Engine-22 was dispatched to a vehicle fire at 544 North Street. Engine-22 responded with a crew of six. Truck-22 responded with a crew of five for additional manpower, but was asked to hold in quarters by Engine-22, which was on the scene, where the fire appeared to be out. Engine-22's crew determined that the fire was out, and Truck-22 was placed in service. After insuring that there were no further hot spots, the Engine-22 went available.
Engine 22 was dispatched to Don's Food Rite parking lot for a fuel spill. Engine 22 responded and Chief 22 responded to the scene POV. Upon arrival, the Chief found a large diesel fuel spill in the front lot, the result of a delivery truck striking a light standard and shearing off the truck's saddle tank, spreading about 50 gallons of fuel on the ground. A crew attempted to contain the spill and spread High Dry on it. Chief 22 contacted the County to get a disposal company enroute to contain the majority of the fuel. The company went available upon the arrival of the contracted cleanup company.
A first alarm assignment was dispatched for a report of an electrical fire behind a dryer at 342 Railroad Street in Lykens, bringing Engine-22, Truck-22, Engine-23, Squad-23, Engine-24, Rescue-66, and Schuylkill Air-Lite-66-60. Engine-22 and chief 22-2 responded, and shortly after arriving on location, held the box to Engine-22 and Engine-23. The fire was out. Engine-23 was released. Company-22 did some minor clean up and went available.
While returning from a call on Railroad Street, the crew of Engine-22 came upon a pavilion in the West Boro Park that had collapsed to the ground. The 20 foot by 50 foot structure had been leveled by high winds that passed through the area earlier. The crew reported the incident by radio and requested the police department and a chief to respond. The crew inspected the site using lights and the thermal imaging camera. The Borough supervisor arrived on scene and advised that the pavilion had collapsed several hours earlier. After examining the location and finding no signs of any trapped persons, the Engine went available.
A first alarm assignment was dispatched on the 22-1 box for a reported kitchen fire at 624 Main Street in Lykens. Dispatched were Engines 23, 24, and 21 (for the out of service Engine 22), Truck 22, Rescue 21 and Air Light 66-60 out of Tower City. Chief 22 responded POV to the scene, and on his arrival, had heavy black smoke coming from the first floor rear of the structure. Chief 22 took a 2.5 pound dry chem extinguisher to the door and entered the kitchen, and knocked down the bulk of the fire. Truck 22 responded with 5, and approached the scene from the square, laying in from the hydrant at Main and Market Streets. The Truck staged on side A, and the crew was advised by the chief that the bulk of the fire was knocked down and to bring a PW to the rear of the structure. Two crew members brought the can to the kitchen door and extinguished the remaining hot spots. Engine 23 arrived on scene and staged on side A, and sent their manpower to the rear to assist. Chief 22 marked control, and canceled off all remaining units and EMS. The PPV fan was set up at the front door and the remaining smoke was vented from the structure. Crews from 23 and 22 performed overhaul in the kitchen. After completing their task, command released all units and placed the box in service. Cause was accidental, owner cooking on the stove.
Truck 22 dispatched to Tower City, Schuylkill County, to 17 South 7th Street for a reported structure fire. Schuylkill companies 66, 650, and 655 were on the initial dispatch. Truck 22 responded with 7, and was canceled by command while enroute.
Engine 22, Engine 23, Rescue 23, Engine 21, Rescue 21, Truck 20 dispatched class one to 403 South Second Street in Lykens for a report of smoke coming from a kitchen outlet. Chief 22 went enroute POV, Engine 22 with 6, and Utility 22 with 5. On arrival the Chief held the box to Company 22, broken water line to the fridge. After shutting down the supply line to the fridge and mopping up the water, command placed the box in service.
