On April 25, 2007, a suspicious early-morning fire destroyed a historic mill in East Rochester, NH. Despite extreme radiant heat, an adequate water supply from the municipal water system coupled with a drafting operation proved important in minimizing damage to threatened exposures.
The 4½-story mill was built about 1875 of typical mill-type construction, brick and heavy timber with an asphalt-shingle roof and measured 63 by 135 feet. No fire protection or detection systems were present in the building. The building originally was used as a shoe factory, with various other types of businesses operating in it over the years. At the time of the fire, the building had been vacant for 10 years.
The Rochester Fire Department was dispatched for a reported structure fire at the vacant mill at 2 Front St. at 4:13 A.M. Engines 1 and 3 and Ladder 1 responded with six firefighters under the command of Captain Steve Johnson. Upon arrival, firefighters found the mill fully involved. Firefighters immediately initiated defensive tactics to protect two homes 100 feet away. The residents of the two homes were evacuated by Rochester police.
Engine 1, operated by Firefighters Nick Angelo and Micah Ruel, laid 300 feet of supply line from a hydrant on Cocheco Avenue to the A side of the mill. Firefighter Don Penney positioned Ladder 1 at the A-B corner of the building. Contending with extreme radiant heat, Penny set up the ladder pipe and secured a water supply from Engine 3, operated by Firefighter Chris Sheing, who had reverse laid 400 feet of supply line from Ladder 1 to a hydrant at the corner of Mill and Front streets. Engine 3 Lieutenant Dominick Bellio assisted Johnson with size-up and developing an incident mitigation strategy while Ruel and Firefighter Eric Lenzi set up lines to protect the exposures. Firefighters positioned a 2½-inch blitz attack line from Engine 1 on side A. Engine 1's deck gun and Ladder 1's ladder pipe also were placed into operation.
Johnson requested a third alarm at 4:22 A.M. Rochester Engines 2, 4, 5 and 7 responded with 16 additional firefighters. Engine 7 laid a 600-foot supply line from a hydrant on Main Street to a position next to Engine 1 on side A. Engine 7 placed its deck gun into operation and firefighters placed a 2½-inch blitz attack line into operation on side A. Twenty-five feet of supply line was stretched to Engine 1 to provide additional water.
Rochester Fire Chief Norm Sanborn Jr. requested fourth-alarm aid at 4:30 A.M. Engines and crews responded from the Barrington, Dover, Farmington, Milton, Somersworth and Strafford fire departments in New Hampshire and from the Lebanon Fire Department in Maine. Aerial devices from Dover and Somersworth also responded. Dover Truck 1 was positioned at the C-D corner and set up for aerial master stream operations. Barrington Engine 1 was assigned to draft from the Salmon Falls River and supplied Dover Truck 1 with an 800-foot supply line. Farmington Engine 1 laid 500 feet of supply line from a hydrant on Main Street to Lebanon Engine 1, which relay-pumped through a 300-foot supply line to Rochester Engine 7. Rochester Engine 5 laid 500 feet of supply line from a hydrant on Main Street to Milton Engine 3, which relayed to Rochester Engine 3, positioned at the corner of Mill and Front streets through 300 feet of supply line.
Rochester Engine 4 was positioned at the rear of Rochester Ladder 1 and was supplied by a 300-foot supply line from Rochester Engine 3. Rochester Engine 4 supplied two 2½-inch blitz attack lines on side B. Somersworth Truck 1 was positioned on side A and set up for an aerial master stream operation. This unit was supplied by a 50-foot supply line from Rochester Engine 7.
Sanborn declared the fire under control at 6:30 A.M. One hundred firefighters operated eight engines and three ladders to fight the fire. Mutual aid units were released at 2 P.M. Rochester equipment left the scene at 5 P.M. An investigation by the Rochester Fire and Police Departments and the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office is ongoing. The cause of the fire is suspicious. Damage was estimated at $1 million. Radio communications among the responding departments were a problem during the incident. The Rochester Fire Department is currently upgrading its radio infrastructure.
JAY K. BRADISH/IFPA, Firehouse® news editor, is a former captain in the Bradford Township, PA, Fire Department. He has been a volunteer firefighter and fire photographer for more than 25 years.
