The Paoli Fire Company was dispatched to the 200 block of West Central Ave. in Willistown Township for a house fire at 11:49 p.m. Chief 3 (I. Dutter) arrived on location within a few minutes and reported a house with fire showing from the 2nd floor. Mutual aid was immediately called from the Malvern and Berwyn fire companies to assist due to the extent of the fire.
The crew of Engine 3-1 (Paoli) and Ladder 4 (Malvern) worked together to extinguish the bulk of the fire that consumed a 2nd floor bedroom and a large portion of the attic. The crew of Engine 2-3 (Berwyn) stood by as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) for a little over an hour before being released. This is a specialized team of firefighters with a minimum of 5 years of experience and various training that is deployed to structure fires and other hazardous incidents to serve as a firefighter search and rescue team if a collapse occurs. The team also looks for hazards in and around the scene that pose a life hazard to firefighters and take corrective action to minimize the chance of injury or death.
The Chester County Fire Marshal and the PA State Police Fire Marshal investigated the cause of the fire and determined it to be attributed to careless smoking in bed. There was one civilian transported to a local hospital with minor burns. Final units cleared the scene several hours later.
Firefighters were able to control the fire within 30 minutes of arrival.
The fire caused a significant amount of damage to the 2nd floor and attic area. All occupants were able to escape without serious injury. However, one occupant was transported to a local hospital with minor burns.
A Paoli Firefighter works to remove burnt siding with a pike pole just outside the bedroom where the fire started.
Fire crews from Paoli, Malvern, and Berwyn responded to this late night house fire in the 200 block of West Central Avenue in Willistown Twp.
Fire conditions upon the arrival of Chief 3. Photo courtesy of Tim Wert, Paoli Fire Company.
