SHENANDOAH HOUSE FIRE 7-7-2012 PICTURES BY FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE
SHENANDOAH (SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA): On July 7th 2012 at 21:30 hours the Shenandoah Fire Department (Five Stations), Mahanoy City West End Rescue 993, Frackville Goodwill Ladder 43-20, Nuremberg Ladder 581, and Shenandoah Ambulance were dispatched to the 200 block of West Columbus Street for a house fire. Shenandoah Police Chief arrived in the area first and found flames coming from the rear of 220-222 West Columbus Street. The police chief quickly notified the dispatch center that he was on the scene of a working structure fire and there may be entrapment.
The Shenandoah Fire Chief and EMS arrived in minutes and found intense flames coming from the all sides of the double home. The fire spread quickly and began to move to the roof within the walls of the two homes. The fire quickly jumped to the adjacent vacant garage on the Bravo Side. Neighbors inform the fire fighters that there may be an individual missing. Witnesses said the missing resident may be still in 222 West Columbus Street. Shenandoah Fire Chief then ordered the second alarm be sent to the fire scene. Mahanoy City West End Fire Company Engine 465, Englewood-Butler Township Engine 369, and Shenandoah Heights-West Mahanoy Township Engine 881 were dispatched to the scene.
Phoenix Engine 747, Defender Engine 751 and Rescue Hook & Ladder 745 arrived on the scene first. Engine 747 connected to a hydrant at Chestnut and Cherry Street and laid into the fire scene. Engine 747 staged in the Alpha-Delta Corner of the home and was placed into pump. Engine 751 hooked to a hydrant and staged on the Alpha-Bravo Corner of the burning home. Fire fighters then deployed a number of large hose lines and mounted a defensive exterior attack.
Ladder 745 staged in front of the home in the next door church parking lot. Ladder 745 sent its aerial ladder to the roof of the home on Side Alpha. A crew attempted to go to the roof to make a vertical ventilation holes. The fire quickly vented through the roof and that assignment was canceled.
Fire fighters then advanced a number of hose lines from Engine 747 down the street. The attack crew advanced in to the front door of the home at 222 West Columbus Street to attack the fire. A number of hose lines from Engine 751 were then deployed in to the home at 220 West Columbus Street.
West End Engine 465 established water supply from a hydrant on West Popular Street. The Engine 465 laid into the fire scene and attacked the fire from the rear. Engine 465 sent its crew into the back yards with hose lines on the Charlie Side to knock down the large flames. Heights Engine 881 obtained another water supply from a hydrant on Cherry Street and supplied Ladder 745. Polish American Tanker 759 then staged on Popular Street which was behind the fire building on the Charlie Side.
The additional second alarm fire fighters who arrived on scene entered the homes to stop the spreading fire. Fire fighters threw ground ladders to the home’s roof just west of the fire. West End Rescue 993 staged block away and sent its manpower to the scene to assist with RIT operations. A number of West End fire fighters were then used to back up the initial attack crews in the initial fire building. Frackville Ladder 43-20 staged a block away and sent its crew to the front of the fire building. The crew from Ladder 43-20 proceeded to the first’s floor porch roof to assist with outside ventilation.
The initial attack crews found major fire conditions and collapse in the initial fire building and had to pull out. The exposure home interior crews vacated the home when the evacuation horns sounded. In minutes flames could be seen pushing through the interior walls of the fire building and exposure home. It was determine that 222 Columbus was safe from collapsing like 220 Columbus Street. Operations quickly then ordered crews back into the exposure home to stop the new spreading fire. The exposure attack crews stretched hose lines into the second floor again where they found heavy heat and smoke conditions. The fire spread through the walls and ceilings into the second floor’s Bravo Side interior walls. The smoke conditions in the first exposure home worsen and the fire spread into the attic area.
