Raw video: Multiple dwellings burning in Chester, PA early this morning.

Glad they cut the video off …. think the exposuer was getting ready to look like the first building. Strike Da Box! K

At least the guy working the Squrt was having a good time. That’s the only good thing I can think of right now.

The initial fire building is the one pushing fire out the top two windows in the video. The exposure on the Delta side was burned out from a previous arson fire that gutted the house. The units on the far left and far right were occupied and the greatest concern.

The original fire building was fully involved when we arrived. The fire was blowing out the Charlie and Delta sides and had already set the attached twin (Bravo) on fire as well as the unattached Delta side exposure, which is the one that burned out last year and was boarded up.

The video starts out showing the squrt working on the exposure building on the Delta side, and all the visible fire had been darkened down on both floors of the original fire building. Unfortunately, the rear of the properties had already began collapsing and the fire had extended up into the cockloft.

The initial and only coverage in the city is 2 engines and a ladder, and one BC. 12 men total. The first in Engine was the Squrt and they laid a 4″ supply line from the closest hydrant. 2 attack lines, a blitzfire, and the boom were all set up and ladder company members searched the occupied buildings. The attack lines darkened as much fire down as possible, however members were hampered by initial water pressure problems, as well as rapidly deteriorating building conditions inside, including the collapse of the rear and holes in the second floor.

After the initial 15 minutes worth of Interior firefighting, members evacuated the buildings and set up for master stream operations. The guy on the platform could look more professional, however in his defense he was waiting for a supply line and moving the main over to just be in the air is useless as the Squrt was putting out most of the fire and there was no one available right then to get in the bucket. Local volunteer companies are brought in on greater alarm fires and once they arrived a supply line was hand jacked to the ladder which was labor intensive. This is a one way street with cars parked on both sides and limited water supply locations and space. I agree taking pictures is not the most valuable use of your time, however in this day and age it seems like it is becoming the norm. Some guys live for Facebook and taking pictures of fire.

Once a decent water supply was established the elevated master streams were able to dig in and get the job done.

The squrt tried to get as much fire out as possible in the vacant that burned up last year in an attempt to save the attached occupied. Unfortunately the fire got up into the cockloft and caused damage. The video also doesn’t tell you that an electrical malfunction caused the tip of the boom to only be able to go left or right, not up and down. The truck is a reserve piece that operated first due as the only piece on the West side of the city for close to twenty years. It is now in service as a reserve piece, and has been acting as the regular East Side Engine for about a month while that Engine is in the shop.

Too much fire for too few firefighters and a typical well advanced fire in a vacant that ends up burning out occupied homes. Yes there were things that could be done differently, but for 12 guys, there are limits on just how much you can accomplish on the initial alarm.