Sunday June 12th 2005 at 20:31 Susquehanna County Comm. Center notified United Fire Company and Montrose EMS of an activated fire alarm at 15 Church ST. in the Boro of Montrose the Montrose Square Apartments. United 11 (P.Sprout) on arrival at the rear of the 5 story concrete block building found heavy smoke showing from the roof and also from a ventilation opening on the first level. United 11 established command and reported back to communications his findings and requested that the dispatch be retransmitted as a working fire and requested Station 18 Clifford ladder be dispatched to the scene.  

United Tower 3 responded at 20:35 and command assigned them to the rear of the building in the drive way and assigned the first in engine United Engine 2 to take the hydrant on Maple ST. at the rear of the county office building and lay into the rear of the building.  The second in Engine United Engine 6 was instructed the take the hydrant at the corner of South Main ST. and Church ST. lay into the front of the building and augment the sprinkler system as well as tying into the stand pipe. Command assigned United 13 (C.E.Daly) to fire suppression operations and United 12 (M.Hinds) and United 14 (P.Henry) to evacuation operations.  The building houses over 100 elderly residents with some being confined to wheel chairs on the second floor.  

United Tower 3 and United Engine 2 arrived at the rear of the building the Tower given the assignment of placing the ladder to the roof and opening up the ventilation hatches and the Engine crew was assigned to stretch a 2 1/2" line to the "B" "C" corner of the building where the doors are to the utility room. The utility room was believed to be the source of the fire. As crews from the engine forced the door to the utility room they found heavy smoke conditions and heat in the room as well as could hear water flowing believing that the sprinkler system was activated.  The Tower crew had made it to the roof  and had the ventilation hatches open. The crew from the tower was then redirected to make entry from the roof into the north stair well and proceed the the 5th floor where they were met with a heavy smoke condition and many residents still in the apartments. 

Command being advised of the situation assigned all additional arriving firefighters as well as the crew from engine 6 to the evacuation sector and request that communications dispatch Springville Fire for a foam engine to the scene and additional BLS units to the scene. Command assigned Montrose 21 (J.Krupinski) as EMS sector operations and also requested communications contact a key holder for the East Bridgewater Baptist Church at 13 Church ST so they could open up as a shelter for the evacuees.  

The Engine 2 crew made entry into the first floor utility room advancing about 25 feet onto the room found flames visible and attacked the fire.  There was a blue flash and crews quickly realized that there was an electrical hazard involved and shut down and back out of the room. The quick shot from the hose was able to knock out the visible flame.  The crew reported back the fire suppression sector its findings with the fire and also confirmed that there was at least one sprinkler head activated that had held the fire in check.  The fire suppression officer decided it best to ventilate the room before and further interior operations take place in that area and the crew from Engine 2 deployed a positive pressure ventilation fan.  

The evacuation crews were hard at work on all other levels of the structure finding a smoke condition and residents on all floors.  The crews were doing a room by room search and leading the residents down both stairwells where at the bottom they were meet with many of our junior members who would assist residents to the shelter. EMS was in place at the entrance to the shelter evaluating all of the residents as they were lead in. EMS  had also set up a rehab center for the firefighters where they monitored vitals and provided refreshments brought in by the Ladies Auxiliary.  

As mutual aid crews from Springville were arriving they were assigned to assist Engine 2 crews ventilating of the utility room. The crews from Engine 2 and  Springville made entry to control utilities and check for extension.  With no signs of extension and the utilities controlled operations officer advised the crews to shut down the sprinkler head.  As Clifford Station 18 Ladder arrived its crews were assigned to help Finnish the evacuation giving the crews United a much needed rest. With the fire out and all of the residents evacuated the crew from ladder 18 and United started the ventilation of the upper levels of the building of the remaining smoke.  

Command requested Susquehanna County EMA Coordinator to the scene as a resource to assist with the evacuation should it have become a long term evacuation of the residents. Command also requested the State Police Fire Marshall Be contacted to investigate the cause of the fire. Command declared the fire out and allowed residents to return to there apartments at 22:42. Command was terminated and all crews were placed back in service at 22:54

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