House fire displaces 9 in Northeast Tacoma

Incident Date:  5/19/14
Issuing Officer:  Joe Meinecke
Incident Location:  5509 34th St. LP NE
Incident Type: House fire

Narrative:  At 11:53 am, firefighters from stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12 responded to a reported house fire.

The first arriving company found flames and smoke showing from the two-story approximately 1,760 square foot residence. Firefighters made an aggressive interior attack of the fire which appeared to have originated in the kitchen area and spread to the attic space. Crews ventilated the roof and conducted a search to confirm that no one was trapped inside the structure.

All occupants were able to escape without harm and there were no injuries to report. The Red Cross was requested for relocation assistance for the 4 adults and 5 children displaced in the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

UPDATE: Fire investigators confirmed that the fire started in the kitchen and resulted in an estimated $120,000 damage to the building and its contents.

Recruits hone firefighting skills in live fire training burn

On Thursday May 15, 2014 Tacoma Fire Department conducted a training burn of a house located at 1221 East 26th Street.

Live fire training in a controlled environment is a valuable tool to develop firefighting skills. Twenty-four firefighter recruits participated in a variety of drills throughout the day. Training objectives focused on interior fire attack, ventilation (smoke removal) and search and rescue.

TFD observing a moment of silence in memory of firefighter Al Nejmeh

Tacoma Fire Department is observing a moment of silence at noon today in memory of the one year anniversary of the line-of-duty death of firefighter Al Nejmeh.

Albert A. Nejmeh 1953-2013
Gone but not forgotten

Suspicious fire heavily damages vacant house on E. 61st.

Incident Date:  5/11/14

Issuing Officer:  Joe Meinecke & BC Ray Manglona 

Incident Location:  815 E. 61st St

Incident Type:  Residential house fire

Narrative:  At 3:00 am, firefighters from stations 2, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 15 responded to a reported house fire. 

The first arriving company found heavy flames and smoke showing from a vacant two-story approximately 1,760 square foot residence. Operationally, the incident commander used a defensive strategy (the house was vacant, under remodel and the fire had spread throughout the building) and directed crews attention to protecting the adjacent occupied house next door. Several handlines and the deployment of an aerial master stream were used to contain the fire to the building of origin. 

There were no injuries to report and the cause of the fire was determined to be intentionally set. The incident has been turned over to Tacoma Police Department for follow-up. The fire caused an estimated $160,000 to the building and its contents, and $2,000 damage to the house next door. 

Captain Scott Nicholson directing FF Shannon Gibson on the aerial nozzle attack

 

  

Requests for Service Report - April 2014

TFD Incidents by Initial Dispatch Type

TFD - Incidents	April	2014 (YTD)	2013 (YTD)
Fire	77	298	347
Emergency Medical	2,837	11,256	10,272
All Other (e.g. hazardous conditions, search and rescue, automatic fire alarms)	426	1,757	1,725
Total	3,340	13,311	12,344

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Protecting People, Property & the Environment

Noxious odor forces 1st floor evacuation of Winthrop Apartment Building

Incident Date:  5/6/14
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 776 Commerce Ave
Incident Type: Haz-Mat

Narrative:  At 4:20 pm firefighters were called for a report of a noxious smell on the first floor of a multi-story apartment building.

The first arriving company noted occupants complaining of respiratory distress and upgraded the incident to a hazardous materials incident  - bringing additional resources to the scene. Operationally, the first floor of the building was evacuated, while the remaining occupants were sheltered in place. As there was no obvious source of the odor, haz-mat technicians used air monitoring equipment to determine there was no additional life safety hazard. Occupants were able to return to the apartments at approximately 6:30 pm.

The source of the odor was undetermined and facility maintenance is exploring possible mechanical causes.

Four occupants were evaluated at the scene and one was transported by private ambulance with an unrelated medical condition.

Arson Awareness Week May 4-10, 2014

This year, Arson Awareness Week is May 4-10 and focuses on vehicle arson. Follow the link above to learn the most common motives for setting vehicle fire and vehicle arson statistics.

Tips to prevent vehicle arson:

• Park your car in a well-lit area.


• Use a secure parking lot for extended periods.


• Close all windows.


• Remove the key from the ignition.


• Always lock doors, trunk and tailgate.


• Use antitheft devices.


• Report abandoned cars to the police.


• Don’t leave valuables in plain sight.


• Use a recovery system, such as GPS or Lojack