STRUCTURE FIRE

Date & Time: Saturday, December 15, 2007 – 12:27 a.m.

Location: 18 Skillman Avenue, Lawrence Township, N.J.

Details: Lawrence Road Fire Co. would like to congratulate a Rider University instructor with helping to save the lives of his neighbors after their home caught fire. Shawn Kildea, a Rider communications instructor who teaches courses in television production, called 911 after spotting smoke and flames coming from the roof of his neighbors’ home at 18 Skillman Avenue shortly before 12:30 a.m. Unbeknownst to the sleeping family, a crack inside their chimney had allowed embers from the fire they had enjoyed in their fireplace the previous evening to start a fire burning in their attic space. The fire had smoldered in the attic for quite some time, slowly burning through some rafters. But having finally burned through the roof to fresh air, it was increasing in intensity just as Kildea spotted it. After calling 911, Kildea ran over to the burning house and pounded on the front door until he had awakened the neighbors. The family – which included a husband and wife and their two daughters, ages 4 and 6 – then fled to outside to safety. A crew of Lawrence Road volunteers, having just returned with Telesquirt 22 a few minutes earlier from a house fire on Gainsboro Road, were still in their firehouse when Mercer County Central transmitted Box 22-20 at 12:27 a.m. and dispatched all three Lawrence Township fire companies to 18 Skillman Avenue. Telesquirt 22 responded immediately and arrived on scene at 12:30 a.m. to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the roof next to the chimney of the one-story home. The homeowner, standing on a ladder, was trying to fight the fire using his garden hose. With confirmation of a working fire, Mercer County Central at 12:32 a.m. dispatched Rescue 32 from Ewing Township’s Pennington Road Fire Co. as the rapid intervention team. Telesquirt 22’s crew stretched a 1.75-inch hoseline into the house and began to attack the fire after gaining access to the attic space via a set of pull-down stairs. Telesquirt 23 arrived at 12:33 a.m. and laid a large diameter supply line in to Telesquirt 22 from a hydrant on Route 206. Engine 22 reached the scene at 12:35 a.m., followed by Engine 21 at 12:37 a.m., Rescue 22 at 12:37 a.m., and Ladder Tower 23 at 12:39 a.m. The bulk of the fire was knocked down by 12:39 a.m., at which time Rescue 32 was recalled. Rescue 22’s crew was designated as the RIT while crews opened part of the roof to check for fire extension. The blaze was officially placed under control at 12:45 a.m. During firefighting and overhaul operations, salvage tarps were used to cover furniture and other items directly below the burned area to protect them from water damage from the hoselines. Engine 21, Engine 22 and Ladder Tower 23 were recalled at 1:47 a.m., while Telesquirt 23 stayed on location until 2 a.m. The crews from Telesquirt 22 and Rescue 22 remained on scene to aid fire investigators and then to cover up the holes in the roof with plastic sheeting. Telesquirt 22 and Rescue 22 were finally back in quarters by 2:48 a.m.

Responding LRFC Personnel

Telesquirt 22

Officer: Assistant Chief John Britton	Driver: Ff. Shaun Dlabik
Crew: Lt. Evan Kutzin	Crew: Ff. Ryan Dlabik
Crew: Ff. Keith Kent	Crew: Ff. Michael Guala

Engine 22

Officer: Capt. Ed Budzinski	Driver: Ff. Brian Laue
Crew: Ff. Martin Burch	Crew: Ff. Charles Commini Sr.

Rescue 22

Officer: Capt. Edward Kitchen	Driver: Ff. Joseph Dlabik Sr.
Crew: Lt. Richard Laird III	Crew: Ff. Charles Commini Jr.
Crew: Ff. Chris Dlabik	Crew: Ff. Michael Ratcliffe
Crew: Ff. Andrew Fosina

All photos copyright (c) 2007 by Michael Ratcliffe