05/23/13 | 03:28 | FATAL 2ND ALARM | ALLENTOWN | BOX 4435 | 2427 S. 4TH STREET | FIRE ON TOP FLOOR AND THROUGH ROOF OF APARTMENT BUILDING | TOWER LADDER IN OPERATION | MULTIPLE LINES STRETCHED | PERSON FOUND DEAD MAY NOT BE A FIRE VICTIM | 1 FIREFIGHTER INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO HOSP VIA EMS
We have compiled a few videos from the deadly fire in Pottsville Sunday night into Monday morning. The fire was in the 200 block of Pierce Street in a single-family-dwelling (S/F/D).
One adult escaped the raging flames but left behind two adults and four children.
The video above was shot by Fire Photographer J.C. Kriesher.
Allentown, Pa. - Around 03:00 hours Sunday, Allentown Engine 14, EMS and Police responded to the 1300 block of South 4th Street for an accident with injurie and partial ejection.
Units arrived to find a two car crash with debris that littered the city block. One car was at South 4th and Juniata and the other at Chapel.
EMS transported 2 to the trauma center and one person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Photos by Correspondent Mike Nester. You can view more photos here.
Lehigh Township, Pa. - The call came in at 11:00 PM Wednesday night for a dwelling fire at 443 Washington Drive, located just south of the Borough of Walnutport. Lehigh Township Chief 47-51 (Hildebrand) arrives on location and reports heavy fire on the first floor of the 2-story Single-Family-Dwelling and to use caution he has downed power lines and a propane tank venting on the front porch.
Lehigh Township's engine stretched 5 hand lines. The only other piece of apparatus in front of the house was Walnutport's engine. The house was at the end of a long driveway and 47-51 had only two engines operating while all other companies staged their trucks out on Washington Drive.
Companies were ordered to do an exterior attack from the start due to the heavy fire consuming most of the house.
The homeowner was reported to be inside. His car was in the driveway but the neighbors nor the firefighters knew his whereabouts. The coroner was later called to the scene.
The home was surrounded by piles of wooden pallets making access difficult.
Companies from Northampton, Lehigh and Carbon Counties assisted Lehigh Township Fire Department in battling the blaze.
North Whitehall, Pa. - The time was 10:30 PM when a call went out for Lehigh County Stations 12 (Laurys Station) and EMS 67 for a wreck with injuries on Rt. 145 near Neffs Laurys Road. Moments later, fire dispatchers transmitted a full rescue box for the same address sending Rescue 22 (Schnecksville), Rescue 47 (Lehigh Twp.) and 16 (Neffs) for a full response.
A fire officer on the scene radioed comm center and reported 1 male heavily pinned and at least 6 patients. All rescue companies went in-service with tools including cutters and spreaders to cut the man out of his red car.
The man, Ronald Toribio, of Whitehall was southbound when he crossed the yellow line and struck a car going northbound. That car had two females in it and they were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
PennStar (medical helicopter) was dispatched but when they were airborne, they aborted the flight because of fog.
It took over 30 minutes to free the man from the mangled car. He was rushed to a local trauma center by ambulance and succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. A total of 3 victims were involved in the accident, not 6 as stated in the beginning phases of this incident.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
Click the headline to see more photos or click here.
Coplay, Pa - At 10:15 PM Monday April 1, 2013 Coplay Engine 5-11 and Whitehall Rescue 8 and 5 respond to 300 Cherry Street for a car into the building of the American Club of Coplay.
Fire Department members found a single car into the corner of the building with one male in pinned in the drivers seat.
The rescue companies cut the roof off the car to free the driver, who was in critical condition. The 41 year-old male was rushed to the Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest campus and pronounced dead.
Emmaus, Pa. - At 11:53 AM Lehigh County Fire Radio transmitted the box for 36 South 5th Street for a building fire sending Station 7. As it was being dispatched, police radioed the Comm Center requesting the fire department to that location. The officers were attempting to rescue tenants from the burning building.
The first-out engine had heavy smoke visible from the fire house and requested the 2nd alarm transmitted. At 11:57, Lehigh County struck the 2nd alarm sending stations 7, 28, 30, Rescue 1-41 (F.A.S.T.), EMS 62 & 66.
