Stephen Wallace wrote this piece about the Gasport fire for the 1st Responder Broadcast Network, a great source for emergency services news...
Niagara County has had four straight days of high 90's and off the scale humidity. Thursday around 730 PM the heat index was still unbearable when the alarm of fire came in. Calls started coming in to the Niagara County Sheriffs dispatch of a fire at the old landmark cold storage building On Telegraph Road and State street near route 31 and thankfully a yard away from the canal.
Responding Deputies called in that they could see smoke from blocks away, actually witnesses saw the smoke over 20 miles away. Gasport's Fire Chief could not believe it...another major structure fire in his small community in under a month. The flames were reaching to the sky and spreading through the 200 year old building. Immediate mutual aid alarm were sounded.
Terry's Corner's was called to the scene their pumper under the experience hand of Pumping engineer "Durf" was crucial in handling the water that would be brought in by tankers. "Durff's" watchful eye, kept fire lines and trucks flowing with the proper pressure and never allowing anyone to run out of water without warning that the level was getting low.
Other fire units set up a draft on the North side of the building where the canal was and feed a nearby Aeriel truck. South Lockport Fire Company was called to the scene with their 101 foot aerial to attack from the south over the rail road tracks. Niagara County Tankers from Hartland, Wolcottsville and from Orleans County Shelby were used. Dual water pounds were put into use providing water to feed hand lines, deck guns and aerial's. The nearby hydrants either failed or could not put out enough pressure for the firefighters.
Gasports Chiefs fought this type of rapid moving fire just a few weeks ago with the almost the same companies helping. They knew they needed to provide a safe working condition and protect surroundings structures which they did masterfully. Gasport's Chief also had an immediate rehab set up do to the extreme heat index.
Niagara County Elite CIS unit was called right away to the scene, and evidence collection expert CIS Deputy Joesph Shanley started photographing the complete scene right away for investigators to use at a later date. He also photographed the crowd, a procedure that experience trains you to do.
The roadway was shut down for hours as manpower rolled to the scene to help control the blaze. Origin and Cause investigator Joe Fries was on scene right away paying close attention to details that would help him piece together the investigation at a later safe time. The fire was still going at 10:30 and it was decided it would be safer to document details in the morning.
Responding Deputies called in that they could see smoke from blocks away, actually witnesses saw the smoke over 20 miles away. Gasport's Fire Chief could not believe it...another major structure fire in his small community in under a month. The flames were reaching to the sky and spreading through the 200 year old building. Immediate mutual aid alarm were sounded.
Terry's Corner's was called to the scene their pumper under the experience hand of Pumping engineer "Durf" was crucial in handling the water that would be brought in by tankers. "Durff's" watchful eye, kept fire lines and trucks flowing with the proper pressure and never allowing anyone to run out of water without warning that the level was getting low.
Other fire units set up a draft on the North side of the building where the canal was and feed a nearby Aeriel truck. South Lockport Fire Company was called to the scene with their 101 foot aerial to attack from the south over the rail road tracks. Niagara County Tankers from Hartland, Wolcottsville and from Orleans County Shelby were used. Dual water pounds were put into use providing water to feed hand lines, deck guns and aerial's. The nearby hydrants either failed or could not put out enough pressure for the firefighters.
Gasports Chiefs fought this type of rapid moving fire just a few weeks ago with the almost the same companies helping. They knew they needed to provide a safe working condition and protect surroundings structures which they did masterfully. Gasport's Chief also had an immediate rehab set up do to the extreme heat index.
Niagara County Elite CIS unit was called right away to the scene, and evidence collection expert CIS Deputy Joesph Shanley started photographing the complete scene right away for investigators to use at a later date. He also photographed the crowd, a procedure that experience trains you to do.
The roadway was shut down for hours as manpower rolled to the scene to help control the blaze. Origin and Cause investigator Joe Fries was on scene right away paying close attention to details that would help him piece together the investigation at a later safe time. The fire was still going at 10:30 and it was decided it would be safer to document details in the morning.
Source:
http://www.1strespondernews.com/webpages/news/displaynews.aspx?ID=291bbfd1-600f-4e96-a557-e2ac33975b04
