Predawn Kettle Road Dwelling Fire Triggers Massive Multi-County Tanker Shuttle

Altoona, PA - A heavy multi-agency rural water shuttle operation was mobilized before dawn Wednesday when a working dwelling fire broke out along the 2600 block of Kettle Road.

At 4:35 a.m. on September 16, 2026, emergency dispatchers alerted the Sinking Valley Volunteer Fire Company (Station 24) and regional automatic aid partners to reports of an active residential structure fire. Engine-Tanker 24 and Engine 24-1 deployed immediately to spearhead initial fireground attack and command operations.

Due to the rural setting along Kettle Road and a lack of municipal fire hydrants, incident commanders coordinated a large-scale water shuttle network, pulling in a robust contingent of tankers and support engines across both Blair and Huntingdon counties. Responding mutual aid companies established continuous relay and supply lines to ensure steady gallon-per-minute water delivery to interior and exterior attack lines.

The extensive multi-agency response drew apparatus and crews from Lakemont (Station 15), Greenwood (Station 16), United Fire Department (Station 18), Bellwood (Station 22), Geeseytown (Station 30), Hookies (Station 33), Neptune (Station 34), and Allegheny Township (Station 50) within Blair County, as well as Alexandria (Huntingdon County Station 1) and Warriors Mark (Huntingdon County Station 22).