October 30, 2005 -- Mischief Night in the City of Camden NJ was a quiet night except for one working fire. From 6 pm to 12 midnight there were 13 routine calls. Most of them were for Alarm Systems, 3 Rubbish fires and 1 major fire that started in a vacant three story brick row and extended to one exposure. This night was not like years ago when the City was faced with over 130 Working fires. The last few years there was no action at all.
Camden Fire Department responds to over a dozen or more All Hands fires plus a few multiple alarm fires each month. This Mischief Night fire occurred before 8 pm in the 200 block of Morse Street in the East Camden section of the City. The first due Engine Co. 9 was out on an CO Alarm System along with Ladder 3 and Battalion 2 when the call came in. Making Squad Co. 7 the first due Company. Deputy Chief Tom Quinn, Car 2-B, Chief of Operations was on the Street and was first in and reported that he had a large brick vacant row of dwellings with heavy fire showing in all floors and he requested an additional Truck Co. to be added to the Box. Battalion 2 ( Lewison) and Engine Co 9 and Ladder Co. 3 had just cleared from their previous assignment and were responding. All Hands Fire were not announced on the Fire Radio bringing an extra Engine Company and Battalion 1 (Harper).
The fire had now extended into the 2nd dwelling and Car 2-B (Quinn) requested the 2nd Alarm, bringing two additional Engine Companies and a Truck Company along with Deputy Chief Car 3 (Murphy). A defensive mode was setup using an exterior attack, using Tower Ladders 1 and 3. Ladder 2 and Rescue 1 made primary searches of the exposure buildings while additional 1 3/4 inch lines were brought in to the exposure buildings for an interior attack. These dwellings were two story in the front and three story in the back. Fire fighters were able to contain the main fire to one dwelling and were able to stop the fire from spreading to the other buildings.
The fire was placed Under Control in about an hour by Deputy Chief Quinn and the fire fighters remained on the scene over hauling. The blaze is under investigation by the Camden City Fire Marshal's Office and no other incidents occurred the rest of the night in the City.
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