On the morning of February 21st 2015, the York County 911 Center dispatched York County Box 49-02 for a garage fire at 108 Arwco Drive in Penn Township, Hanover Pa. Temperatures were hovering around zero with the real feel about minus 15 degrees.
Career and volunteer firefighters from the Hanover Fire Department (HFD) and Penn Township Department of Fire-Rescue (PTFD) responded from their stations. Ambulance 52 from a neighboring EMS company was on the air and advised a heavy column of black smoke visible. Penn Township Chief 49 immediately requested a working fire assignment that includes a callback of all off duty career firefighters from the two departments plus Rapid Intervention Teams from the Pleasant Hill VFD and United Hook and Ladder FD.
Mike Fink photo
The first-in engine was Hanover Engine 46-1 from the Wirt Park Station who had heavy fire showing from the attached garage of a two-story, single-family dwelling. They caught a hydrant a block away and laid 300 feet of supply line.
Companies immediately used a Blitzfire® and a 2” Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) hand line attacking the fully involved fire from the driveway on side A. The next crew pulled a 1.75” hand line and took it to second floor finding minimal fire there and in the attic.
Once the bulk of fire was knocked in the garage, crews began opening up the overhang of the front porch finding the fire had run along the overhang and got into the walls of the A-B corner of the house, with fire presenting itself on the second floor inside a window.
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Firefighters using the CAFS continued to extinguish the remaining fire found in the garage as crews opened up the walls. Firefighters were covered in frozen foam as it flew around freely in the windy conditions on this frigid day.
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
The origin and cause appeared to be an unattended Kerosene heater placed too close to combustibles. The loss was estimated at $100,000.00.
Steve Roth photo
Steve Roth photo
The first photo with heavy fire was taken by EMT Mike Fink of Ambulance 49 on their arrival. The remaining photos were captured by myself Steve Roth of 911 Photography.