SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - It only took 30 minutes for a fire to gut the Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2's engine room Wednesday - and cause more than $1 million in damage.
"It was very intense," Schuylkill Hose Chief James Reed said. "I came up on the side of the building, and I could see the flames rolling out of the door openings. There were explosions, most likely from the air packs or tires."
The blaze, still under investigation, destroyed two engines, a Haz-Mat truck and helmets, gloves, boots, coats, fireproof pants and other gear stored in 30 lockers in the back of the engine room. Damage to the trucks and equipment is expected to top $1 million, not including damage to the building, Schuylkill Haven Fire Chief Robert "Boat" Peel said.
No one was injured, according to Reed.
No one was in the station at St. Peter and Union streets when the blaze started around 3:20 p.m., Reed said.
Reed said the 1994 American LaFrance engine had returned to the station about an hour earlier after responding to a fire at 310 N. 12th St., Pottsville, where it was on stand-by.
The stench of smoke hung in the air as more than 100 onlookers gathered in the residential neighborhood even after the flames were extinguished. From the sidewalks, front porches, and Saint Peter Street steps, people watched, their faces lined with shock, disbelief and concern.
"It probably started with the engine in the middle, a 1994 American LaFrance, but all we can do is speculate right now," Reed said.
State police Fire Marshal John F. Burns, investigating the cause of the fire, arrived at the scene around 5 p.m.
Fire companies from Schuylkill Haven, Pottsville, Minersville, Orwigsburg, Landingville and Summit Station responded to scene, as did state police, Schuylkill Haven borough police, and Pottsville EMS.
The brick building, occupied by Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2 since 1977, sustained extensive damage. Along with extensive fire, smoke and water damage, the garage doors were ripped off, windows were broken. Sunlight filtered through holes in the roof.
"We have the insurance agent on the way," Reed said late in the afternoon.
The company only had the two engines, a 1994 American LaFrance and a 2002 American LaFrance, along with the 1994 Haz-Mat truck. Other gear lost included all the company's hoses and firefighters' gear, an air bottle refilling system, self-contained air packs, Haz-Mat equipment, and equipment in the company's weight room.
"The cost of the 1994 engine, brand-new and unequipped, was $283,000, and the 2002 engine was $380,000," Reed said. "The Haz-Mat truck was about $10,000 and there were several thousand dollars worth of equipment on it. But to me, and all the guys here, this stuff is priceless."
Some equipment was spared, including a positive pressure fan, which was inside a cabinet on the 1994 engine, and the borough diving team's equipment, which is stored in an unattached shed next to the station.
Reed said he didn't know how long the station would be out of commission, but plans were already in place Wednesday afternoon to provide fire protection to estimated 9,000 residents of Schuylkill Haven and North Manheim Township.
"There's coverage built in," Reed said. "We give mutual aid to each other, just like you see here. There will be someone to replace us. It's not like we're leaving everything unprotected."
Schuylkill Haven Fire Department has two other houses, Liberty Fire Company No. 4, 233 Columbia St., and Rainbow Hose Company No. 1, 39 Dock St.
Cressona Fire Department will be on automatic response until Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2 is back in service.
Fire companies from the area and beyond are already offering help to the company, Reed said.
"All kinds of stuff is being offered to us, we just need to find a place to put it," Reed said. "American Hose Company from Pottsville has already offered us a truck, we've had companies offer us gear. Everything's going in the right direction."
Reed attributed the generosity to the close-knit bond between firefighters.
"All the stuff they say about this being a brotherhood, it's absolutely true," he said.
Republished with permission from The Republican Herald
