11/4/11 - East Hanover Township - Trail Road

Shortly after 0030 hours companies dispatched to 518 Trail Rd. in Company 39's (Grantville) first due area for a house on fire. The run was upgraded to a barn fire and Chief 39 (Schmolitz) arrived with 2 barns, 30x300, filled with hay heavily involved. 2nd and 3rd alarm tankers from were requested to maintain 2 dump sites that would be set up. Engine 48 (Hershey) went on location and laid a supply line up the drive way to side A. 2nd arriving Engine 39 (Grantville) laid another supply line from Trail Road and Shady Lane and went in service on side A. The crew from Engine 48 attempted to protect the exposure with foam but could'nt contain the rapidly spreading fire. A mix of handlines, master streams, and deck guns poured water on the fire for almost 2 hours before it was decided to allow the fire to burn itself out. This would set in motion a very extended operation with companies from Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, York, Lancaster, Lebanon rotating at the scene for fire patrol. High winds whipped embers around and sent a steady plume of smoke that hovered over much of the Hershey area and was visible from miles around. Bulldozers arrived on location in the morning of Nov. 5 to start pulling the mounds of hay apart at times intensifying the smoke column. The fire is believed to have been an accident resulting from spontaneous combustion due to moisture in the haybales.