Albany (Albany) - 2 Alarm Fire - Sheridan Ave and S Swan St.

[Pagers 197]

Date: 05/12/2012

Time: 11:00 PM

Location: Intersection of Sheridan Ave and S Swan St.

Frequency: City of Albany Public Safety 800Mhz

Units Operating: Engines 1, 2, 5, and 7. Ladders 1, 2, 3, and 4. Most command, staff, and investigations cars. Department Mechanic. Mohawk Ambulance Service. Albany Police.

Weather Conditions: Clear, no wind, moderate temperatures.

Description Of Incident: Fire began in the house at the corner of Sheridan Ave and S Swan St. and quickly spread to the adjacent 4 or 5 houses. No victims were inside at the time and crews started an interior attack. Soon the evacuation call was given and crews began setting up Ladder Pipes and Master Streams. No wind and slight humid air caused smoke to settle in the area causing a visibility of no more then 5-6 feet. Power and gas was secured quickly by National Grid, and the hanging power lines made maneuvering ladder pipes difficult. Throughout the fire their were collapse issues and sounds of walls and roofs collapsing was a common thing, proper collapse zones and precautions were taken to insure firefighter safety in the case of a fall towards the men and women. Halfway through the operation two Firefighters were treated for various problems and one was transported ALS and the other BLS to Albany Medical Center Hospital, both are reportedly in good health at this time. At around 3:00 AM smoke started clearing and bulk of fire was appearing to be knocked down and reports of fire being under control ensued. To this time fire is still being extinguished and collapse is still an issue. Investigating this fire will be difficult due to the structural integrity of the building and most likely will have to be demolished for safety reasons. In all a total of 4-5 homes were involved in the blaze and are now considered unlivable. The fire is at the Four Hour mark and fatigue is starting to set into the firefighters and quotes of having fun turn into "I'm too old for this." The department mechanic is on scene filling trucks with fuel as needed and making sure there is no problems with the equipment. Thankfully this fire didn't have any broken or dry hydrants as is many the case of recent fires around the area.

Reporters: Andrew Witkowski

Edited May 13, 2012 by lafd55