Working Building Fires with Woods
 
By Lieutenant Brandon Cole
March 15, 2021
 

At 1046 hours, the Avondale Fire Company was dispatched along with Po-Mar-Lin, Kennett, Longwood, and Cochranville for RIT to the 1600 block of Newark Road for a reported outbuilding on fire. Deputy 23 responded on dispatch from his residence 3 miles out and had a smoke column in the air. Due to no hydrants in the area, he requested the first alarm tanker task force, which added Hockessin and Union of Oxford to the incident. Deputy 23 arrived to find fire showing from 2 buildings with extension into the wooded area and box trailers on the property.
Deputy 23 established the Avondale Command and requested Engine 221 to establish a fill site at Bowling Green Inn. Engine 23-1 arrived as the first due engine and laid a supply line from the end of the driveway at Newark Road. Engine 23-1 went into service with two 1 3/4" hand-lines. Tanker 23 arrived and set-up their port-a-tank for water supply operations. Tower 24 arrived and made access to the scene and went into service with the ladder pipe. Engine 22-3, 2nd engine (Acting Engine 23-2) supplied tower 24.
Engine 36 arrived and laid a supply line down Spencer Road from Newark Road. Engine 36 deployed hand-lines through the field and assisted with suppression. Engine 25-2 was assigned to the water supply sector and supplying water from the port-a-tank to the scene. The fire had jumped Newark Road causing spot fire in the fields and into the hay bales. Brush units were added to protect the properties in the area from the hot embers. With the fire running into the fields, Command requested the second alarm assignment. After an extensive amount of fire attack and over-haul, the fire was put under control.

After crews were back in-service the company was dispatched for a brush fire along Route 41 at Sharp Road. Deputy 23 arrived to find a working field fire extending into the woods. Engine 23-1 arrived along with Brush 36 (from station 23) and put 2 booster lines in service. The fire was quickly knocked down and placed under control.

 
Units: Engine(s) 1 & 2, Tanker, Squad, Traffic, Chief, Deputy, Assistant, and Ambulance 2,
 
Mutual Aid: Po-Mar-Lin, Kennett, Longwood, Cochranville, Union of Oxford, Hockessin, West Bradford, West Wood, West Grove, Keystone Valley, Good Will of West Chester, Wagontown, Concordville, Medic 94, PECO, CCFM.