SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA – One person died and two others were injured as a result of a two alarm fire in Girardville. The initial alarm was sent out shortly after 7:00 AM on Friday, January 8 to 529 East Mahanoy Avenue in Girardville for a reported house on fire with possible entrapment.
Multiple calls were received for the incident and a second alarm was immediately struck. Chief 45 arrived on the scene and confirmed a working fire and confirmed entrapment. Engine 45-10 pulled past the address and crews began to search for victims.
The Washington Fire Company of Ashland, Columbia Fire Company of Shenandoah, West End Fire of Mahanoy City, William Penn Fire Company and the Altamont Fire Company were all dispatched to assist on the second alarm. Two ALS units out of Shenandoah and BLS units from Girardville and Ashland also responded to the scene.
When William Penn Engine 888 and Girardville Engine 45-11 arrived they both secured water supplies from opposite sides of the scene. Mahanoy City Engine 454 was returning from a motor vehicle accident and was also added to the box.
Crews encountered heavy smoke showing from the front of the two and a half story duplex while heavy smoke and fire was visible to the rear. Shenandoah EMS crews found one patient on the front porch roof and quickly started a rescue. A stokes basket was summoned and with the help of Girardville and William Penn firefighters, EMS successfully lowered the patient to the ground and loaded her into an ambulance.
Firefighters continued to search inside the residence where they found a second patient unconscious on the second floor. The victim was removed from the residence and taken to an awaiting ambulance. Unfortunately this victim succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital.
Engine 454 was directed to the rear of the residence along with Ashland Engine 38-15 while Ladder 38-25 was given room to access the front of the building. Shenandoah Engine 742 sent their crew into the building. 38-15 began to draft from a nearby creek while Engine 454 stretched lines into the rear of the building.
38-25 flew the stick to the roof and a crew went up to perform vertical ventilation. A third victim emerged onto the street and was quickly treated by Ashland EMS who met with a Schuylkill EMS paramedic unit.
Within an hour, the bulk of the thick black smoke had dissipatedto white steam and crews came out to rehab. Others continued to pull walls and ceilings and the fire was brought under control around 8:30 AM.
A State Police Fire Marshal was requested to the scene to help investigate the cause. The Girardville Borough road crew also came to the scene and spread rock salt throughout the scene as the temperature hovered just below freezing.
Second alarm companies began to return to service around 9:00 AM and the first due units were clear by noon.
