SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA – Just as the 63rd Annual Schuylkill County Firemen’s Association Convention prepares to take over Schuylkill Haven on Saturday, the fire department battled a house fire in North Manheim Township Thursday afternoon.
Shortly after 2:30 PM on Thursday, September 14, the Schuylkill Haven Fire Department was dispatched to 94 Weavers Road in North Manheim Township for a reported house fire.
Chief 63-02 went responding and was advised that the caller was reporting smoke from the garage with a dog still inside the residence.
Chief 63-02 arrived on scene shortly after and found nothing showing from the driveway. The chief directed Engine 63-12 to take the driveway and that he had found items melted in the windows; the engine crew was directed to make entry in to the residence.
Ladder 63-25 and Tower 63-22 arrived on the scene and the tower crew split up; some laddering the building and the rest performing a search of the residence. Engine 63-17 was directed to standby at a nearby fire hydrant.
Interior crews reported heat throughout the residence but no signs of fire except a limited amount of smoke. With crews having difficulty finding the seat of the fire, Chief 63-02 directed 63-17 to tag the hydrant and lay in to the scene.
The interior crews continued a thorough search of the house and 63-91 discovered the basement had suffered heavy fire damage but the fire appeared to had snuffed itself out prior to the arrival of firefighters. Additional search crews found a dog in the residence and brought it outside. EMS was summoned to the backyard to help assess the dog which was found to be beyond help.
63-91 reported there was no active fire in the basement and crews could start opening up the residence and ventilating. 63-17 was directed to leave the supply line dry.
The fire was placed under control within twenty minutes of crews arriving on scene. PPL was dispatched to the scene to disconnect the power while firefighters began to investigate the cause of the fire.
Crews were released from the scene later in the afternoon.
The Schuylkill County Firemen’s Convention is being hosted by the Schuylkill Hose Companty #2. The Convention kicked off on Sunday and culminates with a grand parade of fire apparatus and other organizations on Saturday at 1PM. The parade will travel throughout Schuylkill Haven.
