As taken from the Official CHFD Press Release
At just before 6:30 PM on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009, Cherry Hill Firefighters and EMTs responded to a reported house fire in the 1500 block of Berlin Road. Reports from dispatchers indicated an occupant had discovered a fire in a clothes dryer located in the home’s lower level and attempted to extinguish it. The fire was spreading too quickly however, and the family evacuated the home.
First arriving firefighters encountered a thick smoke condition throughout, and heavy fire in the rear of the multi-level dwelling. The fire had gained a hold on the lower level and spread through void spaces and duct work into the home’s adjacent areas. Two teams of firefighters quickly deployed separate hand lines to extinguish the fire, which had now spread to all levels of the home. Simultaneously, other teams of firefighters worked to open doors and windows to ventilate the home, alleviating the high heat and heavy smoke conditions inside. Also, even though all occupants were reported as out of the home, a systematic search was conducted of all areas to ensure no one was left inside. All occupants were confirmed out of the fire building.
First arriving firefighters encountered a thick smoke condition throughout, and heavy fire in the rear of the multi-level dwelling. The fire had gained a hold on the lower level and spread through void spaces and duct work into the home’s adjacent areas. Two teams of firefighters quickly deployed separate hand lines to extinguish the fire, which had now spread to all levels of the home. Simultaneously, other teams of firefighters worked to open doors and windows to ventilate the home, alleviating the high heat and heavy smoke conditions inside. Also, even though all occupants were reported as out of the home, a systematic search was conducted of all areas to ensure no one was left inside. All occupants were confirmed out of the fire building.
In all, about 30 firefighters were called on to fight this fire which was placed under control in about 45 minutes. There were no injuries to emergency workers or civilians reported at the scene, but a family of five has been displaced from this home. This fire is currently under investigation by the Cherry Hill Fire Marshal’s Office.
Photos generously donated by Curt Hudson, CHFD Photographer and Steve Skipton, PhillyFireNews.com Photographer
