POTTSVILLE CITY(SCHUYLKILL COUNTY), PA: On January 6th at 03:18 hours the Pottsville City Fire Department (Seven Stations) and Pottsville City EMS were dispatched to 429 Fairview Street for a possible house fire. Pottsville Police and assistant fire chiefs arrived on scene in minutes and reported that there was heavy fire showing from the first floor of the building. Some residents were standing on the street after evacuating the next-door homes. They reported the fire was through out the first floor and was spreading through out the house.

The first fire officer on scene reported he had a working fire in the row home and requested the RIT team from Schuylkill Haven. Engine 32 was the first engine on scene staged on Side B and took a hose line to the building to attack the seat of the fire. The attack crew found the fire spreading to the second floor of the home. The fire spread quickly and vented out through the second floor and the roof. West End Ladder 51 was the first ladder on scene, staged on Side D and sent its crew to the roof of an exposure building to do ventilation work. Phoenix Ladder 21 was the second truck company on the scene and staged to the rear of Engine 32. Fire fighters with ground ladders were sent to the windows to vent the smoke.

Yorkville Engine 62 established a water supply from a hydrant up the street from the fire. Engine 62 supplied Ladder 51 with hydrant water. Goodwill Engine 41 lay in from the hydrant in the rear of the fire building and advance hose lines to the C Side of the structure. Humane Engine 32 was supplied Engine 11 with water from a hydrant a block away.

The rest of the Pottsville fire units staged in the area and sent their manpower to the scene to assist in operations. Schuylkill Haven RIT responded to the scene and stood by in front of the structure. The building's ceiling and walls were pulled to check for extensions but the fire continue to spread.

Incident Command requested for second alarm engines be dispatch to the City fire station to be on stand by. Port Carbon Engine 59-10, Saint Clair Tower-Ladder 702, and Marlin-Norwegian Township Engine 592 responded to Pottsville City and stood by. Command then requested that the Englewood-Butler Township Engine 369 RIT Team responded to the scene to take over the RIT assignment. Incident Command requested that Minersville Ladder 519 and Engine 521 be dispatched to the Humane Fire Station to stand by.

Engine 59-10 and Engine 20-10 was then order to respond to the scene to assist with operations. The Minersville units then responded and staged few blocks of the structure. Ladder 519 and Engine 521 sent its fire fighters to the fire buildings roof to continue doing ventilation operations. Engine 369 crew stood by outside the structure on B-A Side and was assigned to RIT operations.


The Schuylkill Haven RIT Team was then reassigned to enter the structures on the West side of the primary fire building and stop the fire extension. Tamaqua Fire Department RIT Team was then dispatched and responded to the fire scene. The RIT crew was ordered to stage in the rear of the fire building.

Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven EMS units responded and provided rehab services to the fire fighters. The American Red Cross provided assistance for the fire victims and hot refreshments to the frozen fire fighters. The multiple alarm fire was placed under controlled by 05:00 hours. Fire units remained on the scene until 09:30 hours but were called back for a rekindle in the afternoon.



The incident commander reported that eight row homes received major fire and water damage. The fire chief believes the age of the building and the wooden building construction was a major challenge for the fire fighters. The freezing cold temperatures hamper the fire fighting operation by creating icy conditions on the fire ground. The fire chief reported there were no injury to civilians but one fire fighter was hurt.

Posted January 8, 2011