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Fire Log
2005
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“Double Header”
by Jay Pozark
Sunday, April 20th 2003, the night shift was nearing its end. Dayshift members were starting to come in. Then...
At 0653 hours City Box #423 was transmitted for 34 Broad St. Response was Engines # 5-1-3 Ladder #1 H-1 and C-3.
East Lynn District Chief John Miles arrived and found a 3 Story Brick Occupied Multiple Dwelling, 40’ wide by 100’ deep, with heavy smoke showing from floor #1 on the Bravo side, rear of the building. Some tenants were evacuating the building but the early hour and the fully occupied building created a high life hazard. At 0657 C-3 ordered a Working Fire. One of the tenants reported to Chief Miles that the fire was in Apartment #10 and someone was still inside. At 0701 the Second Alarm was transmitted. Responding to the Working Fire/Second Alarm were Engines #7-9-10 Ladder # 2 Squad #3 Medic #1 and C-4.
First in Eng #5 stretched 250’ of 1 ¾” hose to the front door. Lad #1 assisted with the hose stretch down the hallway. Lad #1 found the apartment door unlocked and with Eng #1 began a primary search. Capt. Lozzi of Eng #1 located an unconscious man in the living room. Capt. Lozzi directed Firefighters Hanrahan of Eng #5 and Fannon of Eng #1 to remove the victim from the building. The victim was treated and transported to Salem Hospital by Sqd #3.
Engines #5 and #1 continued to attack the fire while Lad #1 performed horizontal ventilation. Eng #3 was ordered to make a primary search on floor # 2.
Companies arriving on the Second Alarm were put to work. Eng #10 commanded by Lt. John Barry and Lad #2 were ordered to stretch a line to the apartment above the fire on floor #2, perform a search and attack the fire. Police Officers had attempted to search floor #3 but were driven out by heavy smoke. Engines #7 and #9 forced, entered and searched apartments on floor #3.
Engines #5 and #1 knocked down the heavy fire in the kitchen and found no extension. Lad #1 set up a smoke ejector to assist with ventilation. District Chief Miles commended the Members of Eng #5 Eng #1 and Lad #1 for a life saved.
The city quieted down for a few hours. Then the tempo began to rise. Medic #1 was running at the intermediate level for the day as I #1. A series of Medical Aid Calls and odds and ends kept units busy.
At 1123 hours Eng #3 Sqd #3 and Action Medic #30 responded to 25 Pleasant St. for a medical Aid. At 1129 Eng #5 and Intermediate #1 responded to 678 Washington St. for a Diabetic Emergency. Action Medic #30 was redirected to this call at 1132 hours. At 1136 hours Eng #1 Lad #1 H-1 and C-4 were sent to 145 Munroe St. for an Elevator Emergency Phone activation. The patients were treated, the elevator was checked, and the units cleared. Engine #5 went for fuel. Then...
At 1147 hours Eng #1 and Lad #1 were dispatched for a Central Station Fire Alarm activation at 33 Lincoln St. Lad #1 commanded by Lt. Joe Carritte was on Chestnut St. and had just passed Union St. Since going down Lincoln from Essex would put them the wrong way on a one way street Lad #1went around the block. Pulling onto Lincoln St. the chauffeur had difficulty negotiating some parked cars. Looking up the street, people could be seen leaving the building. This seemed unusual for an Automatic Alarm. As the truck approached the building people continued to evacuate. Something was going on.
Pulling up to the front of the building, a 3 Story Brick OMD 40’ X 60’, citizens were pointing to a second floor window, on the Delta/Charlie corner, which had fire coming out of it. Lt Carritte ordered the Box to be transmitted at 1150 hours. As the members exited the apparatus and donned their Air-Paks the other windows in the fire apartment failed. Fire blew out with flames reaching above the roof. The fire began to extend to floor #3. Lt Carritte ordered the Working Fire just seconds after the Box with the signal received also at 1150 hours.
Response to Box #331 Eng #5-10 H-1 and C-4 (C-3 and Tow #4 were out of service for the day). Response to the Working Fire was Lad #2 and Action BLS 73.
Eng #1 arrives, takes a hydrant and stretches a 1 ¾” handline to floor #2. Lad #1 assists with the stretch. Making the second floor companies found the apartment door had been left open. Smoke and heat banked down forcing the members to crawl down the hallway. Smoke saturated the structure. Eng #5 took a hydrant on arrival. Engine #10 came into the fire the wrong way on Lincoln St. taking a hydrant on the corner of Essex St.
Lad #1 was ordered to check the apartment above the fire. Going to floor #3 the found a heavy smoke condition and called for a line before they forced the door. From his Command Post in front of the building West Lynn District Chief Joe Maloney noticed smoke now coming from the Alpha/Delta corner and questioned whether there was more than one fire.
#Lad #2 had arrived and was ordered to check for a second fire. Lad #2 brought a 1 ¾” handline to the third floor and gave it to Lad #1. Lad #2 then continued the search with great difficulty due to heavy smoke. Forcing several doors, they found a man sleeping in one of the apartments and evacuated him. Sqd #2 was called to the fire at 1201 hours and Intermediate #1 at 1205 hours. The rest of the search was negative. Lad #1 Lt. Carritte had one of his crew locate and open the penthouse door. This relieved the smoke condition.
The open door to the apartment of origin and the open windows gave the appearance of more than one fire. Engine and Truck companies opened up and overhauled once again hanging smoke ejectors to assist with venting. Request the Arson Squad for cause and origin determination. Notify Lynn Water & Sewer that you can’t shut down the Hydrant at 40 Lincoln St. All Out City Box #331 at 1256 hours.
Ahhh... Springtime, enjoy the rest of Sunday. Happy Easter and the season has started. Time for a “Double Header”. Who says you don’t get fires on Automatic Alarms?
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