Fire Incidents 2/22-2/24

Date:  2/22
Time: 7:57 a.m. 
Address:  801 E. Portland Ave

Response: Station 2,12,13

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Crews extinguished a wood chip fire at paper manufacturing facility.  In coordination with plant personnel,  heavy equipment was used to move parts of the massive pile around to allow access to the fire for and to ensure it was out. 

Date:  2/23
Time: 12:17 a.m. 
Address:  3840 6th Ave

Response: Station 9

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Crews extinguished a trash can fire. 
Date:  2/23

Time: 11:12 p.m. 
Address:  125 E. 72nd Street

Response: Station 2,8,11,12 

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Originally dispatched as a residential house, crews arrived to find a prohibited burn of household goods outside in the yard. 

Date:  2/24
Time: 7:19 p.m. 
Address:  1708 S. "G" Street

Response: Station 1 

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Firefighters used a booster line to extinguish smoldering material in a dumpster.  The accidental fire was started when a resident discarded smoldering combustibles in the dumpster assuming they were out.  

  

Combustible metal fire in a parts deburring machine

Incident Date:  2/25/13
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location:  2024 Puyallup Ave
Incident Type: Commercial Structure Fire

Narrative:  At 7:15 a.m. firefighters from stations 1,2,4,8,11,12, and 17 responded to a commercial structure fire in a aerospace part manufacturing facility.

The first arriving engine company found smoke showing from the eves of the 52,000 square foot machine shop building.  Upon further investigation, crews found a fire had started in a large "parts" deburring machine.  With the combustible metal titanium intensely burning around the machine and in its associated collection hoppers, crews initially managed interior exposures while devising an operationally strategy to attack the blaze.  Since titanium is a water reactive material (putting water on the fire makes it worse), crews had to carefully work their way around the machine and fight the fire by using numerous dry chemical and CO2 extinguishers.  Once out, crews turned their attention to ventilating the heavy layer of smoke that had built up inside the structure during the extended extinguishment of the fire.

All of the facilities employees were able to escape without harm, with one person being evaluated by paramedics and released at the scene.

The cause of the fire was the ignition of titanium metal shavings, resulting in an estimated $55,000 damage to the building and machinery.

 

Water rescue saves one person off Owen Beach

Incident Date:  2/15/13

Issuing Officer:  Joe Meinecke
Incident Location:  6101 N. Owen Beach Rd.
Incident Type:  Water Rescue

Narrative:  Firefighters from Station 13 rescued an exhausted man from Commencement Bay last Friday afternoon.  After arriving at Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park for an unrelated 9-1-1 call, the Ladder 3 crew spotted a man swimming in the water near an overturned canoe.  The man’s daughter swam out to help him get the canoe back to the beach, but the two were unable to do so by themselves. 

As the Ladder 3 crew assembled equipment to assist from shore, the man began struggling to keep his head above water, submerging several times.  Firefighter Annie Craig then entered the water and swam to the victim.  With the assistance of his daughter, Firefighter Craig towed the man about 40 feet back to shore, where he was medically evaluated, re-warmed, and then released at the scene.

   

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Apartment fire contained to unit of origin

Incident Date: 2/21/13
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 3005 S. 47th Street
Incident: Type:  Apartment Fire

Narrative:  At 4:29 p.m. firefighters from stations 1,2,7,8,9,11, and 17 responded to a reported apartment fire at the Cedar Court Apartment Complex.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke showing from a second floor apartment unit.  Firefighters worked quickly to knock down the fire that originated in the kitchen area, ventilated the smoke, and confirmed that no one was inside the unit or adjacent units.  There were no injuries to report.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Update: The cause of the fire was the accidental ignition of combustibles left on the stove top, resulting in an estimated $18,000 damage to the apartment and its contents.

Fire Incidents 2/21/13

Time: 7:29 a.m.
Address:  3114 River Rd E. Central Pierce

Response: Station 11

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited outdoor burn of yard waste in a burn pit.

Time: 8:10 a.m.