The fast moving fire trapped multiple tenants. Witnesses said a 52 year-old woman was unable to get out, three more were unaccounted for. 4 people were found dead inside the charred remains.
Command ordered all firefighters out of the building and commenced a defensive attack. The roof of the building partially collapsed.
Whitehall, Pa. - Shortly after 6:00 PM Whitehall Police Officer called on the radio reporting a car fire with entrapment due to a car accident. The scene is Rt. 145 near Eberhart Road.
A car turning onto Rt. 145 from Eberhart Road was hit by a pick-up truck traveling northbound on Rt. 145 at a high rate of speed and collided with the car. The car burst into flames and two occupants were unable to get out.
Whitehall responded with 1 engine and 2 rescue companies. One hand line was pulled from the first-due engine and the fire was quickly extinguished. The occupant(s) from the pick-up truck were freed and transported to the hospital by Cetronia EMS.
After the car fire was extinguished, firefighters prepared a tarp to put over the vehicle. The coroner was requested to the scene.
Rt. 145 was closed to all traffic including emergency vehicles for many hours after the incident. As of 02:00 Sunday morning, the road was still closed.
Allentown, Pa. - At 01:10 AM, Allentown Comm needed one engine for a car accident with possible fire in the 1700 block of Hanover Avenue (Quebec - Randolph Sts) and asked Battalion 43 for an engine from a house fire they were responding to at Hanover and Irving Sts.
Engine 9 was diverted from the house fire to the accident. When they arrived they found 2 vehicles head-on with multiple people trapped and requested the rescue box be filled out.
Rescue box 3535 was transmitted for an auto extrication sending Engines 14 and 11 to assist Engine 9.
Two people were pinned in one car while the driver in car 2 was self-extricated. Engine 9 has rescue tools and the 3 members of that company went to work taking the roof and doors off the car. The driver was D.O.A. and the passenger was extricated and transported to the trauma center in unknown condition.
Engine 11 arrived and moments later diverted to the working house fire in the 400 block of Irving Street.
Cheltenham, Pa. - Shortly after 11:00 AM, Cheltenham Twp. companies were dispatched to Melrose Shopping Center, 59 Cheltenham Avenue on a building fire.
Companies found heavy smoke and fire from a beauty supply store. Firefighters pulled one civilian from the building and started CPR. That person died at the hospital.
The fire quickly extended and burned through the roof. A second alarm was transmitted. As the fire extended through the cockloft and parapet, command requested an additional 1 engine and 1 truck above the 2nd alarm.
The fire appears to have started in a beauty supply store and the chemicals stored inside fueled the fire.
2 firefighters were injured.
View the photo gallery of this fire by clicking here.
Catasauqua, Pa - Catasauqua Police were dispatched to a report of a car crash with unknown injuries on Race Street at Railroad Street around 5:40 AM Saturday morning. On arrival, they found a car into a utility pole with 4 occupants inside and trapped. They requested the Fire Department and EMS to the scene immediately.
Catasauqua Rescue 2 and EMS 75 were dispatched. Cetronia EMS 62 and a Whitehall Rescue company was requested by command. The impact was so severe that the utility pole ended up in the driver's seat. The force of that impact was fatal to the driver, who remained pinned until the tow truck removed the car from the pole.
Another passenger also suffered fatal injuries from the force of the impact. Two other passengers were transported to area hospital's with unknown injuries.
Police say the people killed in the crash are were both 18 and a male and female. Police have identified the occupants of the vehicle: Thomas Bono, 18, of Bath Avenue in Catasauqua and a passenger, Jaenis Delos Santos, 18 also of Bath Avenue were killed in the crash. Two passengers, Aaron Machado, 21, of 22nd Street in Allentown and Paige Esterly, 17, also of Allentown were taken to St. Luke's Bethlehem for treatment of injuries.
With 50+ feet of skid marks prior to impact, speed appeared to play a factor in the accident. Numerous liquor bottles were strewn about the roadway, some empty, some with liquor left in them. Toxicology tests will be done to see if Alcohol played a role in this accident.
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