PA Apparatus Catches Fire at 4-Alarm Blaze

An apparatus caught fire while supplying water at a fill site to battle a massive four-alarm fire Monday at a Pennsylvania scrapyard that had crews from two states trying to put out the blaze.

The fire broke out at about 8:45 a.m. at Consolidated Scrap Resources in Straban Township near Gettysburg, The Evening Sun reports. Initially, the call concerned a vehicle fire, but when crews reached the scene, they encountered a scrap pile 900 feet long by 43 feet high engulfed in flames.

Over 100 firefighters—including 70 units from fire companies in York and Adams counties, as well as Maryland—responded to the blaze. A lack of hydrants and keeping water flowing to the scene created a challenge for firefighters.

"Crews laid over 3,000 feet of supply hose down Route 30, and operated off of tankers from two separate fill sites,"  Gettysburg Fire Department Deputy Chief Joe Temarantz told the Sun "More than 14 tankers were involved."

As a precaution to stop flames from reaching units at the scene, crews placed pieces of apparatus backward. Explosions in the scrap pile also occurred during the call.

Raw video from the scene captured a Heidlersburg Volunteer Fire Company apparatus bursting into flames while the rig was at a water fill site. Firefighters were able to douse the flames quickly and keep the damage limited mostly to the engine compartment.

No injuries were reported, but some firefighters were evaluated for heat exhaustion with temperatures in the 90s. Misting fans, cooling tents and bottles of water were provided to keep first responders cool.

The fire was under control by about 12:30 p.m., and it was officially extinguished shortly before 5 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.