Regular contributor Bill Rohrer of NewsWorking was on the scene just before firefighters arrived around 7:30 this morning as smoke poured from the Blue Fox Hotel and Bar in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. Bill tells us one person died and six civilians and two firefighters were injured. News reports indicate the structure was built in 1901 and was once known as the North Coplay Hotel.
The box was transmitted at 0734 hours for a structural fire with people trapped at the Blue Fox Hotel and Bar located at 5834 Coplay Road. Engines 5, 4, 14, Ladder 6, Rescue 8 under the command of Chief Benner (16) respond.
Assistant Chief Kunkle (4A) arrives and finds smoke pushing from the 3rd floor of the 3-story structure. A restaurant / bar is located on the 1st floor with rooms on the upper floors. Kunkle finds a man, who fell down a flight of stairs, laying at the bottom and removes his unconscious body to the porch where EMS crews from Cetronia begin working on him. Paramedics rush him to an awaiting ambulance, where he then goes into cardiac arrest. Kunkle special-calls Squrt 3 from the Hokendauqua station.
Police were already on-scene assisting the residents out of the building and throwing ground ladders to the 1-story roof in the rear where people were jumping onto the roof. One person on the roof was injured and needed to be rescued with the tower ladder.
Rescue Engine 5 arrives and goes to the second-floor for a search, taking with them a 1 3/4" hand line. The primary search of the second-floor comes up negative and the crews find no fire. They pull the ceilings down and find heavy smoke. Engine 4 arrives and backs up engine 5.
Another crew enters the first-floor and find a fire in the kitchen to the rear of the bar. A second hand line is stretched to the third floor along with the first hand line via an interior stairwell. Crews start attacking the fire, but the two hand lines were no match for the fire.
Outside, Tower 6 arrives and immediately goes into service to the rear to remove the victim on the one-story roof. His injuries appeared to be minor, with leg and back pain.
The fire appears to had a good start before the firefighters arrived. and with the old construction, extended through the walls and voids that were made during renovations of the old hotel.
Northampton Ladder 42 was special-called to work the Alpha Delta corner, while two engines from North Catasauqua were in-service on the Charlie (west) side with master streams.
About an hour and a half into the call, fire started venting from the building. Within 4 hours, the building was a total loss.
A tanker task force was called to assist in supplying tower ladder 6, as the pressure from the hydrants were severely strained from being on the same main.
Overall, companies from two counties assisted in battling this blaze. 1 person was killed, 6 civilians transported to area hospitals along with 2 firefighters. The fire was brought under control about 4 hours later.
The video above is from JC Kriesher at FireandFilm.com. Click here for photos more coverage of the fire.
Authorities have not identified the man who died, but said he died after he managed to escape from the brick and stucco building at 5834 North Coplay Road after the fire started around 7:30 a.m.
Whitehall Township Mayor Edward Hozza said medics from Cetronia Ambulance tried to revive the man, who was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital and eventually died.
Investigators still aren't sure how the fire started, but believe it may have began on the first floor of the building and spread up to the third floor through the walls, Hozza said. The mayor said fire officials don't suspect foul play.
Also on STATter911 …
- Early raw video: Woman who had returned for cat pulled from burning Whitehall, Pennsylvania home in cardiac arrest. – February 14, 2012
- Raw video & radio traffic: House fire in Whitehall, PA. – November 15, 2012
- Raw video: House fire in South Whitehall, Pennsylvania. It’s an address firefighters are familiar with. – March 3, 2012
- Raw video, fireground audio: Four-alarms for multiple rowhomes in Allentown, PA. Five firefighters hurt. – August 24, 2012
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Extremely dynamic call, I know we usually frown on police assistance, but this call they were definately a god send!
I didn’t see anything about vertical ventilation or larger nozzle selection. I was confused as to if E-5 was doing an unprotected search of the second floor. Either way after opening the ceiling I would have thought E-5 would have brought the big H2O.
Besides the obvious it was overall a good call and handled professionally. Prayers to the lost and injured.
The best thing to happen to that part of PA and up into New England would be a standardized box assignment of more than one dept. The City of Allentown should probably be on a second alarm to this township and in parts close to the City, vise versa with Whitehall Twp. Incident commanders did a good job, IMO. They needed more personnel on the scene more quickly, however. Automatic aid and standardized boxes instead of piecemealing a fire and calling your favorite friend or IAFF Department so go away in the next decade.
more people on the scene more quickly? We are vols and till they dispatch and we leave work, our families or on a sunday morning church. To we get to the station and get the truck out it takes time! All stations had great response times. So I don't know what the hell you are talking about!
1. With fire likely in the walls, I wouldn’t put crews on the fire escapes.
2. Get the bucket out of the heavy black smoke. Why beat yourself up in a cloud that’s ready to ignite and damage your “rig”.
