This fire occurred across the street from the fire chief's residence in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania near Jim Thorpe. It required the use of 8-fire companies providing 41-firefighters.
The responding fire companies were, Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company #1, Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company #2, Lake Harmony Fire Department, Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company, Jim Thorpe Fire Department, Franklin Township Fire Department, Tunkhannock Township Volunteer Fire Company and Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company. RIT Teams were provided by Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company and West End Volunteer Fire Company.
Normally only 4 fire companies would have handled the fire but the high temperatures and humidity forced the use of the additional companies.
The fire was discovered by the owner of the home when he turned on a circuit breaker for his air conditioning system and heard a loud pop. As he walked to the other side of the house where he heard the pop the smoke rapidly became too dense for him, forcing him out of the house.
He ran across the street to his neighbor, Volunteer Fire Chief Floyd Day, who called the fire in on his radio.
Fire fed by propane from a heating system rapidly spread throughout the back of the house.
Five firemen were treated for heat exhaustion, two were transported for observation and later released. No other injuries were reported, however, the family cat did die in the fire.
Water was transported from a dry hydrant over a mile from the fire scene and portable ponds were utilized 600 feet from the fire scene with the use of 5-inch supply line.
