On Tuesday, July 24 at 3:40 a.m., the City of Bradford Fire Department was dispatched to a garage/shed fire on Longfellow Avenue. Engine 1 and Tower 1 responded with five firefighters under the command of Captain Larry Visbisky.
The first crew found one garage fully involved with fire extending to three other structures. Four others were also exposed, but not involved.
A second alarm was requested bringing 13 off-duty city firefighters with Engine 2, three ambulances and a paramedic unit to the scene. Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched for stand-by coverage in the city, but their response was upgraded for mutual aid at the scene.
Two rescue pumpers and an additional pumper responded with 18 volunteer firefighters. Firefighters operated three blitz attack monitors, a deck gun and an aerial master stream along with numerous one and three quarter inch and two and one half-inch attack lines to control the fire.
Firefighters were hampered by numerous explosions of propane, acetylene and oxygen tanks that were in two warehouses. Three buildings that were located within ten feet of the involved structures suffered minor damage. Personnel were on the scene for four hours with one engine. The fire destroyed two garages, two large warehouses, three pick-up trucks, a dump truck, a motorcycle and a large amount of equipment for oil field work.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by a Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal.
