LUZERNE COUNTY – At 4:57 PM on Tuesday, October 16, Hazle Township Fire, Harwood Fire and APTS Medic 11 were dispatched to 1143 Harwood Road in Hazle Township for a reported commercial structure fire. Hazle Township Assistant Chief 141-4 (Zoshak) went responding and was advised of a three story multi-family apartment building receiving multiple calls for smoke coming from the building.
The chief arrived on the scene and confirmed a working fire with heavy smoke showing and requested an additional tone for the working fire. Harwood Road Command was established. Engine 102 was the first piece of apparatus responding and was advised to hit the plug on their way in. Command was now reporting heavy fire throughout the building and requested West Hazleton Fire for an engine and truck.
Tower 105 responded from Station 2 and directed into the parking lot next to the building. Tower 107 was directed to the front of the building while Taker 106 placed behind 107. Engine 103 and West Hazleton Engine 183 came into the scene and reversed laid and pumped the plug for 102. West Hazleton Ladder 183 placed at the C/D corner.
A line was stretched off Harwood Engine 241 and Engine 102 and began to knock down fire which was showing out of every window of the Bravo side. Ladders were thrown to the roof and crews ascended to begin vertical ventilation. Fire conditions continued to deteriorate and the roof became compromised so crews were pulled from the building. Tower 105 was set up for master stream operations as fire began to show from the roof. Exterior hand lines were also placed in service while the tower was operating.
McAdoo Fire and Sheppton Fire were requested to respond with engines and additional manpower. After a few minutes of defensive operations, the bulk of the fire was knocked down by the tower. Crews once again entered the building and began to perform overhaul. Fresh crews were rotated in and began to pull ceilings and walls to find hidden fire. The fire was placed under control roughly an hour into the incident with crews remaining on scene until mid-evening.
A pre-arrival shot of the fire by Jason Zoshak
Valley Regional Fire and Freeland Fire provided coverage for Hazle Township while they were operating at this fire.
