Yonkers -4th Alarm 12-17-03

[Remember585 815]

Date: 12/17/03

Times: 19:40hrs - Ongoing

Location: Yonkers - 149 No. Broadway plus exposures

Frequency: 484.7125

Units Operating: All Hands

Description Of Incident: Fire with multiple exposure problems, attempting to get more info at this time.

Writer: 642

Relocations:

Yonkers Sta. #1: E151 & E31 Greenville & Eastchester

Yonkers Sta. #12: E22 & L13 New Rochelle

Yonkers Sta. #13: E206 & L62 Mount Vernon

Last Progress Report stated aerial streams on main fire bldg,, muliple lines in exposures.

[Oswegowind 17]

Hey munz, I am in North Carolina...can you give an update? Heard it went to 5 alarms at this time...Empress is doing a recall!

[Guest DFFD227]

!!UPDATE!!

All hands still operating, ...Main Body K/D still heavy fire in Initial Fire building of exposure 2. Interior Crews are operating at this time. Heavy Pockets of Fire still being found. 4 Lines stretched for interior attack, all exterior attacks shut down. Secondary Searches are being conducted.

[HFD23 37]

all yonkers companies committed, 4th alarm...

towers 71, 75 operating along with 2 straight sticks.... fire blowing through the roof, reports of people traped which last i hear were negative... as of 2130hrs exterior ops suspended resuming interior operations in main fire building, 2ndary search's in progress...

[Guest DFFD227]

!!UPDATE!!

Bat. 1 reporting Fire K/D no visible fire, checking for extension, opening up, roof collapse in the rear.

[Guest DFFD227]

Heard it went to 5 alarms at this time...

It did not go to 5 Alarms...There were going to call a 5th alarm, but felt that they had enough resources, and soon after the fire was brought under control.

[Guest VFDJrSqd02]

There is a 9 year old girl that died in this fire...may her family and friends be remembered in our prayers.. :cry: [-o<

[61MACKBR1 222]

A 9-year-old girl was killed last night in a four-alarm, wind-swept fire that raced through the top floor of her North Broadway apartment building, Yonkers Fire Department Officials said.

Yonkers Firefighters frantically searched for Maria Alejandro, who had been missing for almost three hours after the fire began about 7:30 p.m. The blaze left at least 100 people homeless. Her parents, Angel and Sandra, managed to evacuate, but they grew increasingly desperate as their daughter could not be found. At first, firefighters thought the girl may have gotten lost in the smoky pandemonium. But as time passed with no sign of Maria, residents began fearing the worst. Sandra Alejandro pleaded for firefighters to find her daughter. "My baby! My baby! Please save my baby!" she was heard yelling earlier in the evening. She later went into Community Baptist Church to pray as her husband stood vigil in front of the building, waiting for news. Yonkers Mayor-elect Phil Amicone and Yonkers Fire Commissioner Anthony Pagano broke the news to the father about 10:30 p.m., shortly after Maria's body was found. Two Yonkers Firefighters, from YFD Rescus Company 1, who rushed into the building to search for the girl suffered second-degree burns to their hands and heads, and they were taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers, Amicone said. About 75 firefighters went to the five-story building, where the fire erupted in the rear of the top floor and was swept to the front by high winds, Pagano said. It was brought under control about 8:30 p.m., but the roof collapsed, and firefighters had to sift through feet of debris before locating Maria's body under a bed. The fire was contained to the fifth floor, but the other floors and many of the 60 apartments sustained heavy smoke and water damage. Residents at 153 N. Broadway, a four-story building separated from 149 N. Broadway by a narrow alleyway, were also evacuated.

