House Fire in Tredyffrin; Fire Alarm Does Its Job
 
By Watchdesk
December 2, 2012
 

The Berwyn Fire Company was dispatched at 8:28 p.m. to the 400 block of Berwyn Baptist Road in Tredyffrin Township for an automatic fire alarm.

Assistant Chief Eamon Brazunas arrived on location to find a two-story house with nothing showing from the street. After making access past a locked gate, firefighters found smoke showing from the front door of the home.

The call was then upgraded to a house fire response bringing assistance from the Radnor, Paoli, Malvern and Valley Forge fire companies. Each of the agencies bring a particular unit to the fire to ensure the incident does not escalate.

Initial fire crews from Engine 2-3 and Tower 2 worked through the smoke to locate the fire which was found in the lower level of the home in a utility/storage room. Due to the size of the home and location of the fire a coordinated effort was made to ensure hoselines reached the fire in a timely manner to prevent the fire from spreading.

At the same time firefighters were extinguishing the fire, additional personnel were busy searching the home for any potential occupants. All searches came up negative and it was determined the home was unoccupied at the time of the blaze. However, two cats were removed to a safe area by firefighters and are recovering with their owner.

Firefighters performed extensive overhaul to ensure the fire was completely extinguished for over two hours. Fans were also put in place to remove the smoke from the residence. The incident was placed under control at 9:13 p.m. after a team effort of all companies involved.

The Chester County Fire Marshal investigated the fire per normal protocol and ruled the fire accidental. A power cord from a space heater started the fire. Damage is estimated between contents and building at $100,000.

The damage to the home could have been a lot worse if not for the combination of the fire alarm going off and the Fire Company having a rapid response time. One firefighter was transported to Paoli Hospital and later released with a minor ankle injury. All personnel and apparatus were clear of the scene just after Midnight.

Rocky Run Engine 46-1, Newtown Square Ladder 41 and Lafayette Medic 317-2 covered Berwyn during this fire and responded to a reported house fire in Radnor Township.

 
Units: Engine 2-1, Engine 2-2, Engine 2-3, Tower 2, Traffic 2, Ambulance 2-1, Ambulance 2-2, & Ambulance 2-3 (Berwyn)
 
Mutual Aid: Quint 15, Ambulance 15-7 and Medic 15 (Radnor), Engine 3-5 (Paoli), Ladder 4 and TAC 4 (Malvern), Rescue 68 (Valley Forge), Chester County Fire Marshals Office and the Tredyffrin Twp. Police Dept.