Truck 22 dispatched class one to Schuylkill County Poreter Township to 1 Beagle road for a smoke in a structure call. Truck 22 responded with 6 and one member POV. On approach the Truck was instructed to beach the rig and send manpower forward. Truck 22 arrived on side B of a 50 foot by 30 foot 2 story wood frame rancher and sent their manpower to side A with tools. They remained there until released by Command.
Company 22 dispatched class one on the 23-1 box for a structure fire at 204 Center Street in Wiconisco Township. Chief 23-2 arrived at their station and observed a column and requested that the box be upgraded. Truck 22 responded with 5, Engine 22 with 6, and Utility 22 with 2. The Truck arrived on the A/D side of a 35 foot by 42 foot two and one half story wood frame single family dwelling with heavy fire coming from side A all the way to the roof line. The Truck crew set up and went to the roof to perform ventilation while also laddering the building. Engine 22 arrived behind the Truck and ran a 5 inch line to the Truck to supply them with water. Engine 24 arrived behind Engine 22 after laying out 700 feet of 5 inch from a hydrant to supply Engine 22. Crews from Engine 23 made an interior push backed up with crews from Engine and Rescue 21. Additional resources began arriving from numerous other companies and all were put to work. Company 27 had the RIT assignment. Additional help arrived from Companies 26, 20, 91, Perry 2, Schuylkill 22-1. Chief 23-1 had the command. Crews continued to work and control was marked at 1:07 AM. Extensive overhaul was needed. Command began releasing some units and PSP was contacted for an FM. PPL was also on scene as well as EMS from 24 and Schuylkill 66. Company 22 was released and returned to quarters to clean up and return the rigs to service.
At the request of Chief 24A on scene Company 22 dispatched class one to 565 Main Street in Lykens to assist him and Tremont ambulance for a lift assist. Chief 22-2 and 2 members responded POV to the scene and Utility 22 went enroute with 2. On arrival the crew assisted with extricating the patient from the house to the Tremont ambulance and then went available.
Company 22 and Engine 23 dispatched class one to the Rattling Creek Apartments at 15 South Second Street in Lykens for an automatic fire alarm. Initial report from County dispatch was an alarm activated in the second floor lobby by the elevators. Engine 22 responded with 4 and Engine 23 with 5. The Engine arrived on side D of the structure, a 4 story 132 by 63 foot high rise high life building with the majority of the occupants evacuated and standing in front of the entrance on side A. Visible strobes and audible alarms were sounding. Residents on scene advised of a trash can fire on the second floor and that the fire was now out. Interior crews entered side D and used the stairwell to access the second floor where they found a slight smoke condition. One of the residents had removed the trash can from the building and it was sitting on side A by the entrance. Engine 23 initially was assigned to stage at the hydrant at Main and Arlington but was later brought in to side C. Vent fans from both rigs were sent to the second floor to clear out the smoke. It appeared to be residual smoke from careless disposal of smoking materials. Control was marked and Engine 23 released. The residents were allowed back in to their apartments after ventilation was complete and the alarm system reset. Engine 22 returned to station 22 and as they were approaching the station they were advised that the alarm for the Rattling Creek Apartments had come in again from a specific apartment on the second floor. Engine 22 returned to the building and staged on side D. Most of the residents had once again evacuated and were outside on side A. Crews went back to the second floor where they found a smoke condition in one of the apartments which appeared to be smoking material. After venting the building again and silencing the alarm a second time residents were allowed back in the building and the event was cleared.
2019
Apartment Building fire, 33 South Callowhill Street (Box 21-1)
Company 21, Engine 26 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 33 South Callowhill Street in Elizabethville Boro for a report of smoke from a building. Truck 22 responded with 7, Engine 22 with 6 and Utility 22 with 2. On the arrival of Command 21 he had a smoke condition from the outside of a 30 foot by 75 foot 8 unit 3 story apartment building. Truck 22 arrived on side A behind Engine 21 and split crews with half laddering the building and half going interior with crews from Company 21. Fire was contained to an appliance in one apartment with little damage. Command held the box to Company 21 and Company 22 was released.
Company 22 and Engine 23 dispatched class one to the Rattling Creek Apartments at 15 South Second Street in Lykens for an automatic fire alarm. Engines 22 and 23 went enroute with 6 each. Lykens PD was on scene and was reporting a false trip as Engine 22 was arriving on scene. Further investigation confirmed the report and the box was placed available.
2015
Outside investigation, 300 Chestnut Street (Box 22-1)
Chief 22 alerted to investigate a report of an outside fire in the area of the Alfa Laval Thermal plant at 300 Chestnut Street in Lykens. Chief 22 responded class three POV and was further updated with additional information that it was a controlled burn in Wiconisco Township. Chief 22 went available. A crew of 6 stood by in station with Engine 22.
