Wednesday, May 4 at 11:06 pm, the Beaver Falls Fire Department was dispatched for a reported building on fire in the area of 4th Street and 6th Avenue.
The initial response included Engines 11 and 11-3, Tower 11, and Rescue 11.
First arriving units found a large three- story warehouse of ordinary construction with heavy fire on the second and third floors and fire through the roof.
The building housed the Beaver County Fruit Company and is a cold storage warehouse. Due to the amount of fire present a defensive attack was initiated.
Command immediately requested the following mutual aid assistance: Tower 84 and Engine 84 from New Brighton FD, Engine 90 from Patterson Twp. FD, Engine 99 from West Mayfield FD, and Ladder 22 from Chippewa Twp. FD.
North Sewickley Engine 13 was requested to stage and handle any additional incidents in the City. During this incident West Mayfield Engine 99 and North Sewickley Engine 13 handled a fire in the laundry room at the Providence Health Care Center located in the City.
Tower 11 was positioned on side 1 of the building, Tower 84 was position on the 1-2 corner and Ladder 22 was setup at the rear of the building. Engine 11 laid a 5" supply to side one and additional 5" supply line was provide to this engine.
Engine 90 laid a 5" supply line and position on side 4 of the building. The main strategy was to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby exposures which included a large sprawling steel mill and another cold storage warehouse.
Five portable deck guns were put into operation at various points around the building along with the three elevated master streams.
At 1:21 am Command declared the fire under control.
Companies remained on location until 4am dousing hot spots.
The cause and origin investigation concluded the fire was intentionally set.
