For the period of Friday August 1 2008 to Thursday August 7, 2008 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 142 calls for assistance.
Friday August 1 – Firefighters from Engine 4 were returning to the station from an earlier call on Ely Avenue when Central Alarm notified them that calls were being received reporting a vehicle fire in the 1000 block of Main Street. Looking to the west, firefighters saw that the early afternoon sky was rapidly filling with smoke and as they got closer, the acrid smell of burning plastics became apparent. Arriving on the scene firefighters found a late model vehicle well involved in fire and due to nearby exposures as well as the amount of fire involvement, one additional Engine was requested to the scene. Quick deployment of hoselines allowed firefighters to limit the spread of fire but the original vehicle was declared a total loss. Damage estimates are placed at $10,000.
Saturday August 2 – Once again firefighters were sent to near simultaneous requests for assistance. The first call received at 5:17 PM indicated that a serious automobile accident had occurred in the8900 block of Niagara Falls Blvd and that the victims may be trapped in the vehicle. The LaSalle companies were committed to this operation when at 5:18 PM the remaining on duty firefighters were dispatched for a reported structure fire in the 1300 block of Norwood Avenue. There it was reported that a fire involving a propane tank was threatening a home. Both of these incidents were quickly declared under control and units were able to return to service.
Monday August 4 – The intersection of 18th and Ferry was once again the scene of an overnight blaze. At 3:44 AM fire units were dispatched for a large amount of smoke in the area with the exact source unknown. Fire units arrived and were able to locate a detached garage well involved in fire with fire also in an adjacent vacant structure. This structure was the scene of an earlier fire that caused significant damage to the building as well as to a nearby occupied home. Multiple hoselines were deployed to combat the intense heat and flames from the garage as other hoselines were taken into the building to control the rapidly intensifying fire. Once again the occupied structure was again in danger of being consumed but fortunately firefighters were able to apply enough water to quickly control the blaze. Evidence points to a fire being intentionally set in the garage and spread to the structure by means of the exterior wooden steps. Representatives from Building and Inspections were called to the scene and ordered that the garage as well as the step be demolished.
Monday August 4 – At 2PM a thunderous crash occurred at the intersection of Hyde Park and Royal Avenue. Firefighters from Company 8 quickly arrived and found two vehicles were involved with one being a mini van that was turned on its side. The other vehicle was a large truck and suffered only minor damage. Firefighters quickly stabilized the mini van and began attending to the driver who was trapped in the vehicle. A hoseline was deployed in the event of a fire as firefighters devised a plan to remove the victim from the vehicle. It was decided that the best course of action would be to access the patient by cutting away the roof of the vehicle. Using air chisels as well as the “Jaws of Life” firefighters made an access hole on the roof and were able to safely remove the victim.
Tuesday August 5 – The 4600 block of Hyde Park blvd was the scene of a motor vehicle accident that while minor in nature left the road closed for some time. At 8:01 AM fire units were dispatched for an accident involving a trash truck and another vehicle. During the accident a hydraulic line for the truck was damaged which resulted in a large amount of hydraulic fluid to be spilled on the roadway. Firefighters contained the material and stopped it from running into the storm sewers and spread absorbent material to capture the material on the roadway.
Tuesday August 5 – At 3:17 PM fire units were dispatched for a report of a structure fire in the 4000 block of Packard Rd. Fire units arrived on the scene and found that workers at the plant already had hoselines in service in an attempt to quench the flames. Workers involved in a demolition projects were cutting steel when a large transformer shifted and spilled the remaining oil in the transformer. Hot material from the cutting operation ignited the oil causing a fire to break out. The interior of the structure was compromised and all workers were removed from the building as firefighters begin to set up aerial ladders to combat the flames from the outside. Using a combination of elevated streams and hand held hoselines, firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and cool the metal. At the same time firefighters were battling this blaze, fire units were being sent to alarm activation in a hotel in the 100 block of Buffalo Avenue. This fire turned out to be minor in nature and units were able to return to service in a short time.
