At 13:47 hrs (1:47 pm) Station 4 (Malvern) along with Stations 5, 3 (Paoli), 2 (Berwyn) were dispatched to the 100 block of Monument Avenue in Malvern Borough for a reported dwelling fire.

Initial reports indicated black smoke coming from the second floor. Chief 4 (N. Vaughn) arrived and confirmed police reports of smoke showing from the front of a two story multi-occupancy dwelling. He established Monument Avenue Command and requested the Working Fire Dispatch, which re-alerted all initial companies and added Air 52 (Goodwill of WCFD), Station 47 for RIT (Lionville) and Ambulance 3.

Ladder 4 arrived on location, stopped short and stretched the initial attack line. Fire was involving a second floor apartment in a four-unit building. The crew forced entry in to the apartment and began to attack the fire. Engine 5-2 arrived next laying in from a secondary hydrant followed shortly by Engine 2-1. East Whiteland Township Fire Marshall FM-42 (Battin) handled safety and accountability while FM42B (Kerrigan) handled operations.

Engine 2-1's crew split and began to perform vertical ventilation as well as check exposure units. Engine 5-2's crew pulled a secondary hose line to the initial fire unit. Tower 3 arrived and set up on the front side with their aerial to the roof as the crews from 4 and 5 knocked down the last fire in the initial fire apartment. Additional arriving companies stretched a third line, laddered the building and completed other fire ground tasks.

With limited daytime manpower and interior crews reporting that the fire had extended into the attic space, Monument Avenue command requested the second alarm. This brought Delaware County Quint 15 (Radnor), Delaware County Engine 41 (Newtown Square) and Engine 61 (Kimberton). The first and second alarm companies worked together to ensure that the fire involving the attic area was extinguished and that there was no other fire extension within the building.

The fire was placed under control about one hour in to the incident with all crews working. There were no injuries reported and the County and State Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of this fire.

Photos courtesy of Steve Layne.