Working Fire

Morton Fire Department

Structure Fire – County Line Road & Creek Road

12:45 AM – August 20, 2009

The Morton Fire Department was dispatched to a reported house fire this morning at 12:45 AM. 2C21 was first on the scene and reported a working fire in a vacant structure. 2C11 arrived and took command and 2C21 took operations. Due to the amount of fire showing and the status of the building, a defensive, exterior fire fight was declared. Mutual assistance was dispatched by Orleans Fire Control sending a Kendall tanker and a Holley RIT team to the scene along with the Morton response. Mutual aid requests brought additional companies to the scene: an aerial from Holley, an engine from Kendall and an engine and rescue from Hamlin. Fill-ins were supplied by Walker to Morton, Hulberton to Holley and Carlton to Kendall. Medical and rehab operations were provided by a Kendall ambulance crew and by a crew from Monroe.

Morton’s Engine 215 took a hydrant on County Line Road, laid into the scene and a blitz line and a hand line were put into operation. Morton’s 216 took a plug on Creek Road to protect an exposure on the C side of the burning structure and supplied water to the Kendall engine. Kendall firefighters advanced two lines to the C side of the structure. The Holley aerial set up on the A-B side and was supplied by a third plug at the intersection. Equipment and lighting was supplied by the Morton and Hamlin rescues.
Fire on the C side of the building extended into the structure and advanced through-out both floors and into the attic. Due to heavy smoke conditions it was not possible to vent the roof and much of the fire burned in inaccessible areas until enough of the roof was consumed to allow aerial operations to douse the attic area. Hot spots throughout the structure called for a lengthy overhaul operation. Mutual aid companies began to pick-up at approximately 4:00 AM.

Photos and Story by Jerry Clement