Company 22 was dispatched to the rear of the former Lykens School building on North Second Street for an unknown type of fire. The incident was phoned from 324 Market Street, with the caller reporting that he could smell something burning, and it appeared to be coming from behind the old school, on "School Street" (North Second Street). Chief 22-1, Terry Sherman, on the scene could find nothing after checking out the school. Engine and Truck 22 responded and staged at the intersection of Market and North Second Streets. After finding nothing, Chief 22-1 placed the box in service.
The company recieved two telephone calls for a reported odor problem at 213 Main Street, in the Borough of Lykens. The company arrived on the scene with PSP Lykens to effect an entry to the residence. Upon entry through an already broken rear window, it was discovered that the home was filled with a strong odor of sewer gas. In the living room, the carpet was soaked with water that smelled of mold and mildew. In the upstairs bathroom, a toilet (with nasty content) appeared to have been unflushed for several weeks. Upon trying to flush the toilet, it was found that the water to the building had been shut off. Also found in the residence, was an electric heater that was being used in the living room, another one in the upstairs hallway with an extension cord running into a bedroom, and a torpedo kerosene heater in the basement. All three heaters constituted an extreme fire hazard as they were not being used in the proper manner for which they were intended. The residence was also found to be an extreme fire hazard due to the fact that there was a lot of clothing and debris in close proximity to all three heaters. It was found that the floors in the dining room and the living room had buckled due to the amount of water that was soaked into the carpet. The Mayor and Code Enforcement Officer of the Borough were informed of the problems at this residence.
Company 22 was dispatched to 612 North Street for a possible cardiac arrest. Truck 22 responded with a crew of seven and Chief 22 responded to the scene POV. On arrival, the crew initiated patient care until the arrival of EMS. Confirming that the patient was breathing, the crew provided oxygen and helped transfer the patient to the transport ambulance. The truck then went available.
Truck 22 dispatched class one as next due truck to the 20-1 box at 259 Union Street in Millersburg for smoke in the basement. Truck 22 was prepared to respond with 5 when they were placed in service by Chief 20.
The 22-1 box dispatched for a report of smoke in the basement of 428 North Street in Lykens. Chief 22 responded to the scene POV, Engine 22 with 4 and Truck 22 with 2. Engines 23 and 27 along with Rescue 21 and EMS also on the box. On arrival, the Truck came in from the Pine Street side and laid in and the Truck came in from the West Street side and had side A. Crews went interior and discovered a furnace malfunction. Command placed all mutual aid companies in service. After shutting down the furnace and checking CO readings in the house, command placed the Company available, at which time they were advised of a medical call just down the street, and went enroute (see call #14).
As the Engine and Truck were clearing the earlier call (see call #13) County advised of a medical call just down the street, and Engine, Truck, and Chief 22 responded. On arrival, crew found patient upstairs and assisted EMS until released.
Company 22 dispatched class one to assist EMS with a choking victim at 509 Main Street in Lykens. Chief 22 responded POV and Truck 22 went enroute with 5. As the Truck arrived on scene, Command 22 placed them in service.
At the request of Chief 22 Company 22 dispatched class three to 625 North Second Street in Lykens for basement flooding. Utility 22 responded with 5 and Chiefs 22 and 22-2 responded POV to the scene along with 4 other members. On arrival the crew found about 1 foot of water in the basement of a two and one half story 20 by 50 foot single family wood frame dwelling. This was the result of a broken water line in the basement. The owner of the property had secured the leak and requested the water be pumped out of the basement. The crew set up a portable pump in the basement and removed the water. After completing the task Command placed the Company available.
Truck 22 dispatched class one on the structure box for 1111 Valley Road in Lykens Township. Truck 22 responded with 6, Utility 22 with 2, and 3 members POV. On arrival at a 1 story 40 by 25 foot single family dwelling they were assigned to vent the roof. After venting the roof the crew set up ladders and vented the basement with PPV fans after interior crews got a knockdown of the fire. Crew continued to assist companies on scene until released by Command 27.
Truck 22 dispatched class one to 1928 East Grand Avenue in Sheridan Porter Township for an automatic fire alarm. Truck 22 responded with 5 and was canceled by Command while enroute.
