A collapse zone was setup and firefighters pulled four lines to attack the fire. The second floor collapsed ten minutes after arrival, and the bulk of the fire was knocked down in one hour. An excavator was brought in around 21:00 to pull the building apart to get at hot spots in the basement.
Box 690 provided dinner and warm drinks to the 35 firefighters on scene. Damage will exceed $250,000, and the cause is undetermined.
Kitchener P4, P6, A1, R1, Tank 1, P7, and Car 23 were dispatched to a garage fire at 1082 Wilson Ave January 25 at 16:15. The tanker was added as the closest hydrant would have required a pumper relay. The tanker is cross staffed by P7 firefighters, so they bring both trucks when the tanker is needed. P6 arrived and reported a fully-involved garage with one exposure of a small trailer near the front of the garage. P6 pulled one attack line and knocked what they could with their tank. P4 arrived shortly after and pulled two lines from their truck to work the fire. The tanker hooked up directly to P4 and made one trip to refill their 2,000 Imperial gallon tank (2400 US). The fire gutted the large garage and an antique tractor that was inside. Damage was pegged at $100,000. Box 690 provided rehab, photos and video taken 20 minutes into the fire.
Gary Dinkel, Box 690
Gary Dinkel photo
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Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch toned out Breslau, Maryhill, and Conestogo fire departments for a structure fire at 201 Woolwich Street South in Breslau, January 22 at 12:16. Dispatch reported two people possibly in the house. A Breslau captain was near the house and helped get the two residents from the structure. He reported a working fire, with flames showing around a chimney on the E2 side of the house.
Breslau’s pumper arrived and picked up a hydrant. Crews performed a 360 and primary search of building while others pulled lines. Firefighters tried to enter the building that was on fire via the garage, but there was no access. They knocked the fire down from the exterior before finding access to the interior. The fire was contained quickly, with minor extension to the interior.
Two ambulances were requested as a precaution to check out the residents. The male was transported to hospital. The Ontario Fire Marshall was called to investigate the fire. Box 690 provided rehab.
I arrived just ahead of the Breslau pumper. It was a very cold day, so video has some movement in it from moving out of way of firefighters and having very cold hands.
Gary Dinkel, Box 690
Gary Dinkel photoGary Dinkel photoGary Dinkel photo
Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch 9-1-1 lines lit up at 8:10 August 22, 2018 for an explosion and fire at 56 Sprucedale Crescent on the west side of town. The initial dispatch was for an explosion and possible fire. Two pumps, 100’ quint platform, heavy rescue, and platoon chief were dispatched. Heavy smoke was visible as trucks were responding and a third pumper was requested to the scene.
P5 arrived first and reported debris all over the area with multiple houses on fire and stated they were going to look for victims. Neighbors reported there could be multiple people in the house. The adult male was pulled from the back yard by homeowners bordering the house. They told firefighters there was a female in the ruble at the rear but they couldn’t get to her due to heavy fire. Firefighters found the adult women and pulled her from the debris and reported she was 10-45.
Gary Dinkel photoGary Dinkel photo
The fire extended into homes on either side of the house that exploded. Two additional pumpers were requested to the scene. Two commands were set up, one to look after the initial house and the house on the E4 side. The second command looked after the well involved house on the E2 side. A sixth pumper was requested a short time later.
Four hydrants were picked up, three on Sprucedale and one on Blackwell Drive where firefighters pulled a 2.5” line into the rear of the fire. Multiple small and large lines as well as the platform attacked the fire from the front. The bulk of the fire was knocked down in 45 minutes on the original home and E4 home. The E2 home had heavy fire throughout the house and eventually fire broke through the steel roof. Firefighters worked for hours on spot fires and securing the scene.
Gary Dinkel photo
Due to the magnitude of the call, media and helicopters arrived from as far away as Toronto. Kitchener Fire Chief Jon Rehill updated press throughout the day. Sixteen homes were evacuated and gas was shut off to their homes until the source of the blast could be determined. The Ontario Fire Marshall arrived at noon to help in the investigation.
The following day, Regional Police reported they were investigating the fire as a homicide. The adult male was airlifted in critical condition to a Hamilton hospital. Damage will exceed two million dollars. Box 690 provided rehab for nine hours. Photos and video taken 25 minutes into call after rehab was set up.
Cambridge (ON) Fire dispatch toned out P2, A6, A3, P1, R1, and Car 6 for a possible fire at the Ontario Provincial Police station at 500 Beaverdale Road at 14:24. P2 reported a thermal column enroute, and fire through the roof on arrival. A6 was second due at the fire and set up it’s aerial for master stream operations. A hydrant was picked up on the east side of the fire to supply P2 and A6. Interior firefighters reported they couldn’t open up the ceiling to get into the attic. The roof was reinforced so no one could exit through it or get into the station through the roof. The firefighters were pulled from the building and A6 was ordered to open up their nozzle. Crews tried to trench cut the roof but were pulled off quickly due to fire already running the length of the structure.
Firefighters pulled a four-inch supply line to a second hydrant on the west side of the fire, the only other hydrant available in the area. Multiple lines were used to attack the fire. P5 was added to the call as firefighters were battling high heat and the heavy fire. Off-duty crews were called in to staff spare equipment. The fire was brought under control in two hours. Firefighters were rotated through rehab to keep well hydrated. There were four new fighters at the fire having been hired as part of a new station opening.
Damage was set between $1 to $1.5 million. The Ontario Fire Marshal and Cambridge Fire Prevention are investigating the cause of the fire. Box 690 served 197 cold drinks, numerous snacks, and dinner. The Cambridge mayor said they could not have scripted a major fire less than half an hour after officially opening a new station. A6, a 2018 Pierce 110’ Ascendant platform was placed in service at 7 am when the first firefighters moved into the station prior to the grand opening. Photos and video shot 25 minutes into the fire.
Gary Dinkel, Box 690
Gary Dinkel photo
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