Station 44 Video

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Fire Caused by Lightning Damages Home

Springfield Fire Company was dispatched on Friday, August 10th, at 15:20 hours to 932 Edgewood Road for a Structure Fire.  Upon arrival of Springfield Police and Chief 44, smoke was showing from the second floor of the residence.  Neighbors reported that the house was unoccupied and that lightning had struck the home and tree in the front yard.  Engine 44-1 laid a 5" Supply Line into the scene and firefighters stretched an 1 3/4" hoseline.  Firefighters from Engine 44-1 quickly forced entry into the residence and started opening up the walls and ceiling in the front second floor bedroom to find a rapidly advancing fire inside the walls and attic space.

Firefighters from Tower 44 started working on opening up the roof to ventilate the attic space while firefighters from Engine 44-1 made a quick knockdown of the fire in the walls and attic space area and continued checking for any fire extension.  The quick work of firefighters on the second floor to open up the attic space and control the rapidly advancing fire helped keep the fire from totally involving the attic area.

Firefighters from Engine 11-1 (Morton F.C.), Quint 03 (Clifton Heights F.C.) Rescue 44, Engine 44-2, and Engine 03-2 backed up the initial crew on the second floor and assisted on the exterior of the building.  Positive pressure ventilation was started and firefighters continued checking for fire extension with the thermal imaging cameras.  Firefighters also performed salvage operations at the same time to minimize damages and overhauled the second floor once the fire investigation was completed.

With the high humidity from the summer storms that had passed through the area, firefighters were rotated through Fire Rehab on the scene.   The excellent work by Springfield Ambulance Corps EMT's and Springfield Hospital Medic 106 helped keep an already serious emergency from becoming worse.  They quickly determined that one firefighter from an assisting fire company was suffering from heat stress and a rapid heart rate and had him transported to Springfield Hospital where he received immediate emergency care.  The firefighter was kept overnight for evaluation and released from the hospital the next day.

Firefighters performed an excellent job and their work helped to minimize the damage to the residence.  Firefighters remained on scene until 17:50 hours.

Units operating at the scene were: Engine 44-1, Tower 44, Engine 44-2, Rescue 44, Quint 03, Engine 03-2, Engine 11-1, Ambulance 44-7 and 44-7A, Medic 106, Springfield Police and Fire Police, and Springfield Township Fire Marshal.  Swarthmore Fire Company provided standby coverage at Station 44 during the incident.