Fire Causes Heavy Damage To Hawthorne Park Home
 
By Firefighter Mark Robertson Sr.
January 14, 2015
 

Willingboro Firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions at a home in Hawthorne Park on the evening of January 6th. While finishing up an incident for a down light pole in Country Club, Supervisor 1610 and Engine 1613 were advised by the county's 911 Center that they received a call for a dryer fire at 19 Hastings Lane. Neighboring fire departments were also dispatched to the incident which was reported at 6:30 pm. EMS Supervisor 1690 arrived in seven minutes and reported heaving smoke coming from the front of the home. Engine 1613 arrived shortly after and reported heavy fire also visible on the first floor.

Engine 1613's crew pulled a 1 3/4" handline to the front door and prepared to start extinguishing the fire. Supervisor 1610 and Chief of Department Burnett arrived, and the chief requested "All Companies In Service", signifying a major fire. Lieutenant Ferrell along with Firefighters Centrone and Carcasio entered the home and found heavy smoke, heat, and fire in the front hallway, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and an enclosed back porch. Westampton Engine 2723 arrived and connected a 5" supply line to a nearby hydrant.

The crew from 2723 then started to assist with ventilation and a search of the home. Burlington Township Engine 3012 arrived and started to ventilate the second floor using ground ladders and hand tools. Due to the heavy fire and heat conditions, the crew of Engine 2723 pulled a second 1 3/4" handline and assisted Engine 1613's crew with extinguishing the fire. The crew from Engine 3012 took over the search operation, as Engine 1613 and 2723's crews were extinguishing the fire. Thanks to the extreme efforts of the three crews, Chief Burnett was able to place the fire under control at 9 pm.

The home suffered heavy fire and heat damage on the first floor, and heavy heat damage to the second floor. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, however several residents did receive assistance from the American Red Cross. The Burlington County Fire Marshal's office conducted an investigation as to the cause and origin of the fire. Firefighters from Mount Laurel, Burlington City, and Moorestown were also on hand to assist with removing burned materials from the home.

The Willingboro Township Construction Office deemed the house uninhabitable due to the damage. A company was called in to secure the property. Willingboro Township Public Works was also called to the scene for a salt truck due to freezing condition on the roadway due to the water runoff from firefighting operations. All units were clear from the scene at 12:10 am.

 
Units: Chief 1600, Supervisor 1610, Engine 1613, Utility 1616, Fire Police 1618, EMS Supervisor 1690, and Ambulance 1691
 
Mutual Aid: Westampton Engine 2723, Burlington Township Engine 3012, Mount Laurel Battalion Chief 3620 and Ladder 3615, Moorestown RIC 3113, Burlington City Ladder 9035 and Ambulance 9091, and Burlington County Fire Marshal's Office