| Box 2101
At 2156 hours, the Union Fire Company No. 1, along with two Engines from the West Grove Fire Company (Stations 12 & 22) and the Truck from the Community Fire Company of Rising Sun, Maryland (Stations 8, 18 & 28), was alerted for a reported Building Fire in the 200 block of Commerce Street in Oxford Borough.
Within moments, the Chester County Fireboard alerted the Working Fire Dispatch, which added Rescue 27 (Cochranville), Rescue 5-7 (Quarryville) and Medic 94 (SCCEMS), due to additional calls reporting the fire.
Chief 21 (Terry) arrived to find heavy smoke showing from a 30'x 60' warehouse, established the "Commerce Street Command" and requested the Fire Marshals to respond. By this point, fire was now visible from side "C" of the building.
Engine 21-1 arrived and stretched 800' of 5" supply line from the hydrant at the intersection of Hodgson Street and Commerce Street. Once on scene, the crew stretched one 1.75" handline.
The Oxford Borough Police Department reported the possibility of homeless subjects trapped in the building.
Assistant 21 (Gerry Davis) assumed the Operations role.
Ladder 21 arrived and pulled passed the scene. The aerial was placed to the roof for possible vertical ventilation.
Both crews worked to force entry into the building and search the entire building for any occupants.
Engine 21-2 took the hydrant at Hodgson and Commerce and supplied Engine 21-1.
Engine 21-4 arrived and laid 400' of 5" supply line from the hydrant at the intersection of Commerce Street and South Street. Cecil County Engine 18 then dressed that hydrant in preparation to supply Engine 21-4.
The interior crews found heavy fire and smoke inside the building. They pulled the ceiling to gain access to the cockloft. An additional 1.75" was pulled and both lines worked the interior of the building.
Rescue 27 and Rescue 57 arrived and their crews joined forces to establish the Rapid Intervention Team.
Additional arriving units staged along Commerce Street and South Third Street and sent their respective crews into the scene.
The incident was placed under control with all searches negative and all units working at 2246 hours.
The Chester County Fire Marshals Office investigated the incident.
PECO responded and shut off the electrical service to the building.
There were no injuries reported.
The final units cleared the scene at 0052 hours.
Lancaster County Engine 5-1-1 (Bart Township) and Lancaster County Truck 4-2 (Gap) handled the fill-in assignment at Station 21. |
