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KULPMONT (NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY), PA - On July 15, 2010, at 12:18 a.m., the Kulpmont Fire Department (Two Stations), Mount Carmel Ladder 2, Mount Carmel Rescue 5, Mount Carmel Township Atlas Engine 21, Shamokin Rescue Squad RIT Team, Shamokin Liberty Engine 21, and Kulpmont Ambulance were dispatched to 940 Chestnut Street in Kulpmont for a possible apartment building fire. The Kulpmont police arrived at Pappy Baluta and Sons Plumbing Store and found smoke, coming from a second floor apartment. The police confirmed it was a working fire with unknown entrapment. The Second Alarm was then placed on standby in their stations for a possible response.

Kulpmont Engine 211, Kulpmont Engine 221 and Mount Carmel Township Atlas Engine 21 arrived on scene and staged in front of the building. Engine 211 and Engine 21 both hooked to hydrants at the ends of the block and obtained a water supply. Rescue 5 staged a block away from the building and sent its crew to assist the first arriving engines. Ladder 2 staged in front of the building and sent its crew to the roof to do ventilation. A number of ground ladders were thrown on SIDE A to the second floor.

Attack crews entered the apartment building on the second floor by ladders and searched for the fire. Rescue 62 arrived and was ordered to back up the initial interior crews. The first interior crews found heavy heat and smoke conditions and retreat back to the ground ladders. Incident Command then had the dispatch center activate the evacuation tones to evacuate all firefighters from the structure. In a matter of minutes, flames vented from the front of the second floor windows, under Ladder 2. Ladder 2 was then damaged when it retracted from the roof above the intense flames. Ashland Washington Fire Company was then called for its ladder to respond to the fire scene.

Incident Command ordered all units to go in defensive mode and set up master streams. Shamokin Engine 21 hooked into the HUMAT valve on the west hydrant and pumped to Engine 211. Shamokin Tower-Ladder 34 was special called and responded to the fire scene. The Tower was set up and prepared to place its master stream in service. The fire continued to run throughout the building and started to vent through the roof. Attack crews then moved hose lines into the two exposure buildings to stop any extensions. Command ordered all second alarm units to respond and third alarm units to be dispatched.

Coal Township Engine 110 and Engine 151 respond and established two more water supply from hydrants. Engine 151 hooked to a hydrant on Spruce Street and laid into the rear of the fire building, on Maple Street. Coal Township Firefighters, then advance large hose lines to the rear of the building that was fully involved. Engine 110 hooked up to a hydrant on Scott Street and laid LDH to the A-B side of the fire building. Engine 110 then pump to Tower-Ladder 34 who then flowed its elevated master stream at the roof of the fire building. Ashland Ladder 38-25 arrived on scene and set up in Ladder 2 first position. The ladder was set up and a elevated master stream was placed into operations. It was determined the second floor collapsed and the building was nearing to fall over. Firefighters were then removed from the exposure buildings and a collapse zone was set up.

Incident Command then had additional fire units from Northumberland, Columbia and Montour Counties respond to Kulpmont and Shamokin to stand by in empty fire stations. Catawissa Squad 51 and Butler Township Engine 369 responded to the scene for their RIT Teams. Incident Command ordered all units to continue to operate their master streams until majority of the flames were knocked down in the fire building. Kulpmont Ambulance, American Red Cross and the Sunbury Ambulance Rehab Trailer provided rehab operations for the firefighters.

The smoke and fire conditions in the building decreased and the crews had the majority of the fire knocked down by 3:30 a.m. The incident was under control by 4:00 a.m., with some units going available and returning. The street remained closed throughout the day, due to the risk of collapse. A large crane was brought in and used to knocked down the burned out building. The Fire Chief believes the fire started on the second floor, in the rear of the building and may have been accidental. The fire chief reported that there were no injuries of firefighters or civilians. The building was destroyed with the exposure, one received moderate smoke and water damage.