North Smithfield, RI ~ A fire in the kitchen sparked a 2-alarm fire at 131 Pond House Rd on February 21, 2013. A worker was in the basement when he heard smoke detectors sounding. He knew the occupants were elderly had limited mobility so he went to investigate to the cause. The kitchen was on fire as he climbed the stairs. He assisted the wheel chair bound male and the Alzheimer suffering wife out to safety and called 911.
North Smithfield Chief Jillson radioed that he had heavy smoke showing from a distance as he responded to the scene. NSFD Engine 1, 2, and Tanker 1 responded in with Smithfield Engine 2 and Burrillville Tanker 33 on mutual aid. This area of the town is not serviced by hydrant water supply.
Chief 1 arrived to find heavy smoke and fire conditions in a 1-½ story wood framed Cape Cod style dwelling. He ordered a working fire to be sounded. The OIC ordered a defensive attack due to the large quantities of home oxygen equipment that was stored in the well-involved dwelling. Engine 1 began fire attack on the Bravo/Charlie side while Engine 2’s crew hand jacked LDH down the driveway to the roadway.
The electrical service on the Bravo side was beginning to fail and sparks were flying due to the fire venting below it. National Grid was requested with a push due to this hazard. Smithfield Engine 2 arrived and stretched a hand line to the Alpha side to attack from the front doorway. Burrillville Tanker 33 secured water supply from a pond across the street from the dwelling. The set up a draft site and relay pumped up to the scene.
The Chief allowed members to make a push inside to attempt further knock down on the fire. The dormer windows on the second floor were now pushing heavy black smoke. The hose team made the second floor but had to be withdrawn after a few minutes due to deteriorating conditions. The fire was now showing through the roof on the Charlie/Delta corner. Exterior hand lines were used to contain the fire.
The family dog was rescued from the kitchen area as crews pushed in to make final knockdown. Millville Engine 2 was also special called to the scene for manpower to assist with overhauling. The house was deemed a total loss due to the extensive damage sustained by the fire. The Special Signal Association Canteen responded to provide warm refreshments to the fatigued personnel.
Providence, RI Fire Department’s 49th Academy starts day 1 with the 110’ - 65° aerials of Ladders 3 and 5 at the Department of Training on Reservoir Ave.
Cumberland, RI ~ A quick notification to the fire department kept this second floor fire damage to a minimum at 15 Mowry Street on January 29, 2013. Valley Falls Engine 1 arrived to find smoke showing from a 2.5sty wood framed dwelling. Lincoln Ladder 51 was special called on the working fire. An attack line was stretched up the stairway on the Bravo side to the second floor.
Lincoln’s ladder arrived first and was ordered to open the roof. They raised the stick to the Delta side and opened a vent hole over the fire. The interior attack line crew knocked the fire down as the roof was popped open. The coordinated fire attack and vent work was timed perfectly. The walls and attic flooring was opened and checked for any vertical extension.
The fire was placed under control with no injuries reported.
North Providence, RI ~ The homeowner was working in his garage when a fast moving fire was sparked destroying his raised ranch style dwelling at 63 Thelma St on February 7, 2013. All of the occupants were safely outside as Engine 3 arrived to find heavy fire blowing out of the garage and rapidly extending up the Alpha side.
The fire was extending quickly to the soffit due to the vinyl siding. Firefighters went into quick attack mode as the next due companies arrived. The exterior fire was quelled but it already breached the windows and attic space. Water supply was established and several other lines were stretched to the basement and upper floors.
Engine 3’s nozzle man saw an object run by him as he pushed into the upper level. This object was the family’s dog Rocco. The dog was corralled by a Providence firefighter who responded in on mutual aid. The scared canine was then rushed outside to the anxious family. The family was ecstatic for the rescue and hugged the dog as hard as they could.
The dwelling suffered extensive damage from the fire. A mutual aid engine and ladder from the City of Providence responded to the scene to work. Companies overhauled the structure for hot spots for some time after knock down.
Uxbridge, MA ~ A caller reported seeing a smoke column somewhere west of Rte-146 in the area of Rte-16 overpass. Uxbridge Police and Fire went on the air to investigate. They traced the heavy black smoke to the area of West Street south of Rte-16. Engine 2 arrived at 24 Stanphyl Street to find a well-involved 2sty dwelling.
