"COAL TOWNSHIP (NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY), PA - On Sunday January 25, 2015 at 20:50 hours the Coal Township Fire Department (Maine, Union, Forrest Hills, East End, Brady Fire Companies,) Coal Township Rescue Squad and AREA EMS were dispatched to 850 West Spruce St. in Coal Township for a house fire. The Coal Township and Shamokin Police arrived in a minutes and found flames coming from the first floor rear windows of the home. The fire continued to spread quickly and began to move throughout the second floor and attic.

The Coal Township Fire Chiefs arrived on scene and then requests the second alarm due to a working fire in a double home. The second alarm brought Shamokin Ladder 32, Shamokin Rescue 62 (RIT), Shamokin Liberty Engine 21, Kulpmont Engine 221, Ralpho Township Engine 294 and the remaining of the Coal Township Fire Department. Maine Engine 111 was on scene first and established a water supply from a hydrant on Oak Street. The crew deployed a number of hose lines and made an exterior attack to stop the fire. The mid mount deck gun master stream was placed into service and directed to the fire venting from the windows. The East End Fire Company Engine 121 established a second water supply and deployed additional hose lines to the front of the home. The Union Fire Company Engine 131 established a third water supply from a hydrant and staged in the rear of the home. Engine 131 crew deployed a number of hose lines into the back yard to attack the fire.

Incident Command assigned the additional arriving Coal Township units to assist the first in companies in fighting the house fire. The fire quickly spread to the upper floors and vented from the windows. In minutes the fire extended into the attic of 852 west Spruce Street. The additional arriving fire fighters assisted the first engine crews in stretching a hose lines into the exposure residence. A number of large exterior hose lines were deployed to knock down the fire in the main fire building.

Shamokin Ladder 32 and Truck 294 staged on Spruce Street and sent its crew to the front of the home with ground ladders. The truck companies worked on placing ground ladders on the burning homes. A number of Overlook fire fighters access the roof and made a number vent cuts. The Shamokin Rescue 62 and Kulpmont Engine 221 responded to the scene and its crews provided RIT operations.

The additional Shamokin crews backed up the first attack crews by operating the exterior hose lines and started to knock down the fire. The smoke and fire conditions in the homes increased and the interior crews were forced to retreat from the main fire building. Incident Command then ordered all fire fighters out of the fire building and to do a PAR report. Overlook’s elevated master stream and Maine’s deck gun were placed into defensive operations.

In a half hour the heavy volume of fire in the home was knocked down and extinguished to allow units transition incident modes. The rest of the mutual aid Fire Companies enter the homes and assisted with overhaul operations. The fire was brought under control and mostly out in less than three hours and without no major rekindles.

AREA EMS assisted on the scene providing rehab to the tired fire fighters. The third alarm fire units were dispatched to be on standby in stations throughout the Shamokin Area. The Coal Township fire chief believes the fire started in the kitchen and traveled throughout the house. The fire chief reported that there were no serious injuries of fire fighters or residents. A total of three homes received major to moderate damage and are determined non livable. "