SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PA – At 3:20 AM on Saturday February 23, Schuylkill County 9-1-1 dispatched the Shenandoah Fire Department, Shenandoah ALS and Mahanoy City West End Rescue 993 to 38 West Coal Street in Shenandoah for a reported dwelling fire with entrapment.
Police and EMS quickly arrived on scene confirming a working fire in the middle of a row. The responders also confirmed entrapment with a female hanging out a third story window. Squrt 745 was the first arriving unit and hit the plug at Coal and Ferguson. As crews were exiting the apparatus the female from the third story came crashing down onto the sidewalk. EMS quickly made it to the patient and began an assessment. The patient was rapidly loaded into the ambulance and transported to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries.
Engine 747 arrived on the scene and nosed into the Squrt, the engine also secured a water supply. At this time, crews found heavy fire showing from the second and third floor. Lines were stretched and an attack was initiated. Ladder 745 positioned at the corner of Coal and Jardin Streets.
The fire was rapidly growing and spreading into the exposure buildings. A second and third alarm were struck as command knew they had their hands full. The fire continued to run the block and eventually made its way into a large apartment building at the corner of Coal and Jardin.
Multiple lines were stretched into the exposure buildings to try to control the fire spread. Even with valiant efforts the fire continued to spread throughout the exposures. As second and third alarm companies arrived on the scene they found the fire had begun to the joint exposures on Jardin Street.
The ladder was sent to the roof and vertical ventilation was started. Mahanoy City Tower 456 arrived and nosed into the ladder and sent the bucket immediately into the air. Crews appeared to be making progress on portions of the fire but the fire progressed into the roofs of the buildings and eventually broke through. An evacuation of all building was ordered and crews regrouped.
Once the buildings were clear, firefighters prepped for a defensive battle and stretched heavy lines and got the aerial devices ready for water. The fire continued to progress and eventually began to blow out multiple windows of the Jardin Street row. The tower was placed in service and the master stream from the bucket began to knock down a lot of the fire. The ladder and squrt also began flowing water to support the ground crews.
A fourth alarm was eventually brought in to assist with manpower. It took crews hours to finally extinguish the fire and knock down all hot spots. Crews were still on scene into the afternoon.
Almost a dozen homes were destroyed in the blaze. At this time, the condition of the transported patient is unknown.
