Fire alarm sounded at about 1:15 PM on Friday, January 1, 1917. The company responded to the Moose Home on West Main Street. Fire broke out between the first and second floor. The cause was determined to be a defective chimney.
The fire alarm sounded at about 2:35 on Monday morning, January 1, 1923. The company responded to the home of Elmer Harman on Spruce Street. The fire started from clothes hung near the kitchen stove which ignited and quickly spread fire throughout the building. The entire interior of the home was burnt.
At the request of EMS, Company 22 was dispatched to assist at the scene of a stabbing at 132 Main Street. Truck 22 responded with a crew of seven and staged one block away until PSP and 4601 PD secured the scene. The truck then proceeded to the scene and assisted Medic 6 personnel with removing the patient from the residence. The patient was placed on board a Williamstown (Co. 24) transporting unit for a trip to the hospital.
At the request of Medic 6 on scene, Company 22 dispatched class three to 561 Main Street in Lykens to assist EMS with lifting. Chief 22 responded POV and Truck 22 responded with 6. On arrival, the crew assisted EMS with removing a patient from their residence to their transport unit, and then went available.
Company 21 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 237 Greenfield Estates in Elizabethville for an automatic fire alarm. Engine and Rescue 21 responded and Truck 22 went enroute with 7. On arrival command had the Truck stage on side A behind Engine 21. The crew laddered the building in an attempt to gain entry to an empty apartment with an audible alarm. Entry was achieved by entering through a rear sliding door and the apartment was checked. A faulty second floor bedroom detector was found and removed. Command then placed the box available.
Company 21 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 141 West Main Street in Elizabethville for an automatic fire alarm. Truck 22 responded with 7 and was canceled by Command 21 moments after responding. The alarm was set off by steam from a shower.
Fire destroyed the plumbing shop of J Carl Zimmerman in Killinger on January 1, 1958. The Millersburg Fire Company got the call at 5:40 p.m. and was later joined at the scene by the Berrysburg Fire Company and the Halifax Fire Company. An International 3-ton truck was lost in this fire.
On January 1, 1965, just moments after midnight, a fire broke out at Roundtop (a sort of Speakeasy with a Reputation) in Jackson Township. The Fisherville fire company was joined by the Elizabethville and Halifax fire companies to fight the fire, which was a loosing battle. A funny incident occurred at this fire. The Elizabethville ambulance received a call for a woman who was going to have a baby. One of the revelers at Roundtop that night was intoxicated and thought she was ready to deliver. The ambulance crew came to her aid and after an examination discovered that she wasn't even pregnant!
A brush fire was discovered in the area of Rettinger Road in Jackson Township shortly after 1 p.m. on January 1, 2005. The fire was on the north side of the road, spreading from west to east, thought not threatening anything. The fire eventually covered four acres. Units responding to the scene were: Chief 29, Ambulance 13-1, Brush 29, Engine 216, Tanker 29, Engine 29, Tanker 216, Utility 216, Brush 20, Brush 26, Brush 19, Engine 19-1, Engine 29-1, Chief 20, Brush 23, and VIC-15. Units responding but cancelled enroute were: Tanker 23, and Brush 39-1.
A rusted pipe from a coal stove in the basement of a home at 2794 Back Road, near Carsonville, created high levels of carbon monoxide on January 1, 2007. Carsonville's Engine 19 and Halifax's Engine 29-1 responded to the incident. The crews discovered extremely high CO levels and a deceased family pet. The home was ventilated, and the residents were checked by EMS.
2008
Structure Fire - 312 Berry Mountain Road - Upper Paxton Twp., Dauphin Co., PA
On January 1, 1573, during the Eighty Years War in which the Dutch revolted against the Spanish Empire, the Geuzen, an irregular army or confederacy of nobles and other malcontents who emerged alongside the regular Dutch forces, set fire to the city of Woudrichem, Netherlands.
