Two alarms were struck on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at 4715 N. New Hope Road. That’s a two-story, wood frame, garden-style apartment building with 10,708 square-feet, and built 1972. Dispatched 12:01 p.m. for Raleigh plus nearby New Hope Engine 1 as auto-aid.

New Hope Engine 1 first-arriving, with smoke showing. Raleigh Engine 19 and Battalion 1 arrived right behind Engine 1, and Battalion 1 upgraded to working fire. Engine 19 brought a supply line to Engine 1, with Engine 21 boosting from the hydrant.

With heavy brown smoke venting from the gables, and fire quickly spreading through the common attic space, command request a second alarm. It was dispatched at 12:11 p.m. Staging was designed on New Hope Road.

Crews from three engines made interior attacks, while roof venting was started using Ladder 2 for access. Also deployed was Ladder 1, positioned in the A/D corner of the building, and supplied by Engine 9. Searches were negative. Fire was controlled within about 30 minutes.

Dispatched 12:01 p.m. Controlled 12:38 p.m. Cause determined as accidental. No injuries. Twelve apartments rendered uninhabitable. 

Run Card

12:01 p.m. – First alarm – E19, E21, E15, E11, L2, L1, R1, B1, B5, New Hope E1, C1.
12:08 p.m. – Working fire – C20, C402, A1, B2.
12:11 p.m. – Second alarm – E22, E28, E9, L8, L4. Plus C1, C2, C4, C14 (Safety Officer).
Plus E27, special called for hot spots during overhaul.

WRAL photo

@KellyEKennedyTV photo via Twitter

Belated posting about a fire from two weeks ago…

Two alarms were struck on April 10, 2019, at 6131 Falls of Neuse Road. Dispatched at 6:22 p.m. as an automatic fire alarm for Engine 15 and Ladder. Upgraded to commercial structure fire while the units were en route. 

Engine 15 found smoke showing on arrival, and quickly upgraded to working fire. Second alarm was requested shortly after the arrival of Battalion 1. 

Heavy smoke presented at the front door (and on all three floors). No occupants found on searches of all three floors. Hydrants and standpipe were connected. Fire was quickly extinguished, with second alarm companies assisting with overhaul, and notably ventilation of the building.

Building was unoccupied except for the cleaning crew, that reported the fire alarm, noted one news story. Controlled at 6:51 p.m. Cause determined as accidental. No injuries. 

Run Card

Two alarms were struck on Sunday, March 24, at 5109 Primland Lane, a couple streets off Rogers Lane on the far east side of Raleigh.

Engine 12 was dispatched about 5:40 p.m. to an outside fire, and found a grass fire that had spread to the rear of a two-story, single-family dwelling. Heavy fire had extended into the attic, while wind was also pushing both the grass fire and structure fire toward exposures on three sides of the fire building. 

A second alarm was requested by the Engine 12 officer, due to the rapidly spreading fire. It was dispatched about 5:54 p.m. They were directed to Heather Ridge Lane, a street behind the fire, and where a second structure was reported on fire. No second structure fire was found.

Three additional engines were also dispatched about 5:58 p.m. They remained in staged, and were soon returned to service.

Attacking the Fire

Crews on Engine 12 hand-laid to a hydrant on Primland, and began an exterior attack on both the grass fire and the structure fire. Second-arriving Engine 21 took another line into the rear of the structure, for fire attack and search, along with Ladder 8. 

Interior crews were advancing a line into the structure, but were evacuated after their hose burst and due to heavy fire conditions in the attic. All personnel with ordered out of the structure, and operations changed to defensive mode. 

Ladder 8 (on Primland) and Ladder 4 (on Thistlegate Trail) deployed aerial streams, and a pair of ground monitors were used, along with the hand hose lines. Engine 2, dispatched on the second alarm, see below, supplied Ladder 4, which is not equipped with a pump. Engine 2 used a hydrant at the corner of Thistlegate and Primland.

Crews from the companies on Heather Ridge Lane connected to a third hydrant, and assisted with fire attack from a hill behind and above Primland Lane. 

Once aerial operations were started, the fire was quickly contained. It was marked under control at 6:19 p.m. Most of the additional fire companies were quickly returned to service.

The cause of the fire was determined as accidental. No injuries were reported. 

Run Card

Units on scene included: 

• Outside fire (~5:40): E12
• Working fire (~5:43): E21, E26, E11, L8, L4, R1, B2, B1, C20, C401, A2
• Second alarm (~5:54): E10, E2, Sq7, L7, L1
• Also dispatched (~5:58): E3, E19, E13
• Medical: EMS 7, EMS 62, EMS 36, EMS 5, E3, D4, M92, T1. 

See photos from Legeros.