Fire fighters fought their way into the front bedroom in the exposure home and took out the windows for ventilation. One fire fighter then found a large unconscious victim in the bedroom and attempted to drag him to the radio. He then discovered the victim was over 400 pounds and will require more fire fighters to rescue him. He alerted the Frackville Ladder crew who was on the front porch roof to call a mayday. In minutes the West End’s RIT Team delivered a Stokes basket to the porch roof. The Frackville fire fighters entered the bedroom and placed the victim in the Stokes basket. The Stokes basket and victim was pushed through the window and out onto the porch roof. Englewood’s RIT Team then placed additional ground ladders to the porch roof to conduct a rescue operation. West End fighters used rope and lowered the victim to the ground to EMS personnel. Shenandoah Medic 64 then ordered an air medical helicopter to the Shenandoah Helipad.
Shenandoah Fire Chief 740 order the third alarm dispatched and to respond to the scene. Pottsville City RIT Team, Ringtown Valley Fire, Girardville Fire and Ashland Ambulances were dispatched and responded to the scene.
The third alarm units staged in the area and sent their manpower to the fire scene. The third alarm engine crews were ordered to report to the Alpha Side and wait for assignments.
Ladder 745 placed its elevated master stream above the roof of the exposure fire building on the Bravo Side and flowed water. Command ordered Ladder 745 to open up its elevated master stream on the flames venting from the two story garage’s roof. Fire fighters also used exterior hose lines from the ground on Side Alpha and Bravo to hit the visible flames. A number of large exterior hose lines were put in service and aimed through the upper windows.
In fifteen minutes the fire in the roof and second floor area was knocked down. The fire conditions became under control in the two homes and fire fighters reentered the exposure home to overhaul. Fire fighters were able to extinguish all the visible fire and vent the homes of smoke. The walls and ceilings on all floors were opened up by the fire fighters to look for hotspots. The crews had the fire under controlled in less than two hours. The second and third alarm fire units were then released from the scene before 00:01 hours. Fire fighters remained on the scene overhauling and to assist with the investigation.
The missing resident was determined deceased at the helipad. The County Coroner office assumed control of the body of the missing resident. The State Police Fire Investigator, Fire Marshals, and the Shenandoah Police returned back to the scene the next afternoon to investigate the cause of the fire. The fire chief reported that there were no serious injuries to fire fighters or other first responders. The three alarm fire destroyed or damaged three homes or structures. Shenandoah, Ashland, Lost Creek, and Ryan Township EMS crews provided rehab services to the fire fighters. The Ryan Township Emergency Rehab Unit responded and assisted the fire fighters with rehab in the extremely hot weather.
Read MoreThe Shenandoah Fire Chief and EMS arrived in minutes and found intense flames coming from the all sides of the double home. The fire spread quickly and began to move to the roof within the walls of the two homes. The fire quickly jumped to the adjacent vacant garage on the Bravo Side. Neighbors inform the fire fighters that there may be an individual missing. Witnesses said the missing resident may be still in 222 West Columbus Street. Shenandoah Fire Chief then ordered the second alarm be sent to the fire scene. Mahanoy City West End Fire Company Engine 465, Englewood-Butler Township Engine 369, and Shenandoah Heights-West Mahanoy Township Engine 881 were dispatched to the scene.
Phoenix Engine 747, Defender Engine 751 and Rescue Hook & Ladder 745 arrived on the scene first. Engine 747 connected to a hydrant at Chestnut and Cherry Street and laid into the fire scene. Engine 747 staged in the Alpha-Delta Corner of the home and was placed into pump. Engine 751 hooked to a hydrant and staged on the Alpha-Bravo Corner of the burning home. Fire fighters then deployed a number of large hose lines and mounted a defensive exterior attack.
Ladder 745 staged in front of the home in the next door church parking lot. Ladder 745 sent its aerial ladder to the roof of the home on Side Alpha. A crew attempted to go to the roof to make a vertical ventilation holes. The fire quickly vented through the roof and that assignment was canceled.
Fire fighters then advanced a number of hose lines from Engine 747 down the street. The attack crew advanced in to the front door of the home at 222 West Columbus Street to attack the fire. A number of hose lines from Engine 751 were then deployed in to the home at 220 West Columbus Street.
