At 17:00 hours Allentown transmitted box 2416 17th and Hamilton for an apartment building fire located at 6 North 17th Street sending Engines 10, 4, 9, Truck 1, Engine 11 (F.A.S.T.) and Battalion 2.
Moments later, fire dispatch advised of possible entrapment. Battalion 2 special-called Truck 2 for the 2nd truck on the box. Engine 10 arrived and reported heavy smoke showing and signaled a working fire in the roof of the 3-story Queen Anne style building. Engine 10 stretched two hand lines to the 3rd floor.
Battalion 2 struck the 2nd alarm after arriving sending Engines 14 and 13. As crews discovered heavy fire in the walls of the 3rd floor and fire above them, Battalion 2 had the 3rd alarm transmitted, sending Engine 6.
Engine 10 positioned on 17th Street while Truck 1 positioned on Hamilton Street. Truck 2 came in behind Engine 10 and backed in on the yard to the rear of the building. Truck 2 reported heavy smoke pushing from the roof. Primary searches came up negative.
As crews found fire on the 2nd floor, command had fire dispatch hit the tones to evacuate the building. The roof was slate which made it more difficult to do roof ops. The temperatures outside were around 30 degrees with windy conditions. The fire burned for more than two hours before firefighters could bring it under control.
The building was built in 1924 and is over 4,700 square feet.