One Meridian Plaza was a 38-story (492 ft. tall) building located between Market and Ranstead Streets on South 15th Street in Center City Philadelphia, across the street from City Hall. It was built in 1971 and 1972, before fire codes required sprinklers throughout the building. On February 23, 1991, a contractor doing some work in the building left some linseed oil soaked rags on the 22nd floor, which was vacant at the time. The rags spontaneously ignited and started a fire in the building. The fire eventually spread and activated a fire alarm at 10:23 p.m. The security guards receiving the alarm went to investigate its source. Meanwhile the alarm company, which monitored the alarm, called the building to report the alarm. The guards confirmed that there was fire on the 22nd floor, and they called the alarm company to confirm it before evacuating the building. It was a passing motorist who saw the fire and called the fire department at 10:27 p.m., during which call the alarm company also called to report the fire. The fire had by then shorted out the building's electrical system and the backup generator for emergency lighting failed. The fire department arrived and secured the scene. They were forced to operate in darkness within the building, using portable and hand-held lighting. A command post was set up in the lobby and on the 20th floor. Because there was no electricity to operate the elevators, all firefighters had to access the upper floors of the building by climbing the stairs. Heavy fire was found on the 22nd floor. Windows were shattering from the heat of the fire and glass was falling to the streets below. There was also concern that the exterior granite panels would also fall. The firefighters couldn't gain access to the 20th floor from the stairway because the doors were locked. Water was sprayed on the fire from a small window in the door while a truck company forced open the door. The standpipes in the building were not set correctly and did not allow enough water flow for proper operation of the nozzles used on the 1?-inch hose lines. Three firefighters reported that they were disoriented on the 30th floor and running out of breathing air. They were allowed to break a window as an emergency measure. A eight-person search team was sent to find them. The search team did not find them on the 30th floor and, as their air was also running out, they went to the 38th floor to look for an access to the roof. A search team from a helicopter that landed on the roof found and rescued them. The helicopter eventually saw the broken window the three firefighters made and directed another search team to the 28th floor, where after about three hours, the firefighters were found. They were taken to the 20th floor, but pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the fire had been spreading to the floors above the 22nd floor. The fire department couldn't get adequate water pressure to fight it. Around 2:15 a.m., they started manually rolling 5-inch supply hose up the stairways. Three such lines were run, with the third line being completed by 5 a.m. During that time a sprinkler contractor arrived and manually adjusted the pressure reducing valves on the standpipes to allow proper water pressure. The fire was spreading to the 26th floor by then. Because of concerns of the structure failing and causing a pancake collapse, the building was ordered evacuated at 7 a.m. This was completed by 7:30 a.m. and firefighters could only continue the attack from the exterior. The fire appeared to be under control on the 22nd through 24th floors, but continued to burn unchecked on the 25th and 26th floors at the time. The fire eventually consumed everything to the 30th floor, where it was finally brought under control just after 3 p.m. by automatic sprinklers that had been in stalled there. During the nearly 19 hours of firefighting, approximately 316 personnel operating 51 engine companies, 15 ladder companies, and 11 specialized units, including EMS units, were committed to the 12-alarm incident. The incident was managed by 11 battalion chiefs and 15 additional chief officers under the overall command of the Fire Commissioner. Off-duty personnel were recalled to staff reserve companies to maintain protection for all areas of the city. After the fire, the building stood vacant for years. It was eventually dismantled piece by piece in 1998 and 1999. It was the sixth-tallest building ever to be demolished, and the tallest outside of New York City and Chicago. The deceased firefighters were Captain David P. Holcombe, age 52, Firefighter Phyllis McAllister, age 43, and Firefighter James A. Chappell, age 29.
2001
Vehicle Into a House - Upper Paxton Twp, Dauphin Co, PA
A 26-year-old Millersburg man was flown to Hershey Medical Center on February 23, 2001, at 8:38, following a vehicle accident. The man had been driving westbound on Route 25 in Upper Paxton Township, when he apparantly lost control on his 1994 Mitsubishi on a curve and hit a house at 1192 Route 25. He suffered major head trauma and was bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Around 11 p.m. on the night of Monday, February 23, 1880, fire of unknown cause broke out in the basement of the furniture repair room of Nathan Hancock on Main Street in Brewsters Station, Putnam County, New York. The fire spread east and west to adjoining buildings very rapidly. Brewsters Station had no fire department at the time. There once had been a fire department in the village, but the members quarreled and it was disbanded. The only efforts made to stop the flames were by an impromptu bucket brigade and a small chemical engine that was sent from Gail Borden's condensed milk factory, about three miles away. The entire block was consumed by the fire. It was the principal business portion of the village. Property worth over $100,000 was destroyed. The following businesses and homes were lost: Nathan Hancock's furniture and repair, Edward Stone's clothing store, The First National Bank, the Putnam County Standard (a weekly newspaper), A.J. Miller's law office, office of the Superintendent of the Putnam County Iron Mine, L.H. Ryder's dentist office, office of Dr. E.P. Strunk, home of Mrs. martha Dowen, home of Mr. Howard Wixon, Edward Stone's general country sore, home of Mr. L.H. Roberts, Mr. Lobdell's home, the Town Hall (town clerk, village clerk, police court, jail), office of superintendent of McCowen Mines, George W. Horton's law office, home of James Juliff and family, a large hall (at which a hop was being held at the time of the fire), John Little's tailor shop and home, Wellingtom Ketchum's hardware tin and furniture store, and a large barn filled with hay and grain.
Around 2 a.m. on the morning of February 23, 1943 a fire broke out in a basement laundry at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Cavan, Ireland. People living on Main Street saw smoke coming from the building. They went to the orphanage, but were unfamiliar with the layout of the convent and were unable to find the girls. By that time, the fire had been discovered and all of the girls had been moved into one Dormitory. The girls could not get out of the building through the main entrance or the fire escape. The local fire company had arrived, but didn't have enough equipment for the fire. The girls were encouraged to jump. Some survived by doing this, though with injuries, however most were too scared to attempt it. By the time a long ladder arrived, it was too late. A local man was able to go up to the dormitory window bring down five girls, but the fire completely engulfed the dormitory and the remaining girls died. Thirty-five children and one adult lay worker died.
A large fire occurred in the Russian Space station, Mir, on February 23, 1997. The fire broke out when a canister of lithium perchlorate, a device used to generate oxygen, leaked as one of the cosmonauts worked with it. The fire burned for about 90 seconds and heavy smoke poured from the device for almost seven minutes, filling the living and working quarters of the station. Four cosmonauts, American Jerry Linenger, and a German researcher were forced to don oxygen packs and filter masks while the station's environmental control system cleansed the air. The Mir crew used foam fire extinguishers to douse the fire.
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