Fire Box 2107

At 0215 hours, the Union Fire Company No. 1, along with the Community Fire Company of Rising Sun, Maryland (8), the West Grove Fire Company (22), and the Cochranville Fire Company (27) for a reported Barn on fire in the 400 block of Barnsley Road in the Chrome section of East Nottingham Township.

Deputy 21 (Obenchain) arrived confirming a 200' x 50' Hog Barn fully involved. He established the "Barnsley Command" and requested the First Alarm Tanker Task Force. This alerted Tankers from Avondale (23), Kennett Square (24), Cochranville (27), Quarryville (57), and Robert Fulton (89). A second Truck Company was also requested, bring Truck 57 from Quarryville. Assistant 21 (Meadowcroft) was placed in charge of the Operations.

Engine 21-1 (Lieutenant Kinsey) arrived and layed out the entire bed of 5" supply hose from Barnsley Road into the fire scene. The crew immediately stretched an handline to begin exposure control on a second barn of equal size within 20' of the fire.

Ladder 21 (FF P. Slauch) arrived and pulled into the scene in front of the building and set up for Ladder Pipe operations.

Engine 21-2 (Captain Kelley) took the end of the driveway, drafted out of both folding tanks and supplied the scene with water. Chief 21 (Prettyman) assumed the Water Supply Officer role.

Engine 21-4 (FF B. Slauch) came into the scene and laid a second 5" supply from Engine 21-1 to the rear of the building and supplied Truck 57.

Engine 813 established a draft site to fill Tankers at the "Twin Ponds" along East Christine Road (Route 272). Responding Tankers dumped their water into the folding tanks at Engine 21-2 and made the circle to shuttle water throughout the duration of the incident.

Crews at the scene continued to work several handlines while both Ladder 21 and Truck 57 worked from above. A track loader (with tracks) was brought into the scene to remove the tin roof that had collapsed. Once the tin was removed, the crews were able to access the remaining fire.

It was determined that approximately 1,900 hogs perished in the fire.

Both the Chester County and Pennsylvania State Fire Marshals Offices investigated the incident.

The final units were clear of the scene 0906 hours.

Lancaster County Tanker 52-1 (Christiana) and Tanker 36 (Po-Mar-Lin) transferred to Station 21 to cover our area.

*** A special THANK YOU to all of the companies that responded to assist and our local McDonald's for providing breakfast to all involved. ***