| On a cold and windy Friday evening, West Grove Fire Company volunteers and staff were dispatched for a chimney fire on East Ewing Road in Penn Township. Residents there reported smoke coming into the house from the chimney. Upon arrival, WGFC's Assistant Chief reported normal conditions from the outside, but found a smoke condition on the inside, and requested the first Engine to lay in.
West Grove responded with Engine 22-1, Ladder 22, Engine 22-2, Tanker 22, Engine 22-3, Brush 22, and the Ambulances. Engine 22-1 laid approximately 1,000 feet of 5" supply line up the driveway, with Ladder 22 coming right behind. The Ladder crew set up its aerial ladder and sent a crew to the roof. Meanwhile, crews from Engine 22-2 and Engine 22-1 began to assess fire conditions inside. They found burning materials in a section of vent pipe connecting a furnace to the vertical chimney, and also materials at the top of the chimney obstructing flow.
The Engine crews laid down tarps and runners to protect the home, and began to remove burning materials down at the lowest level of the home. This included disassembling piping from the furnace to empty it of burning materials. Meanwhile, the Ladder 22 crew went to the roof, removing the chimney cap to inspect the chimney pipe, and used a combination of drop chains and a pike pole to clear debris at the top.
Crews used fire buckets to remove burning debris from the house, and battery-powered fans to push smoke from the residence. Gas meters were used to assure all levels of the home were clear of CO gases, and WGFC's thermal imaging cameras assured firefighters that all burning materials were addressed.
WGFC Fire Police were on scene maintaining traffic flow on Ewing Road. WGFC units were on scene for 90 minutes, with added time to pack back up the supply line laid up the driveway. |
