On the evening of April 22nd and lingering into the early hours of April 23rd, a brief rain storm came through Chester County which brought high winds and periods of heavy rain. With these kinds of weather conditions, usually comes some type of weather related emergency, usually in the form of trees down across the roadway, which occurred on three separate occasions for Avondale Fire Company.

The first incident occurred in the area of Indian Run Road and Miller Drive in Avondale Borough around 1520 hours. Crews were dispatched for a trees and wires call. Crews arrived to find a large tree trunk blocking one lane with wires down. Fire police set up barricades at nearby intersections to provide scene safety for both responders and motorists.

Prior to the next in district calls that were to come, around 2000 hours, Station 23 was alerted for an engine to relocate to Christiana Fire Company, Lancaster County while they and several other mutual aid companies operated at the Newport Meadows Nursing Home with an evacuation after a power outage. During the relocate, Engine 23-2 handled a trees and wires call in the 180 block of Noble Road. After an investigation it was found the tree had already been removed prior to crews arrival. Crews cleared around 1100 hours.

The second incident occurred in the early hours of April 23rd at 0100 hours. An officer from Southern Chester County Regional Police requested fire police for traffic control around a downed tree blocking one lane in the 500 block of Newark Road in New Garden Township. Due to an in-house duty crew, Engine 23-2 made the response to assess the scene. Engine 23-2 arrived and confirmed the report of a tree hanging down and blocking one lane. Fire police used barricades from the traffic control trailer (TCT) to barricade off the lane where the tree was hanging. But while in the middle of this incident, a third tree down on wires call came in over in Avondale Borough.

This third incident was almost a mirror image of the one on Newark Road, just this time wires were involved. Engine 23-2, Chief 23 (Cole), Fire Police, Traffic and TCT made their responses to the second call. Crews placed road closed signs at Penn Green Road at Baltimore Pike, and Gap Newport Pike at Baltimore Pike.

Crews awaited for the arrival of PECO and Penn-DOT to remove both the trees and secure the wires at both incidents. Final crews cleared at 0400 hours.

Just a reminder, PLEASE DO NOT MOVE ROAD CLOSED SIGNS OR BARRICADES! This equipment is there for your safety and the safety of others, please don't move them and find an alternate route to your destination.