3. My personal pet peeve… MANAGE YOUR PASS ALARMS.
Other wise, this was a battle that would be challenging for any fd to stop, short of ordering an airdrop of cold fire
looked like a circus to me…by the time anyone figured out what they are supposed to be doing ,the building was burned to the ground…fat fire fighters walking around wondering why they are not still in bed sucking their thumb..from start to finish..the most sickening video i ever saw! and the poor guy on the porch in the beginning…seemed like the ems didn't even try to help the guy!! wtf??? it was early at least try to give em cpr…or is that to much to ask!!! pathetic!!! the only people that seemed like they had their head together was the coplay and whitehall police..i think they should be cross-trained in fire fighting…because the local fire fighters are useless!! and that goes for emt's too
Well, jackass. I guess you are just a low life that could never make it as a fireman and you just go on sites and make fun of them. First thing to do is make an assesment of what you have and if there are any people still in the building. Then u make your way in and start fighting the fire. The fat people walking around can fight fire better than your lazy ass! And for the poor guy on the porch he was already gone. So my advice is shut up and realize and know what you are talking about before you open your mouth and attack my fire department!
@anonymous. thank you for removing all doubt you are an idiot by talking about something you know litte about. not sure if you realize, you DO NOT do cpr on a pt with a pulse which the man on the porch had at the time. and i didn't see anyone sucking there thumb.
I agree it was a difficult job. However, they failed miserably. The result would have been the same if the Whithall FD never showed. Those were some good firefighter costumes though!
Mansard roof building fires seem to be a loser every time. Looks lik this one has multiple additiions and renovations too- I'd be shocked if it was *always* a hotel. This building was built (and re-built) to burn.
Anonymous- do you know the ACTUAL condition of the patient on the porch at the time you're talking about? No? Then STFU.
Sounds like a test question:
You arrive to a 3-story bar/hotel in a 100+ year-old building early on a Sunday morning with smoke pushing out throughout the hotel section. PD is on the roof of the rear one-story section with a victim, with another victim at the base of a staircase. Your first alarm assignment of 3 engines, a ladder & a rescue is obviously going to go into full search & rescue mode. How many seconds do you wait before banging additional alarms??
Agrressive vertical ventilation will give the interior crews a better chance of locating the fire.
Q. How do you get a big fire in that part of PA?
A. Start with a small fire and wait 4 hours.
You guys crack me up….er I mean make me want to puke. Go back to firefighting 101:Priority 1=life, priority 2=property.
I'm sure you box cards are set up so you have 6 engines, 2 ladders, 2 scopes, 3 tankers, 3 bls, 2 als, 1 rehab, 1 command unit, 2 brush units, and 8 cover units on a car fire box. Good thinkin there chief.
There was nothin wrong with this video, the problem is you all got too excited watching this video. Thank God the Whitehall FD remained calm and professional.
I'm glad oyu wrote this Chuck because it says it all. I like the perfect FF who comment how bad they did when the cloest mostof them come to fire is a match or being in charge of changing the grease at Wendy's. It s alot different when your thier or in charge of fire.
I sign my post.
I would have to say one of the better vids out of Whitehall.
Definitely should have called for a lot more help immediately. One of my pet peeves, chiefs waiting too long to get more personnel on the scene. Or at least coming.
Looked to me like it was probably a loser from the get-go, unless they would have had a lot more manpower on scene immediately, which is hard to do unless you're in a big city.
Anonymous
I am sure the volunteer fire/ambulance departments would be MORE than HAPPY to take your application. You seem like you know ALOT about firefighting and EMT, maybe they will make you cheif within your first week of being there!! But I am guessing since you are such a coward that you can not post your name you will not be filling out that application!!
My husband is a volunteer firefighter (not for any of the responding fire departments). However there are MANY times my husband had to miss baseball games, football games, holiday dinners with our sons to protect someone elses family. He has missed WHOLE days of work…meaning money out of his family's paycheck!! We now have 2 young men for sons who I am proud to say with continue to carry on the pride of being a VOLUNTEER firefighter.
Next time THINK before shooting your mouth off!
Thank you for that nice comment and I agree with you 100% on what you said. I was driving the first truck on scene and became the pump operator. And yes, I did miss work that day and did not get paid for it. I am also happy to hear your husband does the same and that your 2 sons will continue in the brotherhood. Thanks again!
Advanced fire in the lower level of a 100 yr old building, multiple rescues, fire in void spaces, come on guys, this building would have had the same result in NY, Boston, DC or Chicago. Give em a break. They got the victims out and held it to the building of origin, do we expect anything else from any fire department? On the box card idea, works great when you have 100% buy in from all the involved companies, if 1 or 2 opt out the whole system falls apart. I have fought that in my area, a lot of resistance to turning over the responsibility, protecting kingdoms and ego I guess.
I may have been mistaken, is it White Haven, PA that is usually a circus? Whichever, I have to agree with North Chief.
North Chief… Please don't speak for NY, Boston, DC or Chicago. If you would like to speak for your own department, by all means….
My two cents: IF you need help, call it early and call it often! I don't know Whitehall SOPS but, it looked like there was a Manpower issue. With sufficient MANPOWER, you give your operation a chance to get assignments done; Primary searches, line placements, horizontal ,vertical ventilations etc……..