A Box-4, working fire assignment was requested along with a tanker task force, as this area of town was not supported by a hydrant system. Engine 2 dumped its tank water into the fully involved garage section of the house. The fire was now pushing from the entire farmer’s porch on side A and through the roofline. The attic was framed with lightweight trusses and failed quickly.
Second and third alarms were ordered bringing in tankers and manpower. Portable ponds were set up at the base of the driveway and pumped up to Engine 2’s hand lines and Ladder 1’s waterway. The homeowners arrived and stated that there was in fact no one in the structure at the time of the fire. However, there were several pets reported inside.
A firefighter on a ground ladder noticed that there was a dog was still alive in its cage on the second floor of the structure. Remarkably, the dog survived the heavy fire, smoke, and roof collapse during the blaze. The house was deemed a total loss.
Cranston, RI ~ Engine 3 was sent out to investigate reported smoke from the roof at 141 Princess Ave on March 11, 2013. Smoke was showing from a 2-sty wood framed dwelling as they arrived. A working fire was requested to the scene. Engine 3’s crew stretched in a 1 ¾” attack line to the first floor. The crew found fire on the first floor front rooms.
There were unconfirmed reports of occupants on the second floor. Next due companies’ secured water supply to Engine 3 and backed up interior operations. The fire appeared to be knocked down in the room of origin but the firefighters on the second floor saw signs of extension. Walls were opened proving vertical extension to the attic.
Ladder 1’s crew climbed their aerial to the roof on the Alpha side and opened the hip roof releasing charged smoke. The attic space was filled with high heat and smoke that quickly turned to fire once the right mixture of oxygen was introduced. A hose line was placed through the attic scuttle access to attack the fire. The quick teamwork proved positive, as the flames were slayed before more destruction occurred.
The exhausted first alarm firefighters where relieved as the recruit class of 20 probationary members arrived on scene to pick up the hose lines. The fire was under control in an hour without any injuries.
Cranston, RI ~ A fast moving fire broke out in a Bedson Road commercial garage around 1700hrs on March 13, 2013. The 6000 square foot 1 story concrete block and metal roof truss building appeared to house maintenance equipment and several vans & pick-up trucks. Workers were not reported in the building at the time of the blaze.
The first due arriving companies reported heavy black smoke and fire showing from the Alpha/Delta sides. A working fire was ordered as companies went to work stretching attack and feeder lines. Ladder 1 set up on the Alpha side for defensive operations. The exposures on the Charlie side street concerned the OIC as he requested extra companies to the scene. Ladder 2 positioned on First Ave in defensive posture to protect that side of the street.
Heavy fire was taking control of the entire roofline and the contents of the garage. Billowing black smoke was seen for miles as the roofing material burned away. The Delta side was beginning show cracks in the mortar joints and signs of bulging outwards. A collapse zone was established due to the failed integrity of the structure. The steel roof trusses and metal roof decking where now twisting under the extreme heat and began to fail.
Ladder 3 pulled in behind Ladder 1 on the Alpha side for water tower operations. Engine companies established relay pumping to supply the LDH feeders into the scene from blocks away. Master streams, deck guns, and multiple hand lines were played into the blaze for an hour to get a hold on the fire conditions.
The Rhode Island Fire Marshal’s Office was on scene to assist the city officials with origin and cause. No injuries were reported during the incident.
Central Falls, RI ~ A fast moving basement fire tore through this Victorian style dwelling at 302-04 Central Street late in the evening on February 9, 2013. The Central Falls Fire Department had heavy staffing on due to the blizzard that hit the area 2 days prior. There was over 2’ of snow on the ground along with snow packed roadways. Most of the side streets were still in the process of getting opened up.
Central Falls Fire received calls for a possible fire in the building just after 2200hrs. Engine 1, 2, Ladder 1, and Battalion 1 responded to the address, which was only a few blocks away from headquarters. Smoke detectors were sounding as companies arrived. Heavy smoke started to show as they began to investigate the first floor. It was determined that the fire was in the cellar. The bulkhead door was forced on the Charlie side and companies readied their mask and hose lines.
