5 + ALARMS: 15 Homes burn in the City of Easton, Pennsylvania on Memorial Day

Just after 4pm, Easton FD was dispatched to 913 Ferry Street for a house fire. Heavy fire was showing in the rear on arrival. The fire extended rapidly in the cockloft due to the winds. The fire eventually spread through the whole block of rowhomes to 935 Ferry Street.
Fire Departments from Northampton County, Lehigh County and New Jersey responded to help the City of Easton. Six ladder companies were operating at the fire scene.
The fire burned for hours before being brought under control. One firefighters was transported to the hospital.
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#fire #housefire #easton

[@gloriaannopperman2734]

Prayers for the displaced tenants and pets. Sad day for all of them. Thank you to the first responders and all who helped.

[@rickvaiBBB]

Find a new fetish. One truck and a hose put it out.

[@ronfreniere8769]

Those rowhouses fires are hard to put out 😮 because of their common cocklofts. When I was a volunteer, we respond to one. We lost half a street, and we were on there for over a day and a half. Hop Hopefully the firefighter who was Transported to the hospital recovered from his injuries. Thank you to all firefighters everywhere for protecting the citizens of your coverage area.

[@jurgenkuhlmann9194]

Common attic - plus no firewalls. But this really sounds like a Germanism: "row house" - "Reihenhaus." The Brits call these "terraced houses." Cheers!

[@josephbrown822]

That is so true, been to a few as a VFF as well and it was hell on earth. One was a community of town homes that were only up about 2 years and then poof, one gets and electric short fire starts then a whole row goes. Then the heat starts to get to the next one and the siding or roof catches and you have another one going, 6 departments for that call and by the next morning we finally had it pretty much down to clean up. We were some tired guys that day when we got home, took a shower and I was in bed and out before my head hit the pillow.

[@ronfreniere8769]

@@josephbrown822 yeah that's what started the one I was at, and before we could get a on it, it moved so fast that half the street was gone before we knew it. Luckily there were injuries to anyone and everyone was able to get out in time, but many families were displaced.

[@mikewendland4982]

Those poor people who live there!

[@glenshimokaji6644]

I want you guys to know I want to thank you for being of service and protecting the people in your city and I'm so proud to be able to say I thank you God bless you guys and be safe and that goes for the women too

[@jimm8246]

I saw the same thing in South Baltimore about 10 yrs ago. Old wooden rowhomes with a common roof. Fire started in the second dwelling in the block which burned to the ground causing extensive damage to the closest adjacent buildings and moderate damage to the upper floors on the rest of the block. In all it involved about 12 homes. Excellent job covering the fireground action in this video.

[@rd4660]

Dang. Can I assume there are no firewalls between units?

[@nubbyg9096]

Correct.

[@MoparGuy1625]

Probably have a common cockloft and just traveled right through and most likely balloon framing. Aka. No fire stop at all

[@azul8811]

@@MoparGuy1625 Row frames are not typically balloon framed. EDIT: I was unaware that some Row Frames were balloon construction. Here in the 5 Boroughs of NYC they are Braced Frame to the best of my knowledge.

[@johngoglia-gh7ql]

Dried out probably usually 3x3 fire stops.. if aged like kindling

[@johngoglia-gh7ql]

Homes built right after ww2 probably .Easton is or was manufactured town

[@karenshagawat9210]

So sad.Thank you to all first responders. Thank you Bill for the video.🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒

[@jamessimmonds3773]

Fire walls only work if they go up past the roof line. The building industry has gotten away with building fire walls only up to the attic or void space. Once the fire gets in there you are burning the roof's off of the entire block / complex. The same building industry that is also against residential sprinkler systems.

[@RLTtizME]

So you live in an all concrete and sprinklered house? If not...were you too much of a cheap skate to build one that way?

[@irlmikeo7634]

As a former firefighter I will agree with some of the other comments and say there are some questionable tactics in play here. But being someone who has lived in this area I can tell you that there are many, many structures like this on narrow streets, many of which are on steep hills the in the city of Easton. This had the potential to become something much worse.

[@eldorajohnson3894]

Prayers to the people who lost their beautiful homes. Thanks and prayers to the firefighters

[@46fd04]

Row housing fires are usually very bad, unless the first arriving company gets there early and gets water on the fire quickly.

[@williamschlenger1518]

What a shame.These people lost everything.I would never live in a townhouse.😔

[@pamd.happykat8187]

I'd pitch a tent under a bridge before I lived in one of these. Sad for all the residents and hope everyone got out safely and got any pets they have out. Great job to all the fire crews!

[@BonzoGal1980]

Those poor people- I hope they can get the help they need to replace what was lost. It was this very fear that kept me from moving to that area when I was apartment hunting.

[@donarmstrong5872]

Having lived in townhouses the fire laