Pennsville Fire & Rescue Co. # 1

Pennsville Fire & Rescue Co.1 was dispatched to assist our sister company, Deepwater Fire Company, with a reported building fire at 533 North Broadway. This location is some four miles north of our station, in the village of Deepwater. Prior to our arrival, Chief Hoffman from Deepwater’s station called on scene with heavy fire. Preparing to go in service as the first in engine company, E5 located the appropriate hydrant just south of the incident location on the opposite side of the roadway.

The first out engine from Deepwater’s station arrived on location just prior to E5’s arrival taking the first in position in the front of the building. The crew from E5 split to supplement the engine crew and begin the effort of a primary search with remaining personnel.

The fire building was a two-and-a-half story frame structure that was splint into four apartments. Fire was visible from the front of the structure on the number two floor, north side apartment. Upon arrival, fire had spread from the interior of the apartment, venting out of the front door and windows to the ceiling of the front porch.

The stairs leading to the second floor apartment were contained in the center of the structure, accessible from the front. This is where crews led off.

Crews pushed to the second floor battling heat and dense smoke conditions, retreating once because of a communications failure that led to the attack line, a 1 ¾ water line, to not be charged. A deck gun from the first in engine made good progress knocking the fire from the outside for a moment while the crew quickly regrouped then re-entered.

Reaching the fire floor, the 1 ¾ line was placed in service while additional crews performed a primary search of the adjacent apartments. It was at that time that additional units arrived including the truck company out of Pennsville Fire & Rescue. Crews from he truck company began throwing ground ladders and making their way to the roof.

Roof operations began when it was noticed that the fire had spread from it’s place of origin to the attic area overtop of the original fire area. At this point in the incident, numerous companies were in service including a truck company from Liberty Fire Company of Penns Grove, and rescue companies from Carneys Point Fire Department and Rescue Squad and Holloway Terrace Fire Company as well as our own out of Pennsville.

These crews proved themselves over and over again necessary in relieving first in crews to attack and properly extinguish the fire that had spread to the attic. The additional companies allowed for less fatigued personnel to perform overhaul operations. The incident was terminated with no injuries reported, however, the fire loss was costly.

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