Firefighters attempted to push in as heavy smoke rolled over their heads. The crew encountered clutter conditions in the cellar as the tried to locate the seat of the fire. Mutual aid from Lincoln and Pawtucket had now arrived on scene to assist. Lincoln Ladder 51 set up as FAST and threw ground ladders for fire escapes if needed. Lincoln Engine 4 took a line to the Delta side to protect an exposure due to the now heavy fire venting up the sidewall. Pawtucket Engine 2 and Ladder 1 went to work stretching lines to the first and second floor to attempt to stop the fire’s progression.
The members in the basement had now figured out the fire appeared to be gas feed on the Alpha/Delta corner. The OIC made the decision to pull all firefighters out of the building until the utilities could be cut off. Heavy churning black smoke was now beginning to show from the upper floors and attic. The fire was now traveling the voids and balloon frame walls of this large structure.
Fire was now beginning to break through the roofline and Alpha side gable end. The OIC requested that a 3rd alarm to be struck due to the deteriorating conditions. Water supply had to be relay pumped in from a distance from the hydrants that could be found due to the massive piles of snow that lined all of the streets. Central Falls Ladder 1 set up its master stream on the Alpha/Delta corner while North Providence Ladder 1 had the Charlie side from a parking lot of a funeral home on Clinton Street.
Exterior hand lines and master streams operated for 45 minutes to knock down the blaze. Incident command returned the companies inside to open up and extinguish the hot spots and hidden fire. Companies were rotated out to the Special Signal Association’s canteen for thawing and hot drinks. The Central Falls Building Officials deemed the structure a total loss and was slated for emergency demolition.
Northbridge, MA ~ Police officers arrived first at 607-09 Church Street around 2345hrs on 23º degree temperature night on St. Patrick’s Day and reported heavy fire showing from the rear of an occupied 2.5sty dwelling. There was heavy fire in the basement that was venting out of the basement door. A carport was built on the rear of the house that seemed to keep the fire from spreading up the exterior wall.
A second alarm was sounded as the apparatus arrived on scene. The extra alarm brought in an Uxbridge engine, ladder, and chief. The first due companies stretched in attack and back up lines and quickly knocked the bulk of the fire down in 10 minutes. Firefighters continued to overhaul the basement and checking for extension to the upper floors.
Windows on the upper floors were opened to release the residual built up smoke. The smoke began to dissipate as the fire was looking to be under control. Walls on the first floor were opened and seemed to be clear of fire.
A moment later, smoke was beginning to push from the second and third floor on the Bravo & Charlie sides. The eaves and attic was also now beginning to show signs of charged smoke. Firefighters made their way to the areas of concern and began to open the walls to check for fire. There was now heavy smoke pushing and signs of fire traveling the balloon-framed walls up to the sloped ceiling and attic of the 3rd floor.
The OIC pulled all firefighters outside due to the deteriorating conditions. Ladder 1’s crew readied themselves for roof venting on the Alpha side. They made the roof and began to make the cut as heavy smoke overlapped out of the front windows. Heavy fire was now venting from the roofline on the Bravo side. The fire was puffing from the eaves as it rolled through the knee walls.
Exterior lines were played into the upper window openings to try to get a hold on the blaze. Northbridge Ladder 1 set up their waterway on the Bravo side driveway and played their stream into the roof. Uxbridge Ladder 1 took a position in the Delta exposure’s driveway and also put their pre piped stream into the roof.
The fire was now taking control of the entire 3rd floor and attic. Heavy streams played into the building from all sides and eventually quelled the blaze. Uxbridge moved their ladder to side A in order to have firefighters attempt to hit hot spots from the stick. Overhauling continued for hours to find all of the hidden hot spots.
Five people were left homeless as a result of this fire. The building appears to be a total loss. The cause was not determined as of yet.
Came across the radio like hell's bells, with dispatch reporting TEN 911 calls reporting flames coming out of the occupied two story brick apartment building on N. Elm St. During my 40 minute travel time the guys from T-Town got a handle on it pretty quick and the majority of the third alarm units (mutual aid) were returned to station.
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