| Just after 14:30 hours, box 2265 was transmitted for a house fire at 627 Allen Street, sending engines 4, 9, 6, 13, Truck 2 and Battalion 2 (Lanshe). On arrival, firefighters found a 2.5-story 15x40 M/O/R with heavy smoke showing. Battalion Chief Lanshe transmitted a working fire. Engine 13 came in as the FAST Truck. Heavy fire was venting from the rear of the house. Crews had access problems to the rear due to a lack of an alley. Companies stretched hand lines through the front door of the dwelling to start their attack. As they darkened down the fire in the kitchen, they had heavy fire in the basement. A hand line was stretched to the basement, but they couldn't gain access to find the seat of the fire. Other crews made it to the 2nd floor to conduct a search and found fire on this floor and radioed for a hand line. As crews tried to find the seat of the fire, it was determined that they were working in a house occupied by hoarders. At 14:54 hours, Battalion 2 transmitted the second alarm. Engines 10, 14, Air 1, Cars 40, 47, 48 and Engines 5 and 8 responded. As the hours passed, crews were still trying to access the fire in the basement without success. Chief 40 special-called North Catasauqua's CAFS (Foam Engine) Engine 18-11 into the scene. By 22:00 hours, that idea had failed too. The fire department called in a bulldozer to rip the front of the dwelling off. Shortly thereafter, the bulldozer had the front ripped off and started pulling out all the debris that ... |
