On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 1345 hrs. the Penfield Fire Co. along with an automatic mutual aid manpower squad from the East Rochester FD were dispatched for a reported house fire with a person trapped on Oak Hill Terr.
Numerous calls starting coming in to the 911 center and a Penfield Fire Police member called on-scene with a house fully involved. Less than a minute after that the second Assistant Penfield Chief (3C-37) arrived o/s and confirmed a working house fire with a person trapped in the rear of the split level house.
Fairport Fire Department was dispatched for a FAST team. There were confirmed reports that the occupant was wheelchair bound and on home oxygen. Both East Rochester's Engine 322 & Penfield Engine 373 arrived o/s with heavy fire & smoke showing from the front. East Rochester's crew stretched a 2 1/2 inch line to the rear which was fully involved. E 373's crew took an 1 3/4 inch, knocking down visible from the front and then went inside to attempt a search. The fire was already in the crawl space attic and burning the roof, along with a large section of the house.
The interior crew was forced to back out due to heavy fire conditions & the presence of oxygen bottles, some had already exploded and fed the fire. Penfield Quint 370 laid a 5 inch supply to East Rochester's engine & another 5 inch supply was hand dragged from 373 back to a plug.
Penfield Chief 3C-17 arrived o/s and a defensive attack was ordered. Numerous hand lines, including a second 2 1/2 inch were pulled. The occupant's dog was loose outside and kept trying to go back in. The area where the dog was trying to get was the area where the victim was found deceased. No else was home at the time. Neighbor's reported hearing explosions which were most likely oxygen tanks going off. No FF's were injured and the Monroe County Fire Bureau along with investigators from the Sheriff's office are looking for a cause. The house was gutted by the fire.
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