COAL TWP EXCELSIOR HOUSE FIRE PART TWO VIDEO 8 15 2014

COAL TOWNSHIP (NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY), PA - On Friday August 15, 2014 at 13:25 hours the Coal Township Fire Department (Maine, Forrest Hills, East End, and Brady Fire Companies,) Coal Township Rescue Squad and AREA EMS were dispatched to 140 Lower Excelsoir Road in Coal Township for a house fire. The fire was reported to be just off of Route 901 in the Village of Excelsoir. The home owner reported to the 911 call taker that her dryer was on fire in her home.
AREA EMS arrived in minutes and found smoke and flames coming from the first floor rear porch windows of the home. The fire continued to spread quickly and began to move to the second floor and attic. EMS personnel reported that all residents escaped the flames and exited the burning home.
The Coal Township Fire Chief arrived on scene and then requested the second alarm be dispatched. The fire was quickly advancing in to a fast moving fire in a large single home. The second alarm brought Shamokin Ladder 32, Shamokin Rescue 62 (RIT), Shamokin Liberty Engine 21 and the remaining of the Coal Township Fire Department. Brady Engine 151 was on scene first and established a water supply from a hydrant near the Route 901 highway. The crew deployed a number of hose lines and made an offensive attack to stop the fire. The East End Fire Company Engine 121 connected a Humat valve to the hydrant and pressurized the supply line. Shamokin Liberty Engine 21 drafted from a portable pond and provided additional volume to the supply line to Engine 151.
The Incident Command then assigned the additional arriving Coal Township and Shamokin Fire units to back up the first in companies in fighting the house fire. Additional arriving fire fighters assisted the first in engine crews in stretching a hose lines to the rear of the residence. The deck guns from Engine 111 and Engine 151 were placed into service operating in a defensive mode. The multiple number of exterior hose line helped to knocked down the fire in the rear.
Shamokin Ladder 32, Shamokin Rescue 62, and Coal Township Rescue 193 staged a block south west of the home and sent its crew to the front of the home. Ladder 32 crew deployed a number of ground ladders around the home. A vertical ventilation crew was sent to the roof to cut vent holes. The additional firefighting crews backed up the first attack crews by operating additional hose lines. The Rescue 62 Crew proceeded to Side Alpha and provided RIT operations.
The fire conditions in the home worsen and later caused all interior crews to evacuate. Large flames burned through the roof of the home causing extreme dangerous risk of collapse. The interior attack crews redeployed outside the home and operated exterior hose lines on the fire. Engine 151 placed its deck gun into service and targeted the windows of the upper floors. Incident Command decided that more water was needed for the defensive operations and extinguishing the fire. He then had additional tankers from Beaverdale, Wilburton, East Cameron Township, and Ralpho Township brought to the fire scene. Ralpho Township Engine 294 established a refill site at a shopping plaza a few miles away. Route 901 was shut down to traffic by fire place during the majority of the incident.
In an hour the smoke and fire conditions in the home improved and allow attack crews to re-enter the home with hose lines. The firefighting crews had the fire under control in less than three hours and without any major further incident. Forest Hills Engine 161 Tele-Squirt was placed into service for the first time and finished the job extinguishing the stubborn fire.
The fire investigator believes the fire started in the first floor kitchen in clothes dryer and traveled to the second floor. The assistant fire chief reported that there were no major injuries to residents or fire fighters. The large home received major fire damage and will be required to be torn down. Three Shamokin fire fighters escaped injury when the rear roof collapsed into the yard. AREA EMS personnel stood by and provided REHAB to the fire fighters.
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