Address:  3602 N. 12th Street

Response: Station 1,2,4,8,9,13,14,16

Damage Estimate: Undetermined

Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a reported fire in commercial occupancy.  Upon investigation, the first arriving engine company found a furnace air filter had caught fire.  The fire was put out by the occupants with a dry-chemical extinguisher.  The fire was limited to the air filter and electronic components.  Crews confirmed the fire was out and ventilated the building. 

Time: 9:13 a.m.
Address:  220 S. 59th St

Response: Station 8

Damage Estimate: $500

Narrative:  Fire in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle (car).

Time: 2:13 p.m.
Address:  3520 N. 7th Street

Response: Station 9

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited outdoor burn of old construction materials.   

Fire Incidents 2/19/13

Time: 2:06 a.m.
Address:  1624 72nd St E Central Pierce

Response: Station 15

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Firefighters found a large volume of white smoke coming from behind a strip mall.  Upon further investigation it was determined to be a prohibited outdoor burn at a residence behind the strip mall.  

Time: 9:11 a.m.

Address:  8001 S. "J" Street

Response: Station 2,7,8,11,63,68 

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  A box of combustibles was set on top of a convection oven in the school kitchen at Baker Middle School, and eventually got hot enough to ignite.  A teacher extinguished the fire with a dry chemical extinguisher.  A manual pull station was activated by staff and the school was evacuated.  Crews confirmed that the fire was out, checked for fire extension, and reset the pull station and alarm system.  


Time: 6:12 p.m.

Address:  5827 S. Pine Street

Response: Station 2,7,8,10

Damage Estimate: $93

Narrative:  Crews arrived to find a small fire under a couch where it had been sitting on an electrical cord that was connected to extension cord.   The weight of the couch caused the cord to overheat and ignite.  Crews removed the couch, ventilated the building and educated the homeowner to the dangers of "piggy backing" multiple power strips and extension cords. 

Time: 7:08 p.m.

Address:  2525 20th St E

Response: Station 12

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Firefighters used a booster line to extinguish burning newspapers on the shoulder of a road.   

Fire Incidents for 2/15-2/18

Date: 2/15
Time: 2:35 a.m.

Address: E. 65th & E. "M" Street

Response: Station 2,8,11,15

Damage Estimate: $3,000

Narrative:  Car fire resulting from rollover motor vehicle accident.  

Date: 2/15
Time: 4:41 p.m. 
Address: 5942 S. Sheridan Ave

Response: Station 8

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited burning of yard debris.

Date: 2/15
Time: 11:13 p.m. 
Address: 902 Fawcett Ave

Response: Station 1

Damage Estimate: $603

Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small oven fire. 

Date: 2/16
Time: 5:02 p.m. 
Address: 1509 S. 38th Street

Response: Station 1,2,4,8,10,11,12,15

Damage Estimate: $5,000

Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a reported garage fire.  First arriving crews found heavy flames and smoke showing from the one story concrete block garage.  Crews extinguished the fire and protected nearby structures. The cause of the fire was determined to be suspicious.  

Date: 2/16
Time: 7:29 p.m. 
Address: 4821 N. 15th Street 

Response: Station 9

Damage Estimate: $100

Narrative:  Crews extinguished small wood stove chimney fire.

Date: 2/17
Time: 4:01 p.m. 
Address: 5410 12th Street E. Fife 

Response: Station 1,2,3,4,8,11,12

Damage Estimate: $12,500

Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a reported commercial structure fire.  The buildings automatic sprinkler system activated, extinguishing the fire before it extended into the 31,360 square foot warehouse.  A fire investigator determined that a portable space heater overheated and caught fire.  

Date: 2/17

Time: 7:39 p.m. 
Address: 4307 S. Cedar Street 

Response: Station 2,7,8,11,17

Damage Estimate: $286

Narrative:  Overheated cooking oil ignited and damaged the stove top.

Date: 2/17
Time: 6:48 p.m. 
Address: 3851 E. Spokane Street 

Response: Station 11

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited outdoor fire. 

Date: 2/18
Time: 12:41 p.m. 
Address: 6208 S. Mason Ave 

Response: Station 7

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited burning of yard waste. 

Date: 2/18
Time: 2:41 p.m. 
Address:  5909 S. Cushman Ave

Response: Station 8

Damage Estimate: None

Narrative:  Prohibited burning of yard waste.