West End Engine 465 established water supply from a hydrant on West Popular Street. The Engine 465 laid into the fire scene and attacked the fire from the rear. Engine 465 sent its crew into the back yards with hose lines on the Charlie Side to knock down the large flames. Heights Engine 881 obtained another water supply from a hydrant on Cherry Street and supplied Ladder 745. Polish American Tanker 759 then staged on Popular Street which was behind the fire building on the Charlie Side.
The additional second alarm fire fighters who arrived on scene entered the homes to stop the spreading fire. Fire fighters threw ground ladders to the home’s roof just west of the fire. West End Rescue 993 staged block away and sent its manpower to the scene to assist with RIT operations. A number of West End fire fighters were then used to back up the initial attack crews in the initial fire building. Frackville Ladder 43-20 staged a block away and sent its crew to the front of the fire building. The crew from Ladder 43-20 proceeded to the first’s floor porch roof to assist with outside ventilation.
The initial attack crews found major fire conditions and collapse in the initial fire building and had to pull out. The exposure home interior crews vacated the home when the evacuation horns sounded. In minutes flames could be seen pushing through the interior walls of the fire building and exposure home. It was determine that 222 Columbus was safe from collapsing like 220 Columbus Street. Operations quickly then ordered crews back into the exposure home to stop the new spreading fire. The exposure attack crews stretched hose lines into the second floor again where they found heavy heat and smoke conditions. The fire spread through the walls and ceilings into the second floor’s Bravo Side interior walls. The smoke conditions in the first exposure home worsen and the fire spread into the attic area.
Fire fighters fought their way into the front bedroom in the exposure home and took out the windows for ventilation. One fire fighter then found a large unconscious victim in the bedroom and attempted to drag him to the radio. He then discovered the victim was over 400 pounds and will require more fire fighters to rescue him. He alerted the Frackville Ladder crew who was on the front porch roof to call a mayday. In minutes the West End’s RIT Team delivered a Stokes basket to the porch roof. The Frackville fire fighters entered the bedroom and placed the victim in the Stokes basket. The Stokes basket and victim was pushed through the window and out onto the porch roof. Englewood’s RIT Team then placed additional ground ladders to the porch roof to conduct a rescue operation. West End fighters used rope and lowered the victim to the ground to EMS personnel. Shenandoah Medic 64 then ordered an air medical helicopter to the Shenandoah Helipad.
Shenandoah Fire Chief 740 order the third alarm dispatched and to respond to the scene. Pottsville City RIT Team, Ringtown Valley Fire, Girardville Fire and Ashland Ambulances were dispatched and responded to the scene.
The third alarm units staged in the area and sent their manpower to the fire scene. The third alarm engine crews were ordered to report to the Alpha Side and wait for assignments.
Ladder 745 placed its elevated master stream above the roof of the exposure fire building on the Bravo Side and flowed water. Command ordered Ladder 745 to open up its elevated master stream on the flames venting from the two story garage’s roof. Fire fighters also used exterior hose lines from the ground on Side Alpha and Bravo to hit the visible flames. A number of large exterior hose lines were put in service and aimed through the upper windows.
In fifteen minutes the fire in the roof and second floor area was knocked down. The fire conditions became under control in the two homes and fire fighters reentered the exposure home to overhaul. Fire fighters were able to extinguish all the visible fire and vent the homes of smoke. The walls and ceilings on all floors were opened up by the fire fighters to look for hotspots. The crews had the fire under controlled in less than two hours. The second and third alarm fire units were then released from the scene before 00:01 hours. Fire fighters remained on the scene overhauling and to assist with the investigation.
The missing resident was determined deceased at the helipad. The County Coroner office assumed control of the body of the missing resident. The State Police Fire Investigator, Fire Marshals, and the Shenandoah Police returned back to the scene the next afternoon to investigate the cause of the fire. The fire chief reported that there were no serious injuries to fire fighters or other first responders. The three alarm fire destroyed or damaged three homes or structures. Shenandoah, Ashland, Lost Creek, and Ryan Township EMS crews provided rehab services to the fire fighters. The Ryan Township Emergency Rehab Unit responded and assisted the fire fighters with rehab in the extremely hot weather.
