Fort Worth, TX, Jan. 11—When Fort Worth Fire Department crews arrived, heavy fire showed from the first and second floors of a vacant building. Firefighters knew the building well, so operations went defensive almost immediately. Even though the fire was incredibly large, it remained a one-alarm assignment, with all firefighting objectives and needs met with resources on hand from the original dispatch. Three aerials were raised and flowed thousands of gallons of water every minute. Other crews pulled handlines to protect exposures. The fire was brought under control in less than an hour.
Photo by Glen E. Ellman
Ovid, NY, Jan. 21—The Geneva, NY, Fire Department (GFD) responded as mutual aid to a large fire that struck multiple commercial buildings. Very cold temperatures (15 degrees Fahrenheit) and high winds hampered operations, which led to the fire consuming all of the buildings that were on the block. At least 35 departments and approximately 200 firefighters from five counties were on scene. The fire originated in an apartment above a supermarket; the tenant was charging a lithium-ion battery, and the battery exploded.
Photo by Jimmer McCormack
Simsbury, CT, Dec. 15, 2024—The Simsbury Fire Department responded for a reported structure fire. On arrival, crews encountered heavy fire and smoke on the first and second floors of the A side of a large commercial building. The fire engulfed the building quickly, pushing all members out of the building as command ordered evacuation tones. A second alarm and a special call were ordered. The building collapsed on the C side. Crews used two tower ladder pipes, multiple 2½-inch hoselines and a deck gun to battle the flames.
Photo by John DeForest
Batavia, NY, Nov. 9, 2024—While en route, Batavia Fire Department firefighters transmitted a working fire because of a large header in the sky. This prompted additional resources to be instructed to head to the scene. On arrival, companies found heavy smoke and fire pushing from the front door vents on the roof of the building. Second and third alarms quickly were struck, bringing in additional city and mutual-aid units as firefighters set up defensive operations with numerous aerial and master streams. Crews worked throughout the day to find pockets of fire in collapsed parts of the building.
Photo by Jon Tenca
Rich Dzierwa | Managing Editor, Firehouse Magazine
Rich Dzierwa joined Firehouse Magazine in 2019 after four tenures with other publications. He was editor-in-chief of Consumers Digest/ConsumersDigest.com and of trade magazine Cutting Tool Engineering. He served as the consumer products reporter for BridgeNews and began his publishing career with an 11-year tenure at Appliance magazine, where he rose to managing editor after serving in other roles. Dzierwa's experience with consumer products, including furnishings, appliances, electronics and space design, has transferred to his Firehouse work regarding the magazine's Station Design columns and the Station Design Awards. Previous work also has contributed to his supervision of several surveys of fire service/EMS members, to produce unique reporting for Firehouse's audience. Dzierwa earned a bachelor's degree in English from Columbia College Chicago.
