4-3-16 - Middletown, PA - Pineford Village (Holly Hall)

At 1140 hours, Box 88-2, toned out for a reported apartment building on fire at the Holly Hall building in the Village of Pineford. Units on the initial assignment were Company 88 (Middletown), Engines 54 (Londonderry), 59 (Lower Swatara), 74-1 (Elizabethtown), and Truck 46 (Hummelstown). Chief 88 went enroute and advised by Dauphin County Communications of an updated address of 508 Holly Hall with multiple calls being received reporting fire and smoke from the building. Upon hearing this info Chief 88 requested the working fire dispatch prior to arrival bringing Engine 55 (Highspire), Rescues 40 (Paxtang), 59 (Lower Swatara), and Air 41 (Bressler) to the scene. Chief 88 arrived on location with an occupied, 5 story, mid rise with fire showing from the top floor middle of the row. Engine 71 (US Air Force) from nearby Harrisburg International Airport dispatched to the scene at 1147 hours. Engine 88 laid in from a hydrant off of Pineford Drive to side A and picked by Engine 54 while Truck 88 also set up on side A. Truck 46 took a position on Side C and was supplied by Engine 59-1. Interior crews reported light smoke on the 4th floor and heavy smoke on the 5th floor and attic as primary searches were performed. With high winds and an open cockloft the fire quickly travelled to the western portion of the building. Chief 88 reported fire involved 50% of the roof and 5th floor requesting a second alarm assignment. Interior crews working 2 lines off the standpipe system requested 2 additional hi rise packs as conditions began to rapidly deteriorate. The primary search on the 5th floor proved to be negative. Command 88 requested the 5th floor be evacuated and ladder pipe operations would go in service. High winds were now fanning the flames across the entire 5th floor and cockloft with reports of the roof collapsing. Within 20 minutes of dispatch, the entire building was evacuated and exterior truck operations were set up. Additional special calls were made including tankers to supplement water supply operations as the borough water system was being taxed. Truck companies 88, 50, 46, and 74 all set up and flowed water in addition to a blitz fire being set up on side D. Companies continued to pour water on the top floor for over an hour before the fire started to darken down. The fire was placed under control in about 2 hours with companies performing extensive overhaul. The fire left 60 residents displaced and caused by careless smoking.