3 Firefighters Hurt, 24 People Displaced During Philadelphia Fire

Three firefighters were injured while two dozen people were displaced during a massive row home fire in South Philadelphia. The two-alarm fire started at a row home on 5th and Morris streets Monday afternoon. SkyForce10 was over the scene as flames and smoke billowed from the home. Neighboring homes were evacuated and around 120 firefighters responded to the scene. Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control in a little over an hour. Three firefighters were treated for non-life-threatening injuries while around 24 people were displaced. Firefighters were still putting out hot spots early Monday evening. Officials have not yet revealed the cause of the fire and continue to investigate.
WCAU-TV NBC 10 Philadelphia

More than 30 taken to hospital after bus crash on I-81 in Schuylkill County

Dozens are injured when a charter bus veered off the highway and crashed into the woods in Schuylkill County Sunday afternoon. More than 30 people were taken to the hospital after the bus crashed into the trees below Exit 112 to Hegins off I-81 South according to Tremont Fire Chief Brian Eisenacher. “At this time we transported 32 to the local hospitals. Several went by helicopter, mostly by ground EMS to several hospitals throughout the county,” Eisanacher said. The bus was carrying youth members and volunteers of the LCBC Church in Lancaster County. State police say around 2:30 Sunday afternoon the bus driver somehow lost control in the southbound lanes of I-81 near mile marker 111.7 and drove off the roadway.
WBRE-TV NBC 28 Wilkes-Barre

Wellness grants go towards helping Dauphin County firefighters stay healthy

Some fire companies in the Midstate are using grant money to help save their own lives. PEMA is providing assistance to four Dauphin County volunteer fire departments Lower Paxton Township, Susquehanna Township, Harrisburg, and Swatara Township. More than $380,000 will go towards providing cancer screenings, behavioral health, and physical exams. Firefighters say it’s important to those who want to protect and serve their communities to remain healthy. “This allows for full blood panel screenings to check for any potential signs of cancer and they get chest x-rays to make sure there is nothing going on which is common among firefighters. They are also provided EKGs,” Swatara Fire Rescue Chief Michael Ibberson said.
WHTM-TV ABC 27 Harrisburg

Fire at apartment building forces several families from their homes in Bethlehem

A quiet Monday night at the Sherwood Town and Country Apartments in Bethlehem quickly turned dangerous. "When they arrived and crews got here flames were through the roof so they called the third alarm," said Bethlehem Fire Chief Warren Achey. Achey says firefighters got the call around 7 p.m. and went right to work. He says everyone made it out safely, but there's a ton of damage. "Literally like that, everything was engulfed in fire. It was literally insane, we got out and as soon as we got out here it was lit," said Cassie Shipps, who lives on the bottom floor of the building. She says the fire started on the top floor and she barely had enough time to get herself and her kids to safety. "The next thing you know we just ran out, they told us to get out, I tried to grab both my cats and we just ran out," Shipps said.
WFMZ-TV Channel 69 Allentown

Firefighters Quickly Get Fire Under Control In West Philadelphia

Firefighters rushed to battle a house fire in West Philadelphia early Saturday morning. Crews were called around 12:30 a.m. to put out a fire at the 5900 block of Race Street. The fire was under control at 12:45 a.m. Only one structure was involved in the fire and nobody was injured. Fire officials are working to determine what sparked the flames.
KYW-TV CBS 3 Philadelphia

Community fair in Monroe County held to encourage more people to become first responders

An event in the Poconos stresses the critical need for more volunteers to become involved with their local fire departments, ambulance squads and other community organizations. The volunteer fair was held Saturday afternoon at Echo Lake Park in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. An official with the Marshalls Creek Fire Company says volunteering is a big commitment, but it's worth it to help protect your community and make it better. "None of us get paid for our time. We are on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, weekends, holidays, 365 days a year, and in that period of time we surrender family time, we surrender time from employment locations and so forth to protect the public. It is getting very difficult to get people in the doors as volunteers," said Assistant Fire Chief, Eugene Berry Sr.
WFMZ-TV 69 Allentown

Longtime New Beaver Borough Fire Chief Kevin Peters Passes Away After Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