Company 22, 23, and Truck 20 dispatched class one to 50 Reiff Street at the Reiff and Nestor Plant for an automatic fire alarm, water flow. Engine 22 responded with 6 and 2 members responded POV. Chief 23-2 arrived on scene and found a water line broken in the boiler room that fed the sprinkler system. On the arrival of Engine 22, crews went into the boiler room and shut down the water system. Command held the box to Engine 22. Maintenance personnel on scene took over, and command placed the box available.
Company 27 and Truck 22 dispatched class one to 8858 Route 25 in Lykens Township for a chimney fire. Truck 22 responded with 6 and Chief 22, who was in the area, responded POV to the scene. Reports from the scene indicated that there was smoke in the building so the box was upgraded to a first alarm, adding companies 26, 28, 23, and Schuylkill 14-10 to the call. On arrival of Engine 27 they investigated and found that the issue was a furnace malfunction and held the box to company 27 and Truck 22. On arrival of Truck 22, they took side D of a 2 and one half story wood frame single family dwelling and went to the roof to check the chimney. The rest of the crew assisted 27 with a fan for ventilation in the basement by entering on the B side. Engine 22 stood by in Station 22 with 3. Finding no issues with the chimney and ventilation complete, command 27 placed the truck available.
Company 22 dispatched class one to 669 Main Street in Lykens for a smoke alarm sounding. Chief 22 responded POV and the Engine and Truck each responded with 4. On arrival at a 2 story 30 by 50 wood frame single family dwelling there was nothing showing from the exterior. Crew went interior and found a faulty battery in a detector at the top of the stairs going to the second floor. After replacing the battery command placed the box available.
2024
Electrical Odor Inside, 439 Main Street (Box 22-1)
Company 22 dispatched class one to 439 Main street in Lykens for an odor of electrical in the kitchen area. Chief 22-1 went enroute POV, Engine 22 with 4 and Truck 22 with 2. The Engine arrived on the east side A/D corner of a 24 foot by 45 foot 2 story single family dwelling. Truck 22 approached from the west side and took the A/B corner. Interior investigation with two thermal cameras found an LED bulb above the kitchen sink that had blown, causing the odor. Command placed the box available.
A two vehicle accident occurred in Upper Paxton Township, in Lenkerville, on February 16, 2001 at 1:15 p.m. The driver of a 1990 Pontiac Grand Am pulled out from Center Street onto Route 147 into the path of an oncoming 1984 Ford Bronco II. The driver of the Bronco swerved to miss the Grand Am, and the Bronco hit a curb, flipped onto its roof, and slid into a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. Neither driver was hurt . The Pontiac suffered minor damage to its right rear panel, the Bronco suffered severe damage to the entire vehicle, and the Jeep suffered minor damage to its front end. The 22-year-old driver of the Pontiac, from Halifax, was charged with driving under suspension, operating a vehicle with an open container of alcohol, failure to yield right away to oncoming traffic, expired inspection, expired registration, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Snow and ice fell from a north bound tractor trailer on Route 225 south of Elizabethville and crashed through the windshield of a south bound vehicle on February 16, 2007, causing lacerations to the face and hands of the driver. The driver was taken to Hershey Medical Center, and his vehicle was towed from the scene.
The State Lunatic Asylum in Lexington, Kentuckey, was destroyed by fire on February 16, 1852. One lunatic burned to death and several others were severly injured. The Eastern Lunatic Asylum at Lexington was established in 1815 as a private institution. It came under the control of the state in 1824.
