For the period of Friday January 16, 2009 to Thursday January 22, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 126 calls for assistance.
Friday January 16 – With the temperature in the teens, falls firefighters found themselves responding to a significant vehicle accident in front of the Ontario Avenue Fire Hall. A total of eight firefighters responded to this incidents and Truck One from the 10th Street hall was special called to utilize the “Jaws of Life”. Damage to the vehicle was extensive enough that one of the doors needed to be removed so that the patients could be accessed. The extreme cold made patient assessment and emergency care difficult. Two patients complained of neck and back pain and were immobilized using cervical collars and long backboards. Injuries to all parties were not believed to be life threatening.
Sunday January 18 – The 2200 block of Niagara Avenue was the scene of a dwelling fire that was reported at 11:36 AM. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire conditions with fire showing from multiple windows in the 2 story frame home. Multiple handlines were deployed to both combat the fire in the building and to stop its spread to other nearby structures. Portable deluge guns were placed into service in an attempt to control the fire. All on-duty city fire resources were called to the scene as the cold took it toll on firefighters as well as their equipment. Mutual Aid from Niagara County was called in to provide coverage in city fire halls. The fire is believed to have originated in the basement of the building and quickly traveled through both horizontal as well as veridical voids throughout the structure. The exact cause of the fire is undetermined and investigators continue to examine evidence gathered at the scene. Damage estimates have been placed in excess of $30,000.
Tuesday January 20 – Dinner time for an occupant of a home in the 3000 block of 17th Street provided some excitement. At 6:19 PM firefighters from the downtown stations were dispatched to a report of smoke in a structure. Firefighters arrived to find a slight haze in the building and searched for the cause of the smoke. It was determined that the electrical service to the home was shorting out creating an unsafe condition. Firefighters were able to isolate the problem and eliminate the immediate hazard. Damage was minimal with initial estimates being placed at less then $1,000.
Tuesday January 20 – At 11:03 PM firefighters were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 1700 block of Falls Street. Engine Company 8 from the Royal Avenue station arrived to find heavy fire coming from the rear of a 2 ½ story frame dwelling with fire extending up into the attic space. Orange flames filled the night sky while due to the cold temperatures the smoke tended to hug the ground. Firefighters advanced multiple hoselines into the building in an attempt to contain the fire and cut off its vertical spread. At one point it appeared that the fire would force firefighters from the structure and abandon interior operations however, firefighters were able to get water to the seat of the fire and gain the upper hand. Damage estimates in this suspicious fire were placed at $20,000.
Thursday January 22 –A police officer on routine patrol spotted a structure fire in the 1600 block of 10th Street shortly after 10PM. Firefighters from Ontario Avenue arrived to find the rear of the first floor well involved in fire with initial reports indicating that a mother and two children may be trapped on the upper levels. While the crew of the Engine Company stretched hoselines to keep the fire from getting to the upper levels, members of the truck crew began a search of the 2nd and 3rd floors. The hydrant across the street from the fire building was frozen and firefighters were forced to find alternative sources of water. This delay resulted in the fire spreading from the first floor and in a very short time almost the entire building was fully involved. Firefighters used almost one mile of 5” supply line in attempting to get enough water to combat the fire which now threatened nearby exposed buildings. All attempts at an interior operation were abandoned as firefighters set up multiple master streams. At the height of the fire more then 2,000 gallons of water per minute was being applied to the burning building. Due to the volume of hose being used and the amount of fire involvement all on-duty fire resources were called to the scene. A number of streets were closed due to the large hoses being laid across multiple intersections. It was determined that all occupants had gotten out of the building prior to the arrival of the fire department and the Red Cross was called to the scene to not only assist the occupants but also provided water, coffee, etc to the firefighters. Once again Niagara County provided mutual aid coverage to the city as off-duty firefighters were called in. During the firefight the roof of the building collapsed which resulted in the building being ordered demolished. Despite the amount of fire and the amount of physically taxing tasks there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. The last fire unit left the scene around 5 AM and the exact cause of this fire is still under investigation.
