As taken from CHFD Official Press Release: At around 3:50 AM, March 10, 2008, Cherry Hill Firefighters at Cherry Hill’s Station 2 on West Route 70 and Cooper Ave. became aware of some commotion to the rear of their fire station. As one of the firefighters investigated through a window, they quickly realized there was a serious fire in the dwelling bordering the back of the firehouse.
One occupant who was asleep on the first floor and awoke to the sound of her smoke detector and immediately smelled a strong odor of smoke. She woke the other occupants, including a two year old toddler, and they evacuated the dwelling calling 911. She then ran to the door of the firehouse to alert firefighters.
As firefighters raced to grab their gear, they called in the fire to dispatchers as a full alarm to get the appropriate response and moved their apparatus out of the firehouse and into their own parking lot. One team of firefighters advanced a hose line to the rear of the dwelling where the heaviest fire had completely engulfed an outside porch area. At the same time, the balance of the firefighters worked with the occupants make sure everyone was out of the house.
As other teams of firefighters arrived, they advanced a second hose line into the house to back up the first, and encountered a quick moving fire that had consumed the laundry room and kitchen and was moving rapidly to the adjacent rooms. At the same time, even though all occupants were reported out, firefighters coordinated a systematic search of every room. They also began to open up all the windows of the house to alleviate the heavy smoke condition which had spread throughout the home. Once all visible fire was extinguished, firefighters opened up walls and ceilings to search for extension.
In all, 30 firefighters managed to place this fire under control in about 15 minutes. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters reported at the scene. This fire is currently under investigation by the Cherry Hill and Camden County Fire Marshal Offices and Cherry Hill Police. For additional pictures, visit the CHFD's Flickr photo web site.
In all, 30 firefighters managed to place this fire under control in about 15 minutes. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters reported at the scene. This fire is currently under investigation by the Cherry Hill and Camden County Fire Marshal Offices and Cherry Hill Police. For additional pictures, visit the CHFD's Flickr photo web site.
