Camden, New Jersey Firefighters Battle 9-Alarm Fire

Just before Midnight on December 27, 2002 a Camdem Police Patrol car saw Smoke coming from a large old warehouse near the Camden waterfront on Atlantic ave near Ferry Ave in South Camden.

The location is just 4 blocks from the Liberty Street Fire Station.

First arriving fire units Tower Engine 8 Rescue 1 and Batt Chief Mike Harper had heavy black smoke coming from a 3 story brick 2400 x 200 warehouse

Chief Harper knew they were in for a all night job as the building was filled with large bundles of paper and old eight-track recording tapes.

A second alarm was sounded follow by a 3rd Alarm, Night Tour Commander (Car 3) Batt Chf Jim Alexander and Batt Chf 2 Joe Rossi were now on location.

Chf Alexander ordered the 4th Alarm, as there was now heavy fire showing on the upper floors of the warehouse.

Dep Chief of Operations (Car 2) Tom Quinn now on the fire grounds ordered the 5th and 6th Alarms Plus a Special call for 3 extra tower Ladders Co's plus the 7th Alarm for 5 Engines Co's with 4 inch hose to supply the Ladder co's.

He wanted the Ladder Co's in first to set up and the engines to supply them.

Many co's were supplying water 4 to 5 blocks awy, A fire Boat was requested from Phila Fire Department but was call off due to low water line in the Delaware River and they could not get in to supply land co's.

Over 2000 feet of the fire building had fire showing from all the windows and through the roof.

Tower Eng 9 Squirt and 4 ladder co's were working the rear section with many Master Streams with Chief Rossi, Chief Harper had 3 Ladders working and 1 Squit and master streams in the front on Atlantic Ave side.

Chief of Department (Car 1) Joseph Marini ordered the 8th and 9th Alarms for 2 more Ladder co's and 4 more 4 inch Hose Engines Co's.

The entire building was now fully involved and some of the rear walls were now falling, but of no danger to any firefighters.

Fire Canteen unit 1 was now set up with Hot Coffee and Camden Ems Units and Personnel had a large tent setup with 4 EMS units ready to go if needed.

Chief Marini place the Fire Under Control at 2:56 Am. Both Chief' Quinn and Marini had praise for all firefighters involved at this Fire.

At no time did we want to put any firefighters in danger in fighting this blaze. We had alot of Preplanning on this building and knew of the dangers there for we had to make a full exterior attack on this fire.

"All in All, A Job Well Done "

1st Alarm 11:11 PM - Tower Engine 8, E 7, E 1, Res 1, LT 1 Batt Chf 1 (Harper)

2nd 11:16 - SQ 6, E 10, LT 2, Batt 2 (Rossi) Car 3 Batt Chf (Alexander)

3rd 11:18 - Tower E 9, E 11, LT 3, Car 2 Dep Chf (Quinn) Car 1 Chf of Dept (Marini)

4th 11:23 - E 521 (Gloucester City) E 1732 (Woodlynne) LT 1614 (Collingswood)

5th 11:27- E 1521 (West Collingswood Hts) E 1161 (Pennsauken) E 111 (Audubon)

6th 11:34 - E 1142 (Pennsauken) E 1832 (Oaklyn)

Special Call 11:36 (3) Ladder Companies LT 1514 (Westmont) LT 1324 (Cherry Hill) LT 1015 Maple Shade

7th 11:54 -LT 824 (Chews Landing) E 451 (Mt Ephraim) E 321 (Bellmawr) E 912 (Barrington) E 211 Haddon Heights) E 1412 (Haddonfield)

Special Call 12:14 AM Dec 28 - LT 1294 (Merchantville)

Special Call 12:32 - E 1132 (Pennsauken)

8th 12:37 - E 541 (Gloucester City) E 1152 (Pennsauken) E 1112 (Pennsauken) Res 755 (Runnemede)

9th 12:44 LT 6324 (Lindenwold) E 926 Deptford Twp)

Under Control by Car 1 Chf of Department (Marini)

Also Support Units Assigned at Fire:

The fire was in a brick and large timber 3 story block long warehouse - 2400 x 200.

The warehouse was filled with bales of waste paper and recording tapes.