More Images: Slideshow of Suspicious Fire
WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP, PA: On March 7, 2005 the fifth suspicious structure fire was dispatched for the village of William Penn. The dispatch center received multiple phone calls of smoke coming from three vacant homes on the Main Street. West Mahanoy Township and Shenandoah Fire Companies were dispatched to the scene.
The first fire chief arrived on the scene and found heavy smoke coming from three row homes. The chief requested a tanker taskforce and a RIT Team to the scene. Tankers from Shenandoah, Mahanoy City, Union Township, Sheppton, Brandonville, Gordon, Lavelle, and Fountain Springs responded to the scene and established two dumpsites. An engine from Gordon and Shenandoah set up fill sites away from the fire scene. Mahanoy City's Rescue 993 responded to the scene with the Mahanoy City's RIT Team and stood by through out the incident.
Engine 881, Engine 888 and Engine 742 established a water supply from a hydrant and set attack crews into the fire. Squirt 745 positioned itself on the A-D corner and had its crew go to the roof to open it up. An opening was made on the D-side, which resulted in heavy fire venting. The roof became unsafe and all roof crews were removed. The interior crews found fire spreading into the exposure building through the walls and the ceiling. Command decided to evacuate all personnel when the roof in the rear collapsed. The mode went defensive and exterior master streams were set up on the homes. The Squirt was put in to service and an elevated master stream was aimed to the burnt off roof. Command requested a second ladder from Ashland in the need to protect other exposures.
The fire was under control after 10:00 hours and the last unit left the scene before noon. The fire is the fifth suspicious fire to hit the small village with in the last two months. The major fires occurred on December 31, 2004 and February 13, 2005. At this time a $1,000 reward is being offered to any one who has information that can help the State Police.
More Images: Slideshow of Suspicious Fire