Companies 22 and 23 dispatched class three at the request of EMS for a lift assist at 801 Market Street in Lykens Boro. Medic 6 requested additional manpower to transfer an extremely obese patient from his house into their transport unit. Truck 22 responded with 7, Utility 22 with 2, Rescue 23 with 6, and Chief 22 POV. On arrival, crews set up a lift system with EMS using two litters and manpower to move the patient from his living room to their unit for transport to the hospital, and then went available.
Companies 24, 23, 22, and 66 dispatched to 710 West Market Street in Williamstown for a report of smoke and flames in a second floor bedroom. Truck 22 responded with 6, and on arrival was staged on side A. Command 24 had the Truck crew assist with laddering, ventilation, and salvage of the structure. Initial crews confined the fire to the bedroom ceiling. Truck crew secured utilities and set up fans while crews from the other companies performed overhaul and removal of burned materials to the exterior. Engine 22 stood by in Station with 3 during this call. Crews assisted at the scene until released by command.
Company 22 was dispatched to the intersection of Main and Pine Streets for debris on the road. A coal truck traveling through the area lost some of its load at this intersection, creating a hazard. Engine 22 responded, cleaned up the debris, and then went available.
Engine, Truck and Tanker 22 dispatched on the structure box to Broad and Grant Streets for a structure fire. Companies 24, 23, 66 and 647 also on the box. Engine 22, Truck 22, and Tanker 22 all responded, and on arrival had a 2 1/2 story duplex structure with smoke showing. Crews assisted with suppression and eventually salvage and overhaul of the 2 involved structures until released by command,
1990
Structure Fire, S. 2nd St /Carpenter St (Box 26-11)
Tanker 22 was dispatched to Schuylkill County for a structure fire at the Central Hotel in Orwin. Tanker 22 responded with a crew of two, and on arrival shuttled water to the scene until released by command.
A family of six lost their lives in the early morning hours of December 27, 1978. Their three bedroom mobile home was fully involved upon the arrival of firefighters from Elizabethville, Fisherville, and Carsonville at 4:22 a.m. The trailer was located in the Muckleratz/Deitertown area of Jackson Township, about 1? miles south of Elizabethville. The roof was collapsed at the time of the arrival according to Fire Chief Charles C Wertz of the Reliance Hose Company No. 1 of Elizabethville. The father of the owner of the trailer, who lived next door was unaware of any problem until awakened by Assistant Fire Chief Jacque Wertz. Killed in the fire was Nathan Weaver, his wife Beulah, and four children ages 2 to 15. The cause of the fire was believed to be in or near the oil burner area. It appeared the parents may have been trying to rescue the children due to the location of their bodies when recovered.
Elizabethville firefighters responded to the Washington Hotel for a fire in the wall, caused by an overheated fireplace. The north wall on both sides of the chimney was removed to extinguish the fire.
The Tamaqua Hotel burned as a result of arson on the morning of Sunday, December 27, 1992. Sandra Kopac, 32, a resident in the hotel, saved the lives of 14 people whom she led out of the building. She didn't make it out herself when she went back into the burning building to make sure no one was left inside. Her body could not be located in the unsafe remains of the building. As what remained of the building was being demolished four days later, her charred body was found in a part of the third-floor hallway that had not collapsed.
The release of illegally stored liquid LP gas on the second floor of a warehouse in Buffalo, New York caused an an explosion of such magnitude on December 27, 1983, that its enormity was almost impossible to comprehend. The cause was a pressure vessel measuring only three feet by eight feet, containing 230 gallons of liquid propane. The vessel was being moved via forklift when it rolled off the forks, and a nozzle broke off causing the gas to escape. LP gas being heavier than air stayed near the ground. A spark caused the gas to explode. The explosion and resulting fire killed 6 people, including 5 firefighters, injured more than 70 others, and devastated 16 blocks.
A coal mine explosion followed by a flood killed at least 372 workers in Dhanbad, India, onDecember 27, 1975. An explosion at the Chasnala Colliery shook the large mine. The disaster was compounded when the ground shook so violently that millions of gallons of water from a nearby reservoir flooded into the pits. Miners who survived the initial blast were trapped under a mountain of debris and drowned when the water surged into the mine. Rescue workers attempted to dig out survivors until January 19, but no one was saved. In fact, only a small portion of the bodies were ever recovered. The local workers union claimed that there were nearly 700 workers killed in the mine, but the company maintained that there were only 372.
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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
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.
