At 07:30 hrs Station 4 was dispatched along with Station 5 (East Whiteland), Station 3 (Paoli) for an Engine and Station 2 (Berwyn) for RIT to the area of Bridge Street and Old Lincoln Highway in Malvern Borough for reports of a house on fire.

Almost immediately the assignment was upgraded to include reports of people trapped. Chief 4 (N. Vaughn) was given the information of subjects on a roof with local sanitation workers attempting to rescue them with a ladder.

Battalion 4 (J. Vaughn) was first to arrive and reported heavy fire showing but that all occupants had been able to make it out of the house and off of the roof. Chief 4 arrived and assumed Old Lincoln Highway Command and requested the working fire dispatch. The working fire dispatch re-alerted the initial companies and added Air 52 (Goodwill of WCFD), Fire Marshals, utilities and cover companies. Assistant 4 (K. Vaughn) assumed the Operations role.

Ladder 4(Capt. Davis) laid a 5” supply line from a hydrant at Old Lincoln Highway and Miner Street and took a position in the front, deploying two hose lines to begin an exterior fire attack. Due to the level of involvement, an interior attack was initially ruled out due to safety concerns. Tower 2 arrived and took a position on the D side and Engine 5-2 arrived and helped stretch a third line off Ladder 4 with the crew of Tower 2. Engine 4-5(FF. Ayers) arrived and deployed a hose line to protect the exposure on the B side which was taking significant radiant heat. Engine 3-5 laid a secondary supply line from a hydrant further down Old Lincoln highway and supplied Engine 4-5.

Initial crews found a two story home of ordinary construction with heavy fire showing on the first and second floor from all sides. Crews went to work darkening down the fire with hand lines and eventually employed Tower 2’s master stream for several minutes. EMS crews on the scene tended to the occupants of the home. At the conclusion of master stream operations crews entered the structure to locate and extinguish any remaining fire.

The home was occupied by four people at the time of the fire and all were able to escape this fast moving blaze because they were alerted by a smoke detector. All four were transported to local hospitals by Malvern EMS. Unfortunately, several family pets perished in the blaze and the home was heavily damaged.

The fire was placed under control at 08:26 hours with all crews working to extinguish remaining hot spots. The Chester County Fire Marshals Office conducted the investigation and deemed the cause to be accidental.

Thanks to Delaware County Quint 15 (Radnor) for covering our first due territory while we operated at this fire. During this incident Quint 15 responded to a reported building fire in East Goshen Township. Final units cleared the scene at approximately 11:40 hours.