1853
World's' First Practical Fire Engine - Cincinnati, OH
Three Cincinnati, Ohio residents - Abel Shawk, Alexander Bonner Latta, and Miles Greenwood - invented the first practicle steam fire engine. Other steam-powered fire engines had been invented, but were not practicle. The Cincinnati City Council, after a demonstration of the new engine, contracted for an engine. The fire engine was presented to the Cincinnati Fire Department on January 1, 1853, making Cincinnati the first city in the world to use steam fire engines. This first engine was named "Uncle Joe Ross" after a city council member.
1855
Constantinople Fire - Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey
A terrible fire occured at Constantinople on January 1, 1854, destroying four hundred houses, among them those of the Greek Patriarch and the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
An extensive fire started about 7:15 p.m. on New Year's night in Red Bank, New Jersey. The fire started at Naftal's Clothing Store at the corner of Front and Broad Streets. The alarm sounded and the local fire company responded promptly. But, the fire spread rapidly, and the building to the south was soon also in flames. It's occupant, a barber, was glad to have escaped with his life, losing all of his household effects. William H Conrow's restaurant burned next. The business men and merchants in town came to the conclusion that this fire would be a disastrous one and began to remove their goods to safety. The flames were visible from miles away, and residents of the surrounding country side came to town to watch the event. Next, the W.A. French & Co. store was quickly consumed. The firemen and a volunteer bucket brigade had been dousing other buildings to stop the fire's spread. They saved the post office, Parker & Chadwick's, Weaver's, Spinner's, and other buildings, but had run out of water before drenching French's and were unable to save it and the Western Union Telegraph Company's office that adjoined it. Unusual efforts were made to save the stately mansion of Mrs. Coombs, which was separated from the burning buildings by a narrow alley. They were successful, and the fire was checked in that direction. In the meantime, the fire was spreading southward, destroying Stilwell's butcher shop, and White's grocery. Corlie's clothing store was next in line, and in order to save the warehouses that were adjoining it, the wooden structure was torn down. At that point, the conflagration ended. The fire company and citizens did their best with a small chemical engine and buckets. Thankfully there was no strong wind that evening. The fire had been visible at Long Branch. Several fire companies there had received permission from the mayor to go to Red Bank in case they were needed. They remained in their engine houses until they were given notice that they would not be needed. It was first assumed that the fire was started from an overheated stove in the Naftal Clothing Store. But, police found clothing saturated with gasoline and the floor soaked with oil. Mr Naftal had been seen leaving the store with his family early on the day of the fire and returned alone. He was seen leaving his store shortly before the fire was discovered and disappeared the next day. His stock was believed to be valued at less than $200, but it was insured for $2,800. A warrant was issued for Naftal's arrest. The loss of stock and buildings was tallied to $46,000.
An Air India Boeing 747 jet crashed into the sea four minutes after takeoff from a Bombay airport on January 1, 1978. The captain banked the jet to the right toward Dubai. The plane then returned to level flying, but the attitude direction indicator in front of the pilot indicated that the plane was still banking to the right. Since it was dark, they had no way of visually verifying what the ADI was showing. The captain relied on the ADI and continued to bank the plane to the left, believing that he was leveling off the plane. Instead, the 747 was sent spiraling straight into the water, two miles from shore. There were no survivors of the 190 passengers and 23 crew members.
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The section of calls we've responded to has been compiled from fire company records, newspapers, and other sources. Listings for years prior to 1981 might be incomplete.
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The listing of local incidents is for incidents that happened around our local area, including some from Lykens for which the fire company was not dispatched. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents listed here have been gathered from public sources.
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The listing of other noteworthy incidents includes incidents from anywhere outside our local area (for which we were not dispatched). Also included in this section are historical events from our fire company, Lykens, or around the world. It is certainly not a complete listing, and is not intended to be. It is included here for your entertainment. Incidents and events listed here have been gathered from public sources.
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