@ north chief, 4alarm fdny = small army! I think a second alarm in ny would of gotten it done.Again , MANPOWER is key for a fire this size.
STAY SAFE!
Seriously? This is obviously a well-seated fire in multiple void spaces with a good head start before alarm notification or arrival of the first units. This is obvious to anyone with a little bit of experience. Not saying it can't be done, but anything short of simultaneous arrival of several engines, several trucks and at least one rescue, there was no way of saving this structure.
I' ve seen plenty of vids of FDNY with multiple aerial master streams working while a building burns to the ground. As one of my training officers always said "The sticks\platforms go up, the building goes down."
I thought I was one of the keyboard warriors at times, but you guys that think every fire can be extinguished before the building is lost is ignorant at best. Bet y'all can save barns from burning to the ground as well, right?
Mark that’s exactly my point. With a large response and a aggressive attack , it could be done. Oh FYI ….. I never fought a barn fire in the inner city!
Stay safe!
Not sure on what the running assignments are for Whitehall. Looks like they had the priorities in line 1. life safety etc. Crews were committed to the guy down on the roof, searching the building. Staffing is always an issue and looks like a decent job was going in the building but with crews committed to life safety issues fire attack had to be delayed. If you take the life safety issues out of the picture at this job then a good aggressive fire attack and vent ops should have been able to get it. But life safety is #1.
Now if they are the only company dispatched on reported fires (like a lot of the parts of Pa.) then yest they need to add more company's to their Box alarms. Like its been said before. You can always send them back, but if you need them now and they are not even coming yet its to late. Strike the Box! K
How many firefighter lives would you risk for a century old balloon frame, multiple renovation building, for my 1400 members, ZERO. Rescue what's rescueable, then forget it, its a building, not worth losing one of us over, protect exposures, surround and drown at a safe distance, the insurance industry doesn't care about YOU. be smart, not operating on the model, gee its a fire were supposed to be putting it out, moth to the flame what else are we to do????
I have re-watched this clip for the second time, perhaps the tower could have been positioned elsewhere, or not, I wasn't there. From listening to the fireground ops I heard crisp communication and clear command. For the record in my locale this end result would have been the same. We automatically expect a balloon frame to go from the basement to the attic as a course of normal behavior, open void spaces, vertical extension, basic level I FF skills and judge ourselves accordingly per SOP.
North Chief your quite correct, we would have the same issues if not for Mutual Aid Districts CLEARLY DEFINED, the result would be the same, no buyin, no work ability to the plan. Easier said then done for those quick to jump on their case. Personally I felt they have conducted a credible job under rapidly changing & challenging conditions, no firefighter loss of life, minimal fatalities and injuries.
There is a lot of safety gods etc., get some stones, commentary going on here with rank and file and sometimes company officers bashing the current day mindset of operations on this blog. May I remind those that we have this as a result of the atrocious number of LODD's that occur in the USA and have been for so many years. Because the culture of the Fire Service would not or could not change itself, change was effected by regulatory and best practice options. Everyday I do not have to plan a funeral and notify a family, for me that is a good day. That is why I believe in Bruno, Billy, Ray and lots of others, do it smart, do it safe, use your head, live to retirement, theirs always another Fire!!!!!!
Good Job Whitehall and partners, you sent all your members home safe and sound, works for me, their families and their community!!!!!!!.
Poor performance. Engine companies need to stretch lines inside and put the fire out. Truck companies need to ventilate vertically and horizontally so the fire will come out and show itself for the engine companies to knock. Another sad video to watch of non-agressive and inexperienced firefighters and officers operating at a fire that really isn't that complicated.
Old truckie says
Mark that’s exactly my point. With a large response and a aggressive attack , it could be done. Oh FYI ….. I never fought a barn fire in the inner city!
Stay safe!
That is exactly my point. Not everyone has a large response. And despite large responses, buildings still burn to the ground, even in NY. Want me to find the videos?
I suppose, it's your story, but I'm with the folks here who live in the world of reality. Some fires are a loss before we even get the alarm, and this would be one of them, no matter the response.
Maybe im missing something here?! I went back and looked at the video, Smoke condition?yes. FIIRE BLOWING OUT EVERY WINDOW? NO! 2 TRUCKS,5ENGINES,RESCUE, SQUAD,
An aggresive attack, topside vent, trucks open up a couple of walls…….. fire is out. I revert back to my original post, MANPOWER!
FYI…….Mark , I probably got under wear older than you and worked a fire or two……..Stay Safe Kiddo!
Why do they make EMT shirts that big?
Ahh yes…the same Department that ran Command from the roof with no PPE…
You probably do old truckie. I bow down to your infinite wisdom and experience.
Just for grins and giggles, how old do think I am?
Once all rescues are made get in the building and go to work.. Saws and hooks and get to the seat of fire.
What a joke we should get rid of cameras on the fireground so we dont have to look at this mess.