Vertical Ventilation Tactics Executed by Western Berks Firefighters on Kings Boulevard

Wernersville, PA - Firefighters from the Western Berks Fire Department were called into Shillington Borough on Saturday afternoon, deploying specialized aerial truck company operations to support suppression crews battling a working structure fire on Kings Boulevard.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 2026, emergency dispatchers transmitted a second alarm for an active structure fire in the 000 block of Kings Boulevard, requesting mutual aid assets to assist the primary-due Shillington Fire Company. Ladder 18 made the response as part of the upgraded second-alarm assignment.

Upon arrival, personnel from Ladder 18 were directed straight into vertical truck company operations, ascending to the roof to cut ventilation holes and execute coordinated venting tactics. Opening up the roof relieved intense heat, poisonous smoke, and superheated gases from within the structure, significantly improving visibility and interior conditions for advancing hoseline crews below.

Ladder 18 operated on the fireground for roughly one hour, completing primary ventilation tasks and assisting with scene support before command released the unit to return to service.