"Considering how close the buildings are to each other and the high winds, the Fire Department did an excellent job containing the fire," Amicone said. The American Red Cross set up an emergency command center at the Commerce Middle School on Palisade Avenue, spokeswoman Linda Martin said. It was unclear late last night if the families would be taken to a hotel or a shelter, Martin said. Earlier, Erica Jimenez, 19, a fourth-floor resident who was at work, rushed home when she heard about the fire. Her 2-year-old daughter and her sister, who was baby-sitting, managed to escape. "It's not a good thing that this happens near Christmas," she said. "I was hoping to spend Christmas in my home, but now it looks like it won't happen." Greenville, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and Eastchester Fire Departments were called in for Mutual Aid to cover various section of Yonkers, to which all 4 departments did professionally. Greenville and Eastchester were assigned to Fire Headquarters/Station 1 on School Street, covering the West Side of the City. New Rochelle had a Ladder and Engine Company covering the Middle of the City up at Station 12 on Fortfield Avenue. Mount Vernon had an Engine and Ladder Company over at Station 13 on Kimball Avenue covering the East Side of the City. Yonkers Fire Department had Engine Companies 303, 304, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313 & 314, along with Tower Ladders 71 & 75, along with Ladder Companies 70, 72, 73, & 74. Also Yonkers Rescue Company # 1 (R10) as well as the Building Collaspe Unit from Station 11, The Arson Squad, The Mask Services Unit, Battalions 1 & 2, and All YFD Executives at the scene. The last fatal fire in the city was on April 2, when a 71-year-old woman was killed in her Riverdale Avenue apartment. A March 14 fire on Nodine Hill claimed five lives. Husband and wife Pedro and Julia Elena Velez of 96 Oak St. were killed immediately. Their two sons, Brian and Peter, and Peter's wife, Enid Vanessa Lugo, were severely burned trying to escape the flames and died in the ensuing weeks. Two men are charged with manslaughter in those deaths, accused of starting a fire for warmth in a vacant building and leaving it to spread to the surrounding buildings. The 10-alarm fire, one of the worst in Yonkers' history, consumed 15 buildings, left 200 people homeless and injured several firefighters. Some 300 people were left homeless two days later after fire raced through a six-story apartment building on Bronx River Road on the city's east side. The seven-alarm blaze ravaged the 102-unit Wakefield Towers cooperative apartment building, but caused no serious injuries among residents. Several firefighters were hurt.

[Guest DFFD227]

Last night they had Engine 317, Ladder 76, and Bat. 3 covering calls for the city. I was just wondering what kind of Apperatus 317, Ladder 76, and battalion 3 was?

[HFD23 37]

i know Ladder 76 is a Rear mount, i am guessing a seagrave, probably one of the trucks 72 and 73 replaced? but thats a guess.. its deffinatly a rear mount straight stick, and ladder 77 is the old tower ladder 75..

[Guest DFFD227]

I do know that 77 is the old 71...I dont think it was the old 75? Was it?...Ladder 76 is the old ladder 72?? Then what is Engine 317? Maybe its the old 314, or 311 Sutphens? Truck4, you up for this one??

[Truck4 48]

OK, here it is. Tower Ladder 77 is the former TL-75( As of July, it still had the number 75 on the bucket).

Ladder 76 is a seagrave rear mount.

The spare engines are (2) Macks and (1) Sutphen. The Sutphen is spare #941. One of the Mack engines is Unit #301 with spare #903. The Unit # 317 used last night is the first I've heard of it. The only marked unit numbers on spares are 301 and 77. Engine 301 is usually kept at Ridge Hill Complex (fully equipped) with a spare ladder and the Shamrock fire boat on it's trailer. Going back to the Bronx River Rd. fire in March, YFD ran Engine Co's 301 (which was acting E-306 at the time of the job, while E-306 had the firewatch at Nodine Hill. E-306 was later relieved at the fire watch by Arson, so they could respond to the fire), Engine 315 and Engine 941. I do not believe there are standard unit numbers for all of the spares except 301 and 77.

[HFD23 37]

Does any one know the status of yonkers rescue 1?

they had the Mack CF engine that was modified to be rescue one on the scene last night at 149 n broadway...

i guess that rig some how fits all of rescue ones equipment? i find that hard to believe...

and does the collapse unit have a number or designation other then the collapse unit?

[Guest DFFD227]

The Unit # 317 used last night is the first I've heard of it.

WOW THATS A FIRST! LOL... Find out for us.

[Truck4 48]

Rescue 1 has a dedicated spare. A converted Mack engine that was Squad 1/Rescue 1 before they got the ALF rescue.

I believe the deal is that aside from 301 and 77, the spares are identified by spare # (ex: 941, 903, etc) until activated. They are then given a unit # (ex:315, etc.) and the number is determined by the officer assigned to the communications division as he sees fit at that time. So, until there is a standard system, you will hear any of the 302, 305, 315, 316, 317 identifiers (They were not running a 316 last night).

The collapse unit is identified as collapse unit at this time. This may all change when the trailer they are putting together goes in service.

[Truck4 48]

Interesting bit of info- Due to the 4th alarm and officer down jobs occuring at the same time, the YPD requested units from the County Police to assist with traffic control at the fire. This was the first time in 8 years another police agency was called into the city. They were released once the 4th Pct. late tour was called in, 2 hours early, at 9pm.