The longtime chief of the New Beaver Borough Fire Department, Kevin Peters, has passed away. Last week, fire departments in Beaver and Lawrence Counties gathered for a fundraiser to help with his care. The fire department and Peters’ son announced on Facebook, his passing, after battling pancreatic cancer which had spread to his liver.
KDKA-TV CBS 2 Pittsburgh

Male Suspect In Custody After 3 People Shot At Baby Shower At Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department

Three people were shot at a baby shower at the Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday. Lower Burrell police chief said that the victims include a 23-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 16-year-old teenager. The severity of their injuries is unknown as of around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. A male suspect is in custody. Officials told KDKA that the incident stemmed from a family argument at a baby shower. Police believe that the argument revolved around the gifts at the shower. The suspect allegedly produced a 9 mm handgun as the fight escalated and fired three rounds. In total, 25 people were at the shower. The call originally came at 6:07 p.m. Saturday. The Lower Burrell Police Department and Westmoreland County Detective Bureau are actively investigating the shooting.
KDKA-TV CBS 2 Pittsburgh

Officials: Apartment fire leaves 1 dead, 2 injured in Southwest Philadelphia

One person is dead and two others injured after an apartment fire Saturday in Southwest Philadelphia. Flames broke out just after 7 a.m. on the 8500 block of Lindbergh Boulevard. Fire officials say they arrived to heavy fire conditions showing from the first floor of the building. Victims on the second floor managed to escape by jumping from windows to safety. Authorities confirm the fire spread to four units. The two injured victims were taken to Presbyterian Medical Center and are in stable condition. "It's sad, tragic," said Kevin Harmer, a neighbor. Officials say even though the smoke alarms worked- the fire was fast-moving. One resident said neighbors banded together to catch little children jumping from the second floor.
WPVI-TV ABC 6 Philadelphia

Mount Lebanon Home Destroyed In Massive Fire

A home in Mt. Lebanon is a total loss following a massive, smoky fire on Friday afternoon. Neighbors said they heard some type of explosion or loud boom around 1 p.m. before they spotted fire billowing from the two-story home on Scott Road. Dormont firefighters were first on the scene and reported heavy fire in the back. Firefighters had to eventually evacuate the home when the roof began giving way. It collapsed, completely destroying the home. No injuries were reported. The daughter of the couple who lives in the home is a Castle Shannon firefighter. She said she found out about the blaze through a message on her cell phone. “I’m actually a firefighter in Castle Shannon and that’s how I knew, I got the call into my phone and when I saw the address, I knew immediately I was coming here; instead, as somebody that was affected rather than somebody who was going to be saving or helping. Pardon me for being a little emotional,” said Miranda Herrle.
KDKA-TV CBS 2 Pittsburgh

Sounding the alarm: fire service aging, recruitment numbers down across Pennsylvania

The fire service is being stretched thin, and the pandemic isn't helping local fire companies improve recruitment and retention. They're now sounding the alarm hoping to get the word out and attract new members. In 2020, the pandemic sent most people home, but firefighters were an exception, responding to emergencies no matter what. However, as people refrained from venturing out, local fire companies took the heat seeing less people interested in joining the fire service. Last year, the Linglestown Fire Company No.1 in Lower Paxton Township, only had five or six new members join. Firefighter recruitment numbers have been declining for the last several years, showing no signs of improvement, which worries Sean Harp, the assistant fire chief of Linglestown Fire Company.
WPMT-TV FOX 43 York

Cumberland County hosts honor guard training for first responders

Cumberland County hosted an honor guard training program this week to coordinate funerals and other formal events honoring first responders. The initiative — a nationwide effort put on by a company based in Florida — aims to help train and organize local emergency personnel to have their own protocols in place for ceremonies, funerals, and other official events, akin to military honor guards. “It’s intense. It’s a full week of class,” said Mechanicsburg Police Department Lt. Brian Curtis, who completed the course last year and helped to organize this week’s class. The goal, Curtis said, would be to have such a class take place in Cumberland County every other year in order to help the county’s police, fire, EMS, and other first responders coordinate an honor guard system.
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