Lightning, during a severe electrical storm, early Friday morning, June 29, 1945, caused a fire in a large garage on the Robert Malick farm near Williamstown. The fire consumed the garage, along with three pleasure cars, tools, and farm equipment. The building collapsed twenty minutes after the fire was discovered, and little else could be done by the Lykens, Wiconisco, and Williamstown firemen who answered the call. The owners of the burned cars were Harry Umholtz, Raymond Malick, and Robert Malick. The damage was estimated at $2,000, part of which was covered by insurance.
First alarm assignment consisting of Engine and Truck 22, and Engine and Squad 23, were dispatched to 301 Main Street in Lykens Boro for a report of smoke in a structure. Engine 22 responded with 6, Truck 22 with 5. Upon arrival, first in crew discovered a burned up motor to a fish tank in the living room, with the electrical cord melted to the socket in the wall. Power to the circuit supplying the motor was turned off, and device was taken outside. Building ventilated, and company placed available by command.
Company-22, Engine-23, Rescue-66, Rescue-21, and Boat-20 were dispatched to rescue a juvenile that was trapped in the rushing water of rain-swollen Rattling Creek behind the Reiff and Nestor Plant in Lykens Borough. An early-teens male was found clutching onto a rock bout 25 feet from shore. The water was high and swift, endangering the boy from being swept off the rock. Truck-22 arrived and the crew immediately threw a line to the patient. Other units secured lines further down stream. A 28-foot extension ladder was lowered onto a rock about three feet in front of the patient and was secured to shore. Boat-20 personnel donned cold water gear and went out onto the ladder to perform the rescue. The patient was very hypothermic and needed much assistance removing himself from the rock. He was brought ashore and transferred to a waiting Medic-6 ambulance. During the latter stages of the rescue, it was learned that there could be three other individuals in the water somewhere downstream. Search parties were sent along the creek to look for them while the patient's friends and family were contacted to inquire of the others' whereabouts. All others were confirmed to be out of the water. The patient was transported to Harrisburg Hospital.
Truck 22 was dispatched on the 23-1 box, along with Company 23 and Rescue 21, for a stove fire reported out at 201 Walnut Street in Wiconisco. Truck 22 responded with a crew of seven, and was directed by command to respond class three and access the scene by going the wrong way on Walnut Street (a one way street) to the front of the structure. As Truck 22 approached the scene, command placed the Truck in service and available.
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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These lists can be filtered. Use the control section above to activate or de-activate filtering. Filtering will not affect the list of incidents we've responded to. But, it will be applied to both the other lists.
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