In the early morning hours of June 12, a passerby noticed heavy smoke issuing from the roof area of a "taxpayer" in the Manchester district of South Richmond.
911 was called and the passerby pulled over to further investigate the source of the smoke. The man kicked in the door that led to the upstairs apartment and began to yell to alert any possible occupants. A minute later, a man and woman came running down the steps, choking on the thick smoke in the air. Southside firefighters were en route after being dispatched for a building fire in the 1200 blk of Hull St.
Responding on the alarm were Engine 13, Truck 17, Quint 6, Quint 21, Rescue 3, and Battalion 3. Engine 13, under the direction of Captain Kent Taylor, arrived on the scene and reported a two story brick commercial building, middle of the row, with heavy fire thru the roof.
An initial interior attack was mounted but to no avail, the heavy fire conditions pushed back the crews and the structural integrity of the roof members was jeopardized. A second Alarm was sounded bringing Tower 5, Quint 1, and Rescue 1 to the scene to assist.
A defensive attack was mounted to protect exposures and keep the fire from running the block. At the height of the incident, three ladder pipes, multiple 2 1/2 inch attack lines, and Engine 13's "Stang" were in operation.
Firefighters fought tirelessly for over two hours to bring the fire under control. No injuries were sustained during this prolonged incident.
