IRVINGTON, NJ, MARCH 16, 2015 – At approximately 10 p.m., the Irvington Fire Department was dispatched to a fire in a large one-story building occupied by a dollar store. Due to the heavy fire conditions, command decided this would be strictly an exterior defensive attack and told all units to maintain a collapse zone. As the fire spread throughout the building, several loud explosions occurred, and flames rose 40–50 feet above the roof line. A third alarm was struck, bringing additional mutual-aid companies to the fire. Within 30 minutes, several collapses occurred of the front false facade and the exterior cinderblock walls on the A, B and D sides. Using three ladder pipes, one telesquirt and multiple handlines and ground monitors, the main body of fire was knocked down by 11:45 p.m. and all mutual-aid companies were released by 2 a.m.
Photo by Peter Danzo
REDLANDS, CA, MARCH 10, 2015 – Redlands Fire received several calls just after 4 a.m. of a fire at Redlands Unified School District’s bus yard near Central and Citrus. While firefighters were battling at least two fires in the yard, they became aware of a fire at Redlands High School. A portable classroom was fully engulfed, but firefighters managed to extinguish it before it spread to other buildings. The fire at the bus yard was controlled in about 15 minutes, while it took crews less than 30 minutes to put out the fire that had consumed the modular classroom. A 21-year-old male was later arrested on suspicion of setting the fires.
Photos by Tod Sudmeier
WARWICK, RI, MARCH 11, 2015 – A four-alarm fire destroyed more than three dozen units at a large condominium complex. Crews were called to Westgate Condominiums on Quaker Lane around 10:30 a.m., and thick, black smoke soon could be seen for miles as the blaze quickly spread to numerous apartments. One firefighter had trouble taming the fire because a hydrant at the scene wasn't working and there was low water pressure at others. Warwick crews also had an apparatus problem, as hydraulics were not working on one of the ladder trucks. The fire caused a portion of a wall in Building C to collapse. Several mansard roof attachments also collapsed. Nearly 100 residents were inside the 38-unit building when the fire broke out. All of them escaped safely.
Photo by Tom Carmody