1853
Steamer Independence Fire - Margaretta Island, Lower California
The steamer Independence, traveling from San Juan del Sud to San Francisco, ran aground on the shoals about a mile off Margaretta Island, near Lower California (present day Isla Santa Margarita, Baja California Sur, Mexico), around 5 a.m. on February 16, 1853. After striking, the Independence was able to back off the shoal. But, the captain found eight feet of water in the hold and ordered the pilot to run her aground on the beach. She made it to within 300 yards of the land. At that point, the ship caught fire, which spread rapidly, and created panic among the passengers. The surf was heavy and the ship's life boats were swamped the first time they were attempted to be used. The fire reached the powder magazine and it exploded with terrible force, shattering the steamer's stern to pieces and throwing fragments in every direction. Many of the passengers were blown into the sea, while others jumped in. They were immediately carried out to sea by the strong current sweeping from the shore. Those who did reach the shore watched helplessly as the struggling men, women, and children perished by the fire and in the sea. The ship swung around broadside to the beach. Her coal caught fire and she was totally destroyed - burned to the water level. The passengers who did survive found themselves on an uninhabited island without fresh water. They were there for fifty-six hours before they were able to attract the attention of some whaling vessels in Magdaline Bay, a few miles away. The whaling vessels came to their rescue and took them off the island. Of over 500 passengers, at least 140 were killed. Some were burned to death, others were killed by the explosion, but most drowned as they were swept out to sea.
A fire destroyed the magnificent hotel erected by R.V. Pierce on Prospect Avenue in Buffalo on February 16, 1881. The fire was discovered around 2 p.m. when smoke was seen issuing from the cupola above the sixth floor. The fire was found to be in the baggage room on the sixth floor. The hotel did have a fire extinguishing apparatus, but the cylinders burst when it was used. The fire department responded promptly, but the wind coming from the lake fanned the flames into ferocity. Twenty patients in the infirmary or medical and surgical department, two of whom had undergone serious operations only a few hours earlier were safely evacuated. The tower of the cupola crashed through the roof fifteen minutes later, and the fire was soon spread to the first floor. Frequent explosions were heard, probably a result of the cracking or bursting of the hotel's stone and marble interior. The building was burned to a pile of ruins within two hours. The boarders at the hotel lost all their personal property, valued from a few hundred dollars to $20,000. The total loss was estimated at $400,000. Several firemen were injured by falling walls. One was hurt seriously when he was buried under a portion of the tower when it fell. The hotel was built between 1876 and 1878. It had a frontage of 210 feet, with wing extensions of 125 feet, was 216 feet in depth, and 258 feet high including the tower.
Around 5 p.m. on February 16, 1882, a fire broke out in the Old Main building of the Pennsylvania Military Academy (later known as the Pennsylvania Military College, and even later as Widener University), in Chester, Pennsylvania. The 143 cadets were out drilling and returned to find the third corridor filling with smoke that was issuing from the laboratory. They quickly formed a bucket brigade from a lake some distance away, but the flames spread from the laboratory on the fourth floor to the eastern wing. The entire Chester Fire Department answered the alarm, but the apparatus was greatly delayed due to bad conditions of the street. By the time they reached the scene, the building was completely enveloped in flames. In the meantime, the cadets and hundreds of citizens had the campus strewn with furniture, books, provisions, and government property they emptied from the building. Most of the cadets were able to save the most valuable of their personal effects. By 9 p.m., nothing remained of the building but blackened walls. The loss was estimated at $200,000. After the fire, the cadets were summoned to the drill hall, when each was given enough money for transportation home. Nearly every state in the union was represented by a cadet.
1951
San Francisco City Hall Dome Fire - San Francisco, CA
On February 16, 1951, a workman's blow torch set fire to the Sab Francisco City Hall Dome. The fire burned for more than an hour, sending billows of smoke into the sky that were visible from much of San Francisco. Firefighters had difficulty reaching the blaze, because it was in woodwork between the inner and outer domes. The damage was estimated at $10,000.
Site No. 2, one of twelve Atlas missile launching pads being dug near Roswell, New Mexico, was the scene of a deadly accident on February 16, 1961. Workers removed steel outriggers from an unmanned Lorain crane positioned near the edge of a 172 feet deep silo hole. The huge crane rolled through a wooden railing, toppled over backwards, and slid over the silo's edge. It hurtled downward, brushed workmen and scaffolding off the sides of the hole, and crashed in flames at the bottom, killing a total of six people and injuring 14 others.
1983
Ash Wednesday Bushfires - Victoria, Australia
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