Fire Calls: Incidents in West Hartford August 2 - 12

August 2, 2013-At 2:56pm Engine 4, Quint 2 and 3, and a Battalion Chief responded to Mountain Rd at Flagg Road. for a report of motor vehicle accident with a party stuck in the vehicle.  Engine 4 from 2458 Albany Ave. arrived within two minutes and found that the occupant was trapped after impacting a brick wall.  Engine 4 personnel removed the driver door from the vehicle using a hydraulic rescue tool and assisted AMR in removing the patient from the vehicle.

August 3, 2013-At 10:00pm Engine 1 from Prospect Ave. responded to 31 Walbridge Road for a report of an explosion.  Engine 1 arrived and found that a fuse on a CL&P utility pole had opened up as a result of a large tree branch.  Engine 1 crew made the area safe and notified CL&P of the problem.

August 5, 2013- At 10:44am Engines 4, 1, 5, Quint 3, and a Battalion Chief responded to 40 Ironwood Road for a report of a house filling with smoke.  Engine 4 arrived and found smoke coming from an open front door.  Engine 4 personnel immediately entered in their full Personal Protective Equipment and found a pot of food actively burning on the stove.  The fire was extinguished and the smoke was removed from the home using fire department fans.  Damage was limited to the cookware.

August 7, 2013-At 8:02am Engines 5 and 1 responded with a Battalion Chief to Interstate 84 East Bound for a report of a tractor trailer fire.  Engine 5 from Berkshire Road arrived and found a tractor trailer with a smoldering trailer tire.  Engine 1 from Prospect Avenue created a safe work zone by closing the lane the incident occurred in.  This is department policy and protects fire, police, and EMS personnel while they are working on the scene.  Once a Department of Transportation Service Patrol Vehicle arrived to control traffic Engine 1 was released.   Engine 5 turned the scene over to Connecticut State Police.

A firefighter works to extinguish the remaining fire on a tractor trailer fire on I-84.  See photos Tractor Trailer Fire 1 and 2.

August 9, 2013 - At 9:09 a.m. Quints 4 and 2, Engine 1, and a Battalion Chief responded to 64 Clifford Road for a report of a kitchen fire. Quint 4 from 2458 Albany Ave. arrived within three minutes and found smoke coming from the front door of a single family residence. Quint 4 personnel quickly accounted for the occupants which included a young child and entered the building to search for the source of the smoke. Quint 2 arrived to provide ventilation for the crew inside the building and Engine 1 arrived to provide a water supply for the fire attack if it was necessary. Quint 4 crew found a burning pan of grease on a cooktop in the basement of the home. The fire was extinguished and the area monitored for any possible fire extension. There was minor damage to the cooktop.

August 12, 2013 - At 1:20 p.m. Quint 3, Engine 1, and a Battalion Chief responded to I-84 Eastbound at the request of the Connecticut State Police for a report of a motor vehicle accident with parties injured. Quint 3 responded in place of Engine 5 which was on the scene of another incident. Quint 3 arrived to find a three car motor vehicle accident with several parties injured.  Engine 1 arrived and positioned to provide a safe work zone for all responders and patients. Quint 3 and Engine 1 personnel assisted in triaging and preparing the patients for transport to area hospitals as well as controlling any hazards present from the damaged motor vehicles. Three patients were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries.

Firefighters operating at the scene of a multi car motor vehicle accident on Interstate 84. See photos I-84 MVA and I-84 Traffic Control.

August 14, 2013 - At 12:32 p.m. the West Hartford Fire Department was alerted that a contractor had struck a gas main on Farmington Avenue near Arnold Way. A haz-mat alarm was sent to the location which consisted of Quint 2, Engine 1, Quint 3, a Battalion Chief, and a Safety Officer. Quint 2 arrived from 20 Brace Road and closed Farmington Avenue at Trout Brook Drive. Engine 1 arrived from the West and closed Farmington Avenue at Robin Road. Fire department personnel found natural gas readings in the area of the excavation and quickly determined that the leak was from a pipe which had been pulled up by an excavator. Gas was detected in storm drains as far as Outlook to the West and Trout Brook to the east. Engine 5 was added to the assignment to assist with monitoring the surrounding buildings. Making the repair more challenging was the fact that the break and shut off valve were buried in the un-excavated portion of the road. Connecticut Natural Gas personnel performed what is known as “hot work” and excavated the area while the leak was still active. WHFD personnel created a “hot zone” and cordoned off the area closing some businesses and requesting occupants of the apartment buildings to exit through the rear of the buildings. With the assistance of several West Hartford Police units all vehicle and pedestrian traffic was closed until Connecticut Natural Gas had controlled the leak. Quint 2 and Engine 1 established water supplies and deployed large caliber hose streams to provide protection for CNG personnel and the surrounding buildings. CNG was able to control the leak shortly after 2 p.m. Hartford Fire Department provided two fire companies for town coverage while four of the five West Hartford units were engaged. Farmington Avenue was re-opened later in the evening after CNG had made permanent repairs.

The scene of the gas leak on Farmington Avenue. See photos Farmington Ave Gas Leak.