Box 2107

On Christmas Eve, just after 9:30pm, the Union Fire Company No. 1, The Community Fire Company of Rising Sun (MD), an Engine and tanker from the West Grove Fire Company and the Rescue from Cochranville were dispatched to the 400 Block of Barnsley Rd in East Nottingham Township for the Building Fire. Initial reports were of a fire in the upstairs portion of the building.

Captain 21 arrived, reporting fire from the Charlie/Delta corner and requested the Working Fire Dispatch and assumed the Barnsley Command.

Engine 21-1 (Capt Slauch) arrived as the First Due Engine, with the crew advancing a line inside. The crew of Engine 21-4 (Testa) then pulled a second handline and went inside to fight the fire.

Ladder 21 (Lt Bennett) arrived as the First Due Truck and was set up on the Delta side of the building.

After a few minutes, the decision was made to evacuate the building and switch to defensive operations due to the advanced fire conditions.

Additional arriving units staged on Barnsley Rd and set up for water supply operations. 2 Port-A-Tanks were used for the arriving tankers to dump into to supply the scene, with Engine 21-2 supplying Engine 21-1. The First Alarm Tanker Task Force was requested to the scene, with some of those tankers hauling 9 to 10 loads of water.

Later on in the incident, Kennett Tower 24 was called to the scene due to its capabilities to flow water from its bucket.

Throughout the course of the incident, as many as 5 handlines, the 2 Ladder Pipes and the mobile master stream were used to flow water.

Firefighters remained on scene for nearly 5 hours in the freezing temperatures.

Special thanks to Lancaster Engine 57-2 (Quarryville) and Tanker 36 (Po-Mar-Lin) for covering the 21 House during the incident and to the Fire Police for closing down the road so fire apparatus could get in and out.

Photos courtesy of various department members and the West Grove Fire Company.