
3 First Due Fires Within 9 Hours
01/22/23 – Shortly after 19:00 in the evening of 01/21, Engine 293 responded to Box 2904 for a reported house fire in the 2400 BLK of St. Clair Dr. 293 arrived to a 2 story duplex with a basement with a working fire in the living room and requested the Working Fire Dispatch. The fire was quickly knocked and all searches were negative. The assignment was scaled back to 1&1 within a half hour.
Later in the evening, just after 22:00 hours, Engine 293 and Ambulance 29 responded to the area of Old Branch Ave and Center Dr for a reported house fire with entrapment. En route, PSC advised they were receiving multiple calls. Engine 293 arrived to a one story single family home with fire showing from Side Alpha. Co. 29 began an aggressive attack on the fire, making good progress before water supply issues and a roof collapse forced crews to briefly evacuate the structure. After regrouping and getting water supply established, crews re-entered the house to mop up. Upon re-entry, multiple victims were found in the Charlie quadrant and removed by crews. Unfortunately, 2 victims have succumbed. Crews remained on scene well into the night. 2 members from Co. 29 were injured, neither of them critically. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Around 04:15 on 01/22, Engine 293 and Ambulance 29 responded first due one more time to the 4300 BLK of Townsley Ave. County police were on scene advising a house fire. Engine 293 arrived with their own hydrant to a 2 story cape cod with fire showing from Side Charlie. After completing a 360, it was determined the fire was an outside-in fire. 293’s crew began flanking the fire from the rear of the home. The fire had extended into the kitchen in the Bravo quadrant of division 1. After the fire in the rear was knocked, 293’s crew entered through side Charlie to mop up. All searches were negative. Crews remained on scene for almost 3 hours before returning to Old Silver Hill Rd.