Duplex destroyed in 3-alarm fire in Slatington

Lehigh County

Duplex destroyed in 3-alarm fire in Slatington

March 30, 2011 at 2:25pm

Slatington, PA - The call came in at 12:14 for a house fire at 560-562 West Franklin Street, companies 24 and 29 respond. Ladder 24 arrives with heavy fire involving a 2.5 story duplex and strikes the 2nd alarm.

Engine 29 (Walnutport) arrives as first due engine and Deputy 29 (Wentz) observes 30 + feet of flames on the original fire building. His crews assists the quint with initial attack. Heavy streams are placed in-service immediately.

Lines were placed on the Delta side to protect the exposure, which is identical to the original fire building. The fire eventually spread to the Delta exposure in the attic. A third alarm was transmitted at 12:30 as the fire extended across the attic of the duplex.

3 lines were stretched into 556 W. Franklin and 1 line into 554 W. Franklin Street. Crews contained the fire to the attic of those two homes. The original duplex was a total loss.

Power and other utility lines above the street complicated the situation. The first arriving ladder couldn't be used. Power lines dropped onto the ladder and Chief 24 requested the power company to respond immediately.

A tower ladder from Neffs, Ladder 16 nosed in to the front of ladder 24 and went into service. The boom hit some electrical lines above, I guess they thought the power was cut to them. The operator quickly moved the boom away from the line and diverted a bad situation.

All the lines made it very difficult to operate at this scene. Later in the fire, Ladder 16's boom hit a utility pole, and the tension moved the lines all the way down the street. They stayed intact and the ladder was not damaged. The noise and commotion grabbed the attention of all the firefighters and spectators.

Companies from northern Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties responded to assist Slatington. Carbon companies 7 & 1, Northampton County 47, Lehigh County companies 6, 16, 12, 11, 2, 29 and 5. I apologize if I missed some companies.

Catasauqua Rescue 2 and Greenawalds Rescue 11 were R.I.T.

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