Watch raw chopper video of the fire from WPVI-TV
Watch news reports from KYW-TV
More on the five-alarm fire from PhillyFireNews.com
The fire, at Scully Welding Supply Corp. in Collingdale, broke out about 12:50 p.m. and quickly went to five alarms.
Image from KYW-TV.
“It looked like hell, like Dante’s Inferno,” said Collingdale fire marshal George Kaiser. “The fire was at least two-stories high.”
The main fire was declared under control around 4:30 p.m., and officials began letting almost all people return to their homes shortly after 7 p.m.
Three Scully employees were injured, including one seriously who was transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center and was reported tonight in stable condition. Five firefighters were treated for heat related illnesses.
Kaiser, the fire marshal, was working at the storage center he owns adjacent to the Scully plant. He said the blaze ignited his building. The fire destroyed two old Collingdale fire trucks he kept on the premises and storage units rented by 70 customers.
Officials spent hours pouring water on large propane tanks to cool them, Lovejoy said. County Emergency Services Director Ed Truitt said officials also had been concerned about the danger the flames posed to a nearby oxygen supply company.
“If that building were to be breached, that could make life real interesting down there,” he said.
The fire caused heavy damage to Scully Welding Supply and a neighboring business, Kaiser Automotive, Lovejoy said. The cause of the blaze was under investigation by state and local authorities, he said. A call to Scully Welding Supply rang unanswered.
Tammy Scanlon, who lives a few hundred yards across the railroad tracks from Scully’s Propane, heard the explosions go on for about 30 minutes.
Also on STATter911 …
- Fireground audio: Mayday in Toronto after firefighter falls through floor of burning storage facility. Five-alarm fire burns overnight. – January 10, 2012
- Deputy sheriff jumps from burning cruiser at 50 mph. Jackson County, Georgia sheriff stops use of propane while fire is investigated. – October 26, 2010
- Why they call it the Windy City: Check out this 1995 video of rigs threatened by warehouse fire. – August 6, 2010
- UPDATE: Four dead, many injured in massive explosion in San Bruno, CA neighborhood. 53 homes destroyed. Listen live. – September 10, 2010
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I’ll be waiting with baited breath for Hookman to leave the golf course and give his critique of how had they gone interior immediately they could have extinguished this fire post haste. And saved all the victims that were still inside. And how had the safety conscious folk not been wearing their vests this fire could have been taken care of with a can and booster line.
If only the rest of us were as good as he once was.
“Interior attack! Interior attack! Don’t stop ’till that fire is out! Master streams are for cowards!”
Great video!
EXCELLENT TRAINING VIDEO FOR ALL LEVELS OF RESPONDERS. WE DONT GET TO SEE THIS SORT OF INCIDENT VERY OFTEN.
Relax guys… the debate between those who believe interior firefighting is inherently unsafe and those who believe in “old school” aggressive interior attack to save lives and property will continue shortly. Within days, I’m sure Dave will post video of some company (probably wearing SCBA and RIT vests, standing in the street away from the smoke) going exterior and striking extra alarms on a job that could easily have been handled with an interior attack by “1 and 1″ who knew what they were doing.
As for this incident, it appears the companies did a decent job keeping the brothers safe and protecting exposures as best they could. I was watching it live yesterday online (a news helicopter link), hoping the big tanks didn’t BLEVE. Scary stuff.
Give me 2″ with a stack tip, a pump operator that knows his job, and a crew with some gonads, I would have put that out lickety split.
I could do the job with an 1 1/2″ line and a 15/16″ tip. Who needs a 2″ line fer cryin out loud???
PUT WHAT OUT… A 30,000 GAL. LP GAS BULK STORAGE TANK THAT IS VENTING GAS THAT HAS IGNITED?? “PUTIN THIS OUT IS AN OBVIOUS MISTAKE!! TURN THE VESSEL INTO A LEAKING BOMB>??COOLING THE VENTING STORAGE TANK IF WATER SUPPLY AND MANPOWER IS AVAILIABLE IS THE TACTIC OF CHOICE… RIGHT?? 500 GPM MINIMUM… PROPERLY PLACED, FROM THE PROPER ANGLE, IN FULL PPE IS A STRATEGY THAT HAS WORKED FOR HUNDREDS OF THESE INCIDENTS IN THE PAST. I HOPE THE ABOVE POST WERE TOUNGE IN CHEEK FUNNY STUFF!
i was on the 3rd truck that pulled up. scariest thing ive ever been a part of. we were ordered to pull into scullys parking lot and set up masterstream ops with our quint we also pulled a 2 1/2″ and an 1 3/4″ to wet down the buildings in the front. Yeah we have a 33,000 and an 18,000 tank both of liquid propane on fire and if they had exploded they wouldve taken out three quarters of a mile so you guys who think we shouldve got closer, we’ll give you a call next time and you can go handle it on your own while were watching 3000 feet away. we’ll even let you use a can off our truck. there was over 200 explosions and an order was given to get 1500 feet away. too bad you guys werent there to show us how to do it the right way! no lives were lost and everyone went home just as they had arrived on scene with the exception of being part of the experience. if you werent happy with the way we handled something shoot me an email at mc5401hanly@aol.com and ill gladly explain to all you monday morning quarterbacks and backseat drivers why we did what we did.
TOMMY and 6, you guys need to lighten up a tad.
HOOKMAN thinks that any fire can be extinguished safely by interior and only interior attacks.
Sarcasm, it’s a great way of making a point.
You’ll notice that the esteemed all knowing HOOK hasn’t checked in and given his opinion, maybe he’s catching on that people realize he is full of crap.