2013
These are pictured incidents which the Jakeland FD operated at in 2013.
9/13/13 FATAL 3 ALARM GAS FED FIRE
Firefighters in Jakeland Heights were dispatched to 224 Knickerbocker Rd for a report of a working fire. As firefighters across the city were responding to the fire, they could see the glow in the sky. When Engine 7 arrived with Tower Ladder 4, they began an aggressive defensive attack in an attempt to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby homes. The winds, which reached up to 40 mph, fueled the flames and caused 226 and 228 Knickerbocker Rd to become engulfed in flames. Firefighters placed multiple master streams in operation via three tower ladders and two deck guns. Multiple hoses were also stretched to douse the flames. Once Public Service Electric and Gas was able to secure the gas and electric in the area of the fire, firefighters were able to get an upper hand and extinguish the fire. The fire however, sent large embers into the air which caused a Fair St homes roof to catch fire. Firefighters however were able to douse the flames quickly with no extension into the home. Mutual aid was needed to cover the empty firehouses and to the scene for rehab and to fill air bottles. The mutual aid that responded were from Rochelle Heights, Lego Twp, Riverwoods, Portage, St Lego, Westbrick, Buena Vista, South Palm, Midlego, and North Lereado County. The cause for the fire was determined to be a lighting strike during the severe thunderstorm Jakeland experienced. The lightning strike caused a gas pipe to explode inside the residence of 224 Knickerbocker Rd. Unfortunately, the explosion killed two residents inside the home. No firefighters were injured battling the blaze. All units that operated at the scene were Engines 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, Tower Ladder 1, Tower Ladder 2, Ladder 3, Tower Ladder 4, Squads 3 and 10, Rescue 1, Battalion 2 and Deputy 3.
8/13/13 HOUSTON ST HOUSE FIRE
At 12:45 PM, firefighters were dispatched to 10 Houston St for a working car fire inside an attached garage. When Engine 9 arrived on scene first, they found a vehicle fully involved inside the garage. A hose was quickly stretched inside the home to prevent the fire from extending inside the house. As firefighters attempted to battle the flames, containers with flammable materials exploded. Firefighters were then forced to evacuate the home as flames extended into the home. Flames eventually vented through the roof and threatened another home next door. The fire however was able to be contained to the original building due to the aggressive efforts made by Jakelands Bravest! The fire was held at a 2 Alarm assignment with mutual aid to the scene from Westbrick for rehab and St Lego for a cascade unit. All units that operated at the scene were Engines 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, Tower Ladders 1, 2, 4, Squad 3, Rescue 1, Battalions 1, 2 and Deputy 3. No one was injured at this incident.
8/6/13 FOUR FIREMEN INJURED AT CHURCH ST FIRE
Firefighters were dispatched at 21:07 to 283 Church St for a working fire called in by Jakeland Police Officers. When Engine 4 arrived on scene, they found heavy fire venting from the front second floor windows. Jakeland Police Officers were able to assist some of the residents out of the building prior to Engine 4's arrival. Not all of the residents were accounted for and it was possible that 3 people were trapped on the second floor. When Ladder 3 arrived, they sent a crew to the second floor for a search. Rescue 1 also sent a crew inside to assist. Conditions inside however quickly began to deteriorate. Firefighters then had to evacuate the building. However, the fire had trapped the firemen on the second floor by cutting them off from the stairwell. Flames on the first floor in the rear kitchen of the deli also flashed over. Firefighters frantically began stretching more hoses in an attempt to douse the flames and get the trapped firemen out. Engine 5 and Squad 10's crew were successful and removed the trapped firemen to safety. The four firefighters were then transported to Jakeland University Medical Center. Tower Ladder 1 then put its tower in operation to douse the flames from the air as the blaze vented through the roof. After nearly two hours of dousing the blaze from the exterior, all visible fire was knocked down. Crews were then able to re-enter the building to hit hidden pockets of fire and overhaul. The fire was held to a 3rd Alarm assignment. Mutual Aid from Portage, Buena Vista, Lego Twp, St Lego, Rochelle Heights, Riverwoods, South Palm, Westbrick and North Lereado County were needed to the scene and stand by at firehouses across the city. All units that operated at the scene were Engines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15, Tower Ladders 1, 2, 4, Ladders 3, 7, Squads 3, 10, Rescue 2, Battalions 1, 2 and Deputy Chief 1. The cause of the fire determined to be a overloaded outlet in the kitchen of Cosmo's Deli. Two apartments on the second floor were a total loss displacing 5 people. The fire was held to the original structure.
8/5/13 12th STREET ALL HANDS JOB
Jakelands Bravest in South Jakeland were dispatched to 1226 12th Street for a apartment fire. When Engine 15 arrived on scene, fire could be seen venting from a front window on the third floor of a three story brick building. An attack line was quickly stretched to engage the flames. The fire was quickly extinguished by members of Engine 15 and Engine 6. Tower Ladder 2 vented the roof as Squad 10 performed a primary search of the building. Ladder 7 responded and was the FAST team. The fire was held to an all hands assignment and no one was injured. All the units that operated at the scene were Engines 2, 4, 6, 15, Ladder 7, Tower Ladder 2, Squad 10, Rescue 1, Battalion 1 and Deputy 4.
6/10/13 RED FOX LN HOUSE FIRE
Firefighters in the Jakeland Heights section of the city were dispatched at 1:47 PM to a house fire on Red Fox Ln. When Engine 7 and Tower Ladder 4 arrived on scene first, they found heavy fire venting through the roof. Fire was also venting out the bravo and delta sides of the home endangering structures next door. A defensive attack was quickly made on the fire using multiple hoses and two tower ladders. The fire was held to an all hands assignment. The delta side structure sustained some heat damage to the vinyl siding, however no other exposure building was involved due to the efforts of all the firemen on scene! All the units that operated at the scene were Engines 6, 7, 9, 12, Tower Ladders 2 and 4, Squad 3, Rescue 1, Battalion 2 and Deputy 1. The fire is currently under investigation.
5/31/13 JACKSON AVE HOUSE BURNS
Firefighters were dispatched to 77 Jackson Ave for a working house fire at 11:56 AM. A postal worker while delivering mail discovered the home on fire. Since it is common that an elderly woman is home when the mail is delivered, an aggressive attack on the fire was made by Engine 9 while Rescue 1 made a search. Firefighters however had a difficult time making an attack on the fire due to the amount of heat and flames. Luckily though, the elderly woman was out at the grocery store when the fire occurred. The fire went to 2 alarms and took close to an hour to bring under control. The cause of the fire is believed to be a unattended candle left burning in the living room. All the units that operated at the scene were Engines 1, 6, 7 9, 12, Tower Ladders 1, 2, 4, Squad 3, Rescue 1 and Battalion 2.
3/23/13 DYSON CHEMICAL BLAZE
Firefighters were dispatched the evening of 3/23/13 to a working fire at the Dyson Manufacturing and Chemical Storage facility on East Suffolk St. When Engine 13 arrived, heavy fire had consumed the main office complex, a warehouse in the rear of the complex and another attached warehouse. The fire quickly grew to 6 alarms bringing in fire departments from all across the region. At 8:38 AM on 3/25/13, Deputy Chief Meyers declared that all pockets of fire had been extinguished. Demolition crews were then able to respond to the scene and take apart the buildings involved. The fire burned for almost 3 days. This has become the biggest fire in the history of the Jakeland Fire Dept. The biggest since the Packard Webster Fire/Explosion in July 2008. The Jakeland Fire Dept. would like to thank the following fire departments who assisted, Lego Twp, St Lego, Portage, Johnstown, Riverwoods, Midlego, South Palm, Rochellle Heights, North Lereado County, Buena Vista, Brick City Beach, South Brick Beach, Westbrick, Charlottesburg, New Brickton, Pauland, Brick Twp, Bergen Heights, New Brickington, Lego Valley, Laurenville and Lego Regional Fire Authority. The fire is currently under investigation. Investigators have stated that the cause of the fire has been determined to be a valve that was improperly shut in the attached warehouse. Once explosive gases reached an ignition source, an explosion occurred which caused all flammable materials to ignite. No one was injured or killed at this incident.
2/27/13 CHICKEN HUT BURNS ON 11th STREET
Firefighters in Downtown Jakeland were dispatched to the Chicken Hut on the corner of 11th Street and 3rd Ave for a fire. When Battalion 1 arrived on scene, he found heavy smoke pushing from the roof. Engine 1 began an aggressive attack on the fire, while Tower Ladder 1 started to ventilate the structure. The fire was confined to the kitchen and was able to be quickly knocked down. However fire was able to extend up into the ceiling making it difficult for firefighters to access to extinguish. Once firefighters were able to open up the ceiling, the hidden pockets of fire were able to be extinguished. The fire was held to an all hands assignment and no one was injured. The cause of the fire was determined to be uncleaned grease in the kitchen that had heated up while workers were starting their day. All units that operated at the scene were Engines 1, 4, 5, 15, Tower Ladder 1, Ladder 3, Squad 10, Rescue 1 and Battalion 1.
2/18/13 ELDORADO ROW HOUSE BURNS KILLING ONE
The Jakeland Fire Dept. was dispatched a little after midnight for a working fire in an abandoned row house on Eldorado Way. When Engine 2 and Ladder 7 arrived, they found the structure fully involved and the roof collapsed. Firefighters quickly began a defensive attack and began defending the homes next to the structure. A second alarm was requested along with an extra tower ladder to combat the blaze. No firefighter made entry into the structure due to the amount of fire. The fire was so intense that the glow in the sky could be seen across the river in St Lego. After a long aggressive attack on the blaze, the fire was declared under control at 3:07 AM. Firefighters were eventually able to make entry into the home and found the remains of a vagrant inside. The fire was held to a 2nd alarm with a special call. The cause for the fire has been determined to be set by a vagrant in an attempt to stay warm. All units that operated at the scene were Engines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 15, Tower Ladder 1, Truck 2, Ladder 3, Ladder 7, Squad 10, Rescue 1 and Battalion 1.
2/11/13 TWO PLUS ALARMS ON ESSEX STREET
Firefighters in the northern end of Jakeland were requested to 177 Essex St at 10:13 AM for a commercial structure fire. When Engine 7 and Tower Ladder 4 arrived, they found heavy smoke venting from second floor windows of a 2 story commercial building. An aggressive interior attack was made, however firefighters were forced to pull out due to flashover conditions increasing. Flames eventually vented out the windows causing firefighters to place multiple master streams in operation to battle the blaze. Once all visible fire was knocked down from the exterior, firefighters again entered the building to combat the blaze. Firefighters were able to quickly knock down all visible fire on the second floor, however they still were experiencing heavy heat and smoke. Tower 2, who had made a roof cut earlier in the incident, reported that the roof vent had fire venting. Ladder 3 was requested to the scene and make another roof vent. Ladder 3's crew was able to make a cut causing the fire to vent vertically rather than horizontally. Engine 12 was needed to stretch a line up Ladder 3 to extinguish the blaze in the ceiling space that interior crews could not reach. This stubborn fire brought firefighters to the scene from all over the city. St Lego was also requested to the scene for rehab. Mutual Aid from Buena Vista, Lego Twp, Brick City Beach, South Palm and St Lego were also requested to stand by in empty firehouses across the city. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The last units to return to service cleared the scene at 5:05 PM. No one was injured at this very stubborn fire!
2/8/13 SNOW COVERED RT 17 CAUSES MVA WITH PIN
During Winter Storm Nemo, Jakelands Bravest were kept busy with multiple car accidents across the city. The most serious was a three vehicle crash that occurred on Rt 17 South near the Grand Ave exit. A white SUV struck the rear of another SUV. After that crash occurred, a tractor trailer, illegally traveling in the left lane, struck the rear of the white SUV causing it to roll over on the driver side. The driver and her 8 year old son were pinned in the car. Engine 4, Squad 10, Rescue 1 and Battalion 1 were dispatched to the scene. Enroute to the scene, Squad 10 discovered another motor vehicle crash prior to the rollover. Squad 10 handled the crash they found, and Rescue proceeded in alone with Engine 4. The members of Rescue 1, who had extra manpower due to the blizzard warning, were able to handle this incident with no assistance from a Squad. The mother and son were rescued within thirty minutes of arrival of Rescue 1. Both were transported to Jakeland University Medical Center with non life threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer was given a summons by the Oritani County PD for Failure to Keep Right on Highway (Vehicles 10,000 lbs GW or over).
1/18/13 ALL HANDS HOUSE FIRE ON SUTTON AVE
At 5:15 AM, the firefighters were woken up for a working house fire on Sutton Ave. Engine 6, Engine 7, Engine 9, Engine 12, Truck 2, Truck 4, Squad 3 and Rescue 1 were dispatched for the first alarm. Engine 12 was first to arrive on scene and found heavy fire venting out the front of the home. One hose was stretched by firefighters from Engine 12 to the rear of the home to begin interior firefighting efforts to douse the flames. When Engine 6 arrived on scene, they stretched a second hose off Engine 12 to the rear of the home to assist. Truck 2 put it's tower ladder up to the roof to vent. Rescue 1 began a primary search of the home, while Truck 4 vented the windows. Squad 3 acted as the FAST team. Firefighters were quickly able to bring the fire under control. The fire was held to an all hands assignment. The fire was caused by a chimney fire that spread into the walls of the home and quickly grew out of control. Thankfully the family had working smoke detectors that woke them up and gave them a chance to escape. No one was injured at this fire.
1/7/13 HI-RISE BURNS TO 3 ALARMS
Soon after workers arrived at the office complex at 1001 Commerce Way in Downtown Jakeland, a fire broke out in the 4th floor cafeteria. The fire quickly raged out of control and extended up to the fifth floor. Firefighters from all across the city responded to battle the blaze. When firefighters first arrived on scene, the flames were venting out the fourth and fifth floor windows. An interior attack was attempted, however due to the extreme heat and amount of fire involved, firefighters had to evacuate and battle the blaze utilizing a Tower Ladder 1's tower and Ladder 3's ladder. After all visible fire was knocked down from the exterior, crews were able to re-enter the hi-rise and overhaul. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical. Firefighters from Rochelle Heights and Westbrick were called to the scene to assist. Mutual aid from Johnstown, St Lego, Buena Vista, Lego Twp, South Palm, North Lereado County, Brick City Beach and Midlego was needed to stand by at empty firehouses. No injuries occurred at this incident.