| On Saturday, July 30, several members gathered at the firehouse to work on their skills as Confined Space Rescue Technicians. The members spent the morning engaged in simulated Confined Space Rescue incidents to sharpen the skills that are required to perform a successful rescue. After the drill, the members sat down to enjoy lunch together at a local family restaurant.
At approximately 12:45pm, just as lunch was about to be served, the company was dispatched for Engine 25-2 to relocate to the First West Chester Fire Company (Station 51) while their members were operating at a large townhouse fire in the 300 block of McIntosh Road in the Bradford Commons town home development. The members packed up their lunch in to go boxes and made the response with four.
While enroute to West Chester, Chester County Fireboard hailed the Engine on the radio and advised them that the second alarm was being struck and they were now due into the scene to assist. Engine 25-2 (Bisson) responded immediately and were sent into the manpower pool to await orders from the Commanding Officer. Crews were quickly sent in to the fire building to overhaul the rooms to check for remaining fire conditions and fire extension. "Overhauling" a building is the process of removing drywall and insulation from the walls and ceiling in a house to insure that the fire is not burning behind out of sight.
After the Longwood crews were rotated through rehab and another assignment, they were released from the incident. The members packed up their tools and headed home to clean their equipment and sit down for the lunch that had been sitting in the back of the Engine. However, just as lunch was about to be served for the second time, the same members responded to a fire alarm on Gideon Drive along with the rest of the company. Longwood crews had to force entry into the residence in order to deem the incident safe and were available shortly thereafter.
The fire in West Chester caused an estimated $2.5 million in damages to eight townhouses. The Chester County Fire Marshals determined the fire occurred as a result of a discarded cigarette. This type of fire is occurring more frequently and we would like to remind our residents that it is never a good idea to leave a lit cigarette anywhere. Always be sure to extinguish your smoke before leaving it unattended.
For more information on the fire- please visithttp://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2011/07/31/news/doc4e356c0275fa0007585967.txt#photo1 |
