SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA – At 8 AM on Wednesday, January 27, Schuylkill County 9-1-1 dispatched the Pottsville Bureau of Fire to 1247 West Market Street in the City for a reported building fire with entrapment.
Chief P-1 went responding and was advised of multiple calls reporting smoke showing from a building in the area of 13th and Market Streets. Captain 55 was immediately on radio reporting a large column of smoke almost a dozen blocks away. Additional calls were now reporting people possibly jumping from the rear of the building and possibly two people trapped.
P-1 arrived on the scene shortly after and confirmed a working fire with heavy smoke showing and asked for Schuylkill Haven RIT be dispatched. Ladder 51 arrived and was directed onto 13th Street and attack the fire from the D side. Engine 62 took the address and stretched into the front door.
EMS reported they could hear people knocking on the inside of windows to the rear of the building. Crews performed a rapid primary search for any occupants which turned up negative.
Engine 32 nosed into Engine 62 and stretched an additional line into the building. Engine 71 secured a water supply at 13th and Norwegian and fed Ladder 51. Engine 11 positioned behind Ladder 51 and their crew assisted inside. Ladder 21 arrived and staged behind Engine 32.
Crews from both truck companies ascended to the roof and performed vertical ventilation to take some heat off the engine companies. A secondary search was performed which also proved to be negative.
Multiple pets were rescued from the building and the Schuylkill County Animal Rescue Team responded to assisted the animals. The Red Cross was requested to the scene to provide aid to those displaced by the fire. Initial reports indicated close to a dozen people would be left homeless due to the blaze.
The fire was brought under control within a half hour and crews continued to search for hot spots and extension to neighboring structures. Crews did find extension into the exposures and quickly doused the flames.
Crews began to pick up from the fire scene by 9:30 AM and return to service. While packing up, crews were alerted to a working vehicle fire a block up Market Street. Engines 71 and 72 responded and found a working engine compartment fire near Charlie’s Pizzeria.
