At 13:47 hrs Station 4 along with assistance from Station 5 (East Whiteland), Station 3 (Paoli) and Station 2 for RIT (Berwyn) was dispatched to the 100 block of Monument Avenue in Malvern Borough for a reported dwelling fire.

Initial reports indicated black smoke coming from the second floor. Chief 4 (N. Vaughn) arrived and confirmed police reports of smoke showing from the front of a two story multi-occupancy dwelling. He established Monument Avenue Command and requested the working fire dispatch which re-alerted all initial companies and added Air 52 (Goodwill of WCFD), Station 47 for RIT (Lionville) and Ambulance 3.

Ladder 4 arrived on location, stopped short and stretched the initial attack line. Fire was involving a second floor apartment in a four-unit building. The crew forced entry in to the apartment and began to attack the fire. Ladder 4's operator hand jacked 5" hose line to a nearby hydrant. Engine 5-2 arrived next laying in from a secondary hydrant followed shortly by Engine 2-1. FM 42 (Battin) handled safety and accountability while FM42B (Kerrigan) handled operations.

Engine 2-1's crew split and began to perform vertical ventilation as well as check exposure units. Engine 5-2's crew pulled a back up hose line to the initial fire unit. Tower 3 arrived and set up on the front side with their aerial to the roof as the crews from 4 and 5 knocked down the last fire in the initial fire apartment. Additional arriving companies stretched a third line, laddered the building and completed other fire ground tasks.

Due to Engine 2-1 being put to work with fire suppression, Monument Avenue Command requested Station 54 (Goshen) to replace them as a RIT company. Rescue 54 and Engine 56 from Goshen handled this assignment.

With daytime manpower and interior crews reporting that the fire had extended into the attic space, Monument Avenue command requested the second alarm. This brough Delaware County Quint 15 (Radnor), Delaware County Engine 41 (Newtown Square) and Engine 61 (Kimberton). The first and second alarm companies worked together to ensure that the fire involving the attic area was extinguished and that there was no other fire extension within the building.

The fire was placed under control about one hour in to the incident with all crews working. There were no injuries reported and the County and State Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of this fire.

A special thanks to Ladder 49 (East Brandywine) who covered our first due territory while we operated at this incident.

Photos courtesy of the Daily Local News