On Friday, November 14, 2008 at 10:43 PM, three engine companies of Bullhead City Firefighters, one rescue ambulance, under the command of Battalion Chief Craig Stephenson responded to a residential structure fire at 694 Palo Verde Drive.
Bullhead City Firefighter Jeremy Cady and Captain Steve Campbell removed the debris and window blinds that were destroyed in the fire.
Arriving firefighters observed the front glass door had already been broken. With black smoke showing from the interior, and the smoke level was to the floor, a simultaneous interior attack was ordered through the front door.
A small working fire was found in a bedroom. This was a small carpet fire that had smoldered for a while. The fire was limited to the bedroom. However, two additional burn patterns were found in the master bedroom and in the living room. These two carpet fires burned out prior to our arrival.
These three fires were considered to be debility set. The investigation will continue with the Bullhead City Police department.
No one was living in this residence. The home was brand new with no evidence that anyone was living in the home.
Written and Submitted to West Coast 911 courtesy of Larry Tunforss / Bullhead City PIO
On Monday, October 27, 2008, at 08:37, two engine companies and one ladder truck of the Bullhead City Fire Department, along with three rescue ambulances, the Training Division Chief and the EMS Division Chief responded to a reported residential structure fire. The fire was under the command of Battalion Chief Craig Stephenson.
Before engines arrived on the scene, dispatch was relaying “neighbors state mom and two kids could be home.” The first engine on scene laid a hose from the hydrant to the engine. This fire was an defensive fire due to the large amount of fire as firefighters arrived. The engineer on the first engine activated his deck mounted nozzle and quickly dispersed 300 gallons of water on the front of the residence.
Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire with three 1 ¾ hose lines. The added room to the south had no windows to access the fire. Power tools were used to cut holes.
While still working the fire, the mom arrived home and stated all their children were in school.
The American Red Cross was called to the home to assist the family with a place to stay clothing and food. Mom, Dad and the three children now have nothing, as the home and contents were a total loss.
Two Investigators were called in to investigate the cause of the fire. Their investigation is continuing.
Story and photos submitted to West Coast 911 by:
Photos and Story by Larry Tunforss, Public Information Officer
Bullhead City Fire Department
On Saturday, October 11, 2008 at approximately 2:08 PM, units of the San Jose Fire Department responded to reports of a structure fire at 2069 Limewood Drive on San Jose’s north side. Callers to 9-1-1 reported a loud explosion followed by a fast moving fire that fully engulfed a home under construction.
Photos by Craig Allyn Rose
San Jose Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Barry Stallard was the first to arrive on scene after seeing smoke while driving on nearby I-680. Upon his arrival Stallard found 40-foot high flames fanned by strong winds. According to Stallard the homes on either side of the fire had already ignited requiring an additional second and third-alarm response.
Photos by Craig Allyn Rose
Some residents could be seen hosing down shake rooftops, while firefighters worked to successfully stop the spread of the flames to additional structures. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the three properties, with one structure burnt to the ground and the other two homes suffering serious damage. There were no injuries reported and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Story and Photos submitted to WestCoast911.com by Craig Allyn Rose, Emergency Photo
On Thursday, October 2, at approximately 6:00 AM, units of the San Jose Fire Department responded to a fast moving structure fire in a multi-unit strip mall at 5156 Moorpark Avenue on the city’s west side.
The fire sent flames up to 40 feet above the roofline of the structure and destroyed three business occupancies including two restaurants before firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.
Striking a second and third-alarm, Battalion Chief Robert Sapien called for firefighters to assume a defensive attack using exterior hand lines. Other crews were sent to the roof to complete a trench cut in a successful effort to quell the advance of the fire.
Firefighters were able to contain the flames before they spread to a dry cleaner, bridal shop and jeweler, but those tenants did suffer smoke damage.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Story and Photos by Craig Allyn Rose, Emergency Photo
Just after 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2008 units of the Santa Clara County Fire Department responded to multiple reports of fire in a vacant commercial structure at 15400 Los Gatos Boulevard.
Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with heavy fire and smoke from at least two sides of the structure requiring a second alarm to augment the equipment and personnel initially dispatched.
The 20,000 square foot structure, formerly home to Swanson Ford, was unoccupied . Firefighters were able to deploy multiple hand lines and an aerial master stream to bring the fire under control only minutes after their arrival.
Photo by Craig Allyn Rose
Photos by Craig Allyn Rose
There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Story and photos courtesy of Craig Allyn Rose - Emergency Photo
At 1:33 P.M. on September 29, 2008 fire dispatchers received a call from an alarm company reporting a fire pull station had been activated at a multi-unit apartment complex located on the corner of 13th Street and Acacia in the City of San Bernardino. The first fire unit was on scene at 1:38 P.M. and reported to incoming units there was heavy fire blowing out of a second story window. Firefighters quickly deployed hose lines to the second floor to extinguish the fire while simultaneously going door to door through the complex to ensure all occupants were out of harms way.
Due to the amount of fire involvement a second alarm was called to assist in the suppression of the fire and the evacuation. The fire was under control with in thirty minutes of the first call. A 20-year-old male who was an occupant of the complex was transported to a local area hospital with minor smoke inhalation he sustained while he was self-evacuating.
City fire investigators were called to the scene to conduct a through investigation as to what started this blaze. After interviewing the occupants of the involved apartment it was determined that two small children playing with a lighter under a bed started the fire.
**The fire department would like to remind parents and child care givers that lighters and matches should be kept out of reach of children at all times and when using such devices around children they should be educated on the potential hazards these devices can cause.
Written and submitted by Steve Tracy, PIO-San Bernardino City Fire
Firefighters were faced with heavy fire on arrival at a house located in the Packanack Lake area of Wayne Township, shortly before midnight Sunday, September 21.
Neighbors reported seeing flames and hearing what sounded like fireworks or an explosion at 51 Forest Terrace. The fire was so intense that it melted a plastic fence which was 20 feet from the front of the house, and the house itself sustained heavy damage.
Companies made a quick knockdown and the fire was under control in less than an hour with no serious injuries reported. An investigation is ongoing.
Cause of fire: Undetermined/under investigation - appears to have started on
rear patio and extended into the small house and a shed in backyard.
Damage estimate: $75,000
Description of damage: Back patio heavy damage, shed in backyard destroyed, one bedroom gutted, rest of house heat and
smoke damage.
General information about the incident: No one at home at time of fire. Heavy
fire and thick smoke fanned by high winds when firefighters arrived. Incident is
under investigation by LVFR fire investigators.
West Coast 911 source - Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Media release written by TIMOTHY R. SZYMANSKI
Clifton firefighters responded to the report of smoke coming from the building at 29 Sade St. shortly before 1:30 am, Labor Day morning.
As a crew of three firefighters conducted a primary search of the building’s second floor, their means of egress was cut off by the rapidly spreading flames. They issued an urgent call for assistance and a FAST assignment from Passaic’s Ladder 1 sprung into action with a ground ladder to the second floor and affected a rescue of the trapped Clifton crew. There were no injuries.
Deputy Chief Lyons ordered the evacuation of all remaining personnel as conditions rapidly deteriorated, posing a safety threat. Companies went into a defensive mode fighting the blaze from the exterior with hand lines and a stream from Clifton Truck 2’s tower. After a partial collapse of the roof, Engine 3 set up an additional aerial stream and together with Truck 2, was able to knock down the flames which were running the cockloft. The fire was placed under control in approximately three hours. Several surrounding municipalities supplied mutual aid into the city, including Paterson, Passaic and Montclair.
The house was vacant at the time of the fire and according to police on the scene; the occupants were forced to leave when the house recently entered into foreclosure.
A complete investigation is underway to try to determine the cause and origin of the
blaze.
E1 responded to a pole fire with multiple callers. MCT stated possible transformer fire. Security stated the transformers between the Golden Gate Casino and the Bayou Casino are arcing and popping.
E1 upon arrival found two transformers on fire. These transformers were 2 of 4 in a single line supported by multiple poles. E1 updated NVP via dispatch with the two transformers actively on fire. E1 utilized Freemont Street Security to secure a safe area around E1 and to keep on-lookers well away from the transformers. Golden Gate Casino was notified to clear any Rooms on the East wall both 1st and 2ns stories.
E1 set up the snozzle and secured a water supply directly in front of the Golden Gate Casino to extinguish a rubbish fire (as a result of the transformers being on fire) directly underneath the transformers. NVP on scene and they shut power off to both banks of transformers so E1 could further extinguish the hot spots on the poles themselves and the rubbish container. Freemont Street Security and the Golden Gate Casino notified of the power being secured. NVP to handle and E1 to break down Fire Barrier Tape.
West Coast 911 firefighter news submitted by Firefighter Caswell, LVFR
On Monday, October 27, 2008, at 08:37, two engine companies and one ladder truck of the Bullhead City Fire Department, along with three rescue ambulances, the Training Division Chief and the EMS Division Chief responded to a reported residential structure fire. The fire was under the command of Battalion Chief Craig Stephenson.
