SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. – At 9:31 PM, Schuylkill County 9-1-1 dispatched a first alarm assignment to 22 Pike Street in Port Carbon for a reported house fire with possible entrapment. Fire Districts 59 (Port Carbon), 57 (Palo Alto), 68 Stations 20, 30 & 60 (Pottsville – Phoenix, Humane and Yorkville) and 62 (Saint Clair – Alert).
Marshal 59 was immediately on the air reporting smoke showing followed by Chief 59 who called on scene with a working fire. The chief immediately struck a second alarm.
The second alarm brought Pottsville Engine 68-11, Ladder 68-25, Saint Clair Engine 62-12 and Schuylkill Haven Squad 63-69 (Liberty).
Chief 59 reported that all occupants were out of the building.
Firefighters found fire showing from the first floor of a middle of the row three story residence on the “A” side. Engine 59-11 was directed to take the address and “gun it” with the deck gun.
Chief 57 went to the rear and found the house heavily consumed in fire and spreading to the attached exposures. Engine 68-12 was directed to the back with Chief 57 and Ladder 68-21 also went to the back.
LDH was handjacked from 59-11 to a nearby hydrant as the deck gun began to hit the fire.
Crews began to stretch multiple lines from both the “A” and “C” sides into the structure. Firefighters were able to make little progress on the fire as it would quickly flare back up after being knocked down.
Engine 57-12 positioned behind 59-11 while Tower 62-21 snuck by them and set up for operation in front of the building. Ladder 68-25 came in from the East side and set up to the “D” exposure.
Engine 68-11 secured a hydrant and laid in to the rear and supplied Engine 68-12. Chief 57 reported conditions were not improving in the rear, either.
A third alarm was struck bringing Pottsville Engine 68-14, New Philadelphia Engine 54-11, Cumbola Engine 2-16 and Schuylkill Haven Tower 63-25.
54-11 and 68-14 were directed to tag a hydrant at 5th and Market Streets and lay around 2,500 feet of LDH into the scene.
Rapid Intervention Teams were brought in from Schuylkill Haven and Englewood. Engines from Minersville were also special calls into the scene.
Firefighters continued to try an interior firefight but conditions continued to worsen and all crews were pulled out of the building. Deck guns were opened up and multiple hand lines were put in place from the street as well as the master stream from Tower 62-21.
After consuming the main fire building and the two connected exposures, the fire stopped as it ran into a brick building on the West exposure and a single story residence on the East side.
After the bulk of the fire was knocked down, crews began to re-enter the buildings. Firefighters entered the exposures and worked on extinguishing the fire as a crew worked on the roof the “B” exposure and hit hot spots.
With the cold temperatures, a rehab unit from Ryan Township EMS was brought into the scene and set up a portable building with heat. The American Red Cross was also on the scene.
The fire was knocked down around 11 PM and crews remained on scene until 4 AM.
Multiple EMS units from Schuylkill EMS responded and multiple people were evaluated and some taken to the hospital including a firefighter with what are believed to be minor injuries.
A State Police Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.
