Residential Structure Fire
1300 Block of Main Street in Sharpsburg
February 1, 2005
Stations Responding: 102, 149, 217, 265
Story from The North Borough's Fire Dispatch
Anonymous writes "On Tuesday, February 01, 2005 at approximately 10:05 a.m. NEWCOM 9-1-1 Center received reports of a structure fire, at 1306 Main Street in Sharpsburg. NEWCOM dispatched the following units on the initial assignment; Sharpsburg (Station 265), Aspinwall (Station 102), Blawnox (Station 111), Pleasant Valley (Station 217), Seneca EMS (Station 160) and Sharpsburg Police.
Sharpsburg Police Chief arrived on the scene within minutes, and reported smoke on the 2nd floor, a popping sound and heat in the stairwell. Sharpsburg Police Chief advised NEWCOM that all occupants were accounted for. First arriving fire officer reported heavy smoke showing from the upper floor of a large brick duplex. Command reported heavy fire conditions in the 2nd floor apartment, requesting that the roof be immediately opened.
Crews advanced an attack line into the structure and made their way up to the 2nd floor, where the encountered heavy heat, smoke and fire conditions. Interior crews initiated an aggressive attack on the intense flames. Command reported flames venting from the eaves on the Middle Steet side of the structure. Command requested a 2nd alarm assignment for manpower at approximately 10:32 p.m. NEWCOM dispatched the following units on the 2nd alarm; Millvale (Station 191), Etna (Station 149 and Fox Chapel (Station 157).
Support crews also advised command, that the entrance to the basement was "fully involved". Command ordered all crews out of the building due to rapidly deteriorating conditions, at approximately 10:54 a.m. At approximately the same time, firefighters had to rescue a firefighter who was injured, when a ceiling fell on him. The firefighter was removed from the structure and turned over to EMS personnel. Crews switched to defensive tactics, utilizing aerial master streams, deck guns and attack lines.
Command requested the 3rd alarm for additional manpower, at approximately 11:10 a.m. NEWCOM dispatched Undercliff (Station 264) on the 3rd alarm. Crews knocked the bulk of the fire down during the defensive operation. Command deployed crews back into the structure to attack the remaining fire on the interior. Air horns sounded again on the apparatus at approximately 11:37 a.m. At this time, command ordered crews back out of the building for the second time, due to the fact that the roof was starting to sag.
As crews were making their way back out of the building, the roof and chimney collapsed, striking the firefighters and injuring several of them. EMS command immediately called for several mutual aid EMS units to respond to the scene. NEWCOM immediately dispatched the following EMS units to the scene; Richland (Unit 262), FoxWall (Unit 141 and 142), Parkview EMS (Unit 181), Lower Valley EMS (Unit 154), St. Margaret's Response Team (Unit 267) and West Deer EMS (Unit 244). City of Pittsburgh EMS had units ready to respond if EMS command needed them. STAT also had air medical units on stand by.
EMS command evaluated the injured firefighters and transported them to area hospitals for treatment. The fire was brought under control at approximately 12:30 p.m. Crews remained on the scene for several hours, performing extensive overhaul operation and dousing the remaining hot spots.
Salvation Army personnel were at the scene with their mobile canteen unit, providing emergency workers with hot soup and beverages. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate the fire, which extensively damaged the building. Etna Fire Chief Porter left the fire scene and responded to the hospital, to check in on his injured men. Most of the injured were Etna firefighters, at least one was an Aspinwall firefighter. All but one of the injured firefighters were treated and released from the hospital. One firefighter remained hospitalized in fair condition. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
|
|
|
|
If anyone has more photos, please contact me. pleasantvalleyvfc@hotmail.com
Go Home