A Pair of Port Chester Fires Put Tower Ladder 53 to Work
By Captain Mytych and Lieutenant Brefere
March 20, 2008
On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 10:28 PM, the Port Chester Fire Department was dispatched to a report of smoke coming from the roof of 27 North Main Street. Units on scene confirmed the initial report and requested that the assignment be filled with a mutual aid ladder and FASTeam. Car 2391 later requested an additional ladder to stand by. Tower Ladder 53 relocated and stood by at Port Chester Fire Headquarters with a crew.
The Port Chester Fire Department made quick work of the blaze, believed to be started by cigarettes. The fire was placed under control at 11:15 PM and the mutual aid units at the scene were released. At 12:48 AM, while the remaining units were picking up, Car 2391 advised 60 Control of a separate structure fire at 15 North Main Street. He requested a full assignment and ordered Tower Ladder 53 to respond to the front of the building and ladder the roof.
As soon as Tower Ladder 53's bucket reached the top of the three story wood frame structure, firefighters from both Purchase and Port Chester made efforts to ventilate the cockloft and third floor to support interior operations. Members cut holes and removed scuttle covers until ordered off the roof at 1:12 AM due to heavy fire and smoke conditions.
Additional resources, including a ladder from the Village of Mamaroneck, tower ladder from Harrison, FASTeam from West Harrison, cascade from the Town of Mamaroneck, and Westchester County Department of Emergency Services Field Comm 1 were brought to the scene.
With multiple lines stretched in operation inside the building, Tower Ladders 24 and 53 were ordered to take out the double-pane thermal windows on the third floor to release smoke and heat trapped inside.
The century old structure was eventually deemed unsafe for interior operations and all firefighters were ordered to evacuate the building. Elevated master streams were put into operation and the fire was knocked down before extending to two similar attached exposures. The fire was placed under control at approximately 4:00 AM.
All Purchase units were released from the scene at 4:54 AM. While both fires occured on the same block in a similar time frame, the second fire was unrelated as it was caused by an electrical problem several hours earlier.
