Fire Calls: Incidents in West Hartford July 17 - July 24

The following information has been supplied by the West Hartford Fire Department and is a summary of fire department activities:

July 19, 2013

At 5:55 a.m. Engines 4 and 1, Quint 2, and a Battalion Chief responded to 30 F Starkel Rd. for a report of a fire in the apartment. Engine 4 from 2458 Albany Ave. arrived within two minutes and found a fire in a cooking appliance. The fire was contained and the building ventilated.

July 23, 2013

At 3:40 p.m. Engine 1 was dispatched to a report of a porch collapse at 36 Thomas St. Engine 1 from 561 Prospect Ave arrived and found a porch from the third floor had collapsed onto the second floor. Engine 1 crew secured the scene and worked with the Building Department to make the scene safe. There were no injuries; however, the front porches were a total loss.

July 23, 2013

At 4:46 p.m. Quint 2 and 3, and Engine 5 were dispatched to 240 Park Rd. at A.C. Peterson's for a report of a building fire. Engine 1 which would have been the first arriving unit was on another alarm. Battalion Chief 2 and Quint 2 arrived from 20 Brace Rd. and discovered a large rooftop penthouse was well involved with fire. All five West Hartford fire companies and two Hartford units were able to contain the fire to the penthouse mechanical room with no damage to the building. The penthouse unit and its contents were a total loss. While West Hartford units were occupied mutual aid units from Bloomfield and Avon responded to two medical emergencies along with one West Hartford fire company that was recalled and staffed with off-duty personnel.

July 24, 2013

Quint 2 and Engine 1 participated in an extrication drill at West Hill Automotive, re-creating an actual incident that took place on Interstate 84 on May 11, 2011.  Crews practiced performing evolutions from an aerial apparatus similar to the incident in 2011. Crews were unable to gain access to the vehicle occupants as the car had come to rest on a jersey style barrier above the Trout Brook overpass. The only safe way to access the victim trapped in the vehicle was to set an aerial apparatus on Trout Brook Dr. below and operate from the aerial ladder.