Fire Damages Franklin Township Home
 
June 5, 2020
 

The West Grove Fire Company was dispatched for a house fire Thursday afternoon in Franklin Township just before 5:00 pm. Initial dispatch reports indicated flames in the attic and roof area. Dispatched to assist WGFC were units from Oxford, Avondale, Elkton (Cecil County MD) and Cochranville. The fire was on Liberti Lane, just south of the intersection of Routes 841 and 896.

Chief 22 arrived on location with smoke showing, then indicated fire in the C/D corner (rear and east sides of the house) high at the peak of the roof. He requested the first in Engine to lay a supply line from the Route 896 intersection. Engines 22-2 and 22-3 arrived together, with Engine 22-2 laying the line from 896 to the scene, and Engine 3 setting up water supply. Engine 2's crew stretched an attack line into the residence, where they encountered heavy smoke in the attic with fire coming from the east side of the house at the roof ridge line.

Ladder 22 arrived and raised it's aerial to the roof so crews could cut ventilation and assist with the fire fight in the back corner of the house. Engine 3's crew set up the water supply line and connected it directly to Tanker 22, which provided the initial flows to Engine 2 at the fire scene, approximately 600' from the intersection. Tankers from Oxford and Avondale also were staged at the water supply location to advance water flow, if needed. WGFC Fire Police handled keeping traffic flowing during this operation at a very busy intersection on Route 896. Additional units from various other fire companies arrived on the scene and assisted with ventilation, overhaul and operations.

Quick work by the initial Engine and Ladder teams knocked down the fire, and the situation was declared under control in approximately 30 minutes. Thursday was a very warm day, with temperatures in the high 80s, so ambulance crews from Kennett and West Grove were busy checking on firefighters and providing hydration. There were no injuries reported.

 
Units: Engines 22-1,22-2, and 22-3; Ladder 22; Tanker 22; Ambulance 22; Rescue 22; and Fire Police
 
Mutual Aid: Oxford: Ladder 21, Tanker 21, Engine 21-4; Cochranville: Rescue 27; Kennett: Ambulance 24; Elkton: Engine 13-2; Avondale: Tanker 23, Engine 23-1; Chester County and State Police Fire Marshals.