Silver Spring Garage Fire Cont...

I thought I would make a second post here to fill in a few more blanks about the garage fire and to post a video of the fire. The date and location was already reported in the last post so I will skip that part on move on to responding apparatus. The 31-02 box brought companies 33 (New Kingston), 31 (Silver Springs), 27 (Citizens Mechanicsburg), Truck 28 (Washies, Mechanicsburg), 25 (Monroe Twp.), Engine 23 (Upper Allen for R.I.T.) and Air 45 (Carlisle, for obvious reasons). Numerouse pieces arrived fairly quickly with the first in engine and tanker from New Kingston arriving back to back. Two handlines were quickly deployed and the fire was knowcked down rather quickly with no injuries to firefighters. I didn't speak to anyone abbout the incident so I do not have a dollar estimate or cause. According to the local news paper the occupant started the car and went back inside to return and find the garage burning.

In the video you will hear the sound of a 220 pond propane tank venting and burning you will also notice the intensity of the flames in that area (1/2 corner), yeah I don't use alphabets for areas because I know I am right and the modern fire service is wrong.

A question was posed about the incident on my last post. It is one I do not want to get into on the net but would be glad to in person. It does show the difference in the world we live in when it comes to the fire service and the different areas. NOW BEFORE ANYONE STARTS I AM NOT MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING OR PICKING ON ANYONE, I AM JUST SHOWING HOW DIFFERENT AREAS WORK. This call required the response of at least 10 rigs from seven different departments and maybe as many as 50 firefighters. If you put the same fire in Harrisburg you would have gotten four rigs with nine firefighters, a lieutenant and either or a Battalion Chief or Captain. Now we are lucky enough to have hydrants every few hundred feet and people paid at station to respond right away. At different parts through out the county the response of apparatus may have been different. My guess is in DC you would have gotten many more rigs than in Harrisburg and probably more men than on this call.

Do I have a point? Not really but if there is one it is that the public should hold their criticism unless they are educated enough or part of the solution. Often I hear why do they run so many fire trucks? The answer is because you need to ask that question instead of stepping up and volunteering to be part of the solution. I do this for a living and love every second of it (I hate the politics part, but that is another post), but all these people are doing this for free, often with not even a thank you.

And nothing brought about me getting on my soap box, sometimes I just feel like climbing up on it and starting. Besides now that the end of the year, beginning of the year battle for me at work is over I am still in full combat mode. Now to take a month or two off and then prepare for the same battle at the end of this year.

Moores Building Supply Burns In Chambersburg

On March 11, 1989 at 2:27 a.m. Franklin County communications center alerted firefighters to a building fire at the Moore’s Building Supply, 1090 S. Main Street, Chambersburg. An arson fire destroyed the newly constructed showroom and warehouse. First arriving firefighters encountered heavy fire in the rear of the building with the sprinklers not working. Over 100 firefighters manning some 35 pieces of equipment worked for almost two hours before controlling the three-alarm fire. Damages were estimated at $3 million dollars. The Chambersburg, Franklin's, Mont Alto, Fayetteville, Waynesboro, Greencastle, Marion, New Franklin, Pleasant Hall, St. Thomas, West End Fire and Rescue, Vigilant Hose, Cumberland Valley Hose, Newburg-Hopewell, Carlisle and Letterkenny fire companies operated at the scene under the direction of Chambersburg fire chief William Sheppard. WEFR and C.V.'s both transferred to Chambersburg before being called to the scene of the blaze. Firefighters returned numerous times to extinguish flare ups. The video below last about 30 seconds and is from News 25 Hagerstown, YES IT IS A VIDEO, it may not look it but black on black is black. Turn up your volume also, it is the news..

Later in the day at 8:41 a.m. co.'s 51 and 15 answered an auto accident at the intersection of the Newburg Rd. and Ridge Rd. At 10:25 a.m. co.'s 51, 52, 15, 53 and 47 responded to a reported cabin fire that ended up being a controlled burn on the Three Square Hollow Rd. in Hopewell Twp. At 4:12 p.m. co.'s 15 and 11 answered a vehicle fire on the Roxbury Rd. in Lurgan Twp. Then at 7:18 p.m. WEFR transferred to the Chambersburg fire department and at 7:29 p.m. co.'s 13, 15, 52, 11 and 53 responded to smoke in the structure at the Pleasant Hall Manor trailer park, Letterkenny Twp. to finish a busy day.

WEFR And Vigilant Clock

I had no incidents to post to today, the only major calls to occur on this day were in 1952 and 1981 and they were posted the last two years. The plan was to play catch up and post a video of the December 29, 1985 barn fire I posted last month. I tried editing it in windows movie maker but after trying for two hours and not knowing what I was doing I gave up. This video was taken in the late 1950's by Ralph Hopkins (I think 1956). It was shot on (I guess) 8 mm film and converted to VHS a number of years ago. I used my Nikon D90 and recorded it off the TV screen. I would have liked to edited the beginning and the end but like I said I have no clue on movie maker. The video shows WEFR members cleaning the companies first rescue and ambulance at the late Bob Jones house.

On December 11 I made a post about the Vigilant's installing a neon clock on their fire station. At the time I said I had no photos of the clock. Danny Byers left a comment stating that Rick Sanders said I should check the photo of the 1931 Seagrave setting in front of the fire station that the clock is in the photo. I can not say for shore that this is the clock in the post but the photo was taken in the 1930's so there is a good chance it is. I do not know when the clock was changed but the next photo I have of the front of the station is 1950 and there was a different clock up at that time.

On Monday I mentioned that I was posting photographs from the Oak Flat Road fire on my photography site. I continued to post photographs of the fire on that site on Tuesday and today also along with two short videos. I know what I will be posting on this site next year on January 10TH.

King Street Block Burns, Firemen Dies

On February 17, 1969 at 3:25 p.m. firemen were alerted to what would be the largest blaze most ever battled. The Shippensburg Civil Defense room sent firemen to East King Street and North Penn Street for a building fire. A fire of suspicious origin destroyed most of a downtown block before being brought under control by approximately 200 firemen manning 19 to 22 units from 14 companies (some news papers say that as many as 500 firefighters battled the blaze). The fire started in the rear of the vacant Varsity Shop and extended quickly. Firemen performed heroically in keeping the blaze, which could be seen for miles, from engulfing the Christ United Methodist Church. The Letterkenny Fire Department was instrumental in keeping the blaze from reaching the church, by using their medallion gun to flow big water. Water was used from numerous hydrants as well as the branch stream to fight the fire.

Richard Fogelsonger, who at the time was having coffee in the Famous Texas Lunch, directly across the street from the Varsity Shop, discovered the fire. He called the Civil Defense Room and reported the fire, suggesting a general alarm be sent. A the same time Ralph Thompson pulled up in front of the Texas Lunch, he quickly raced inside and went through the apartments alerting the occupants to the danger.

The buildings involved were three story brick and frame with businesses on the first floors and apartments on the upper floors. Destroyed in the fire were the Varsity Shop, Handshew’s Shoe Repair, the Pizza House, 15 apartments and Gordon’s Department Store. The American Finance Corporation and the roof of the Methodist Church were damaged by fire. Suffering water damage were Hale’s Real Estate, Gospel Gift Shop and Shippen TV and cable. Buildings suffering smoke damage were the Arrowood Beauty Salon, Glenn Miller auto parts and the Victory Theatre. At about 3:45 p.m. West End firefighter W. Mervin Fogelsanger, 58, suffered a heart attack at the scene and died at Chambersburg Hospital, he would become Shippensburg’s first line of duty death. Several firefighters were treated for minor injuries. Approximately 17 families were left homeless by the blaze. Firemen had the blaze under control by 6:00 p.m. The Shippensburg firemen remained on the scene until late the following day. Damages were set at $310,480, earlier reports estimated that the loss could exceed $1 million.

The Vigilant Hose, Cumberland Valley Hose and West End Fire and Rescue companies answered the alarm along with assistance from the Vigilant’s Station 2, Letterkenny, Newburg-Hopewell, Newville, Fayetteville, Pleasant Hall and the Junior Hook and Ladder, Goodwill, Cumberland Valley, Friendship and Franklins all of Chambersburg. Junior McMullen of the Path Valley Fire Company brought a number of oxygen tanks to the scene. The companies operated under the direction of Borough Fire Chief Dan Orris and his assistant Edward Thrush. This was Shippensburg’s largest fire since the opposite end of the block was destroyed by fire in August 1901.

It was reported that hundreds possible even thousands came out to watch the big fire. I know I was picked up at school and taken directly to the area to watch the fire. Remember is you click on the photos they get larger. An additional photograph can be seen on last years post by following this link, http://shippensburgfiredepartment.blogspot.com/2008/02/lindsey-lot-road-home-gutted.html The video runs about eight and a half minites, it was taken from film to vhs to digital for the site. The quality is not the best but it is better than nothing, I hope you all enjoy it and I really hope to hear a few stories from people that worked the fire.

Arson Strikes Garage While Firefighters Party

On September 14, 1979 at 8:15 p.m. while local firefighters partied at the VFW as part of the Cumberland County Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention a 52 box was struck for a garage fire at 130 East King Street in the rear. An arson fire caused heavy damage to a 2-½-story frame garage used for storage. Damages were estimated at $5,000. One firefighter was injured and treated at the Shippensburg Medical Clinic. The Vigilant Hose, Cumberland Valley Hose and West End Fire and Rescue companies responded. A 17 year old by was later arrested for this fire and ten others.

The video of the C.V. Hose Company was taken yesterday at the Cumberland County Volunteer Fireman's convention parade in West Fairview. I got a new phone the other day and it has a 3.2 mega pixel video camera feature, Shane hasn't taught me everything about it yet so this is something new. I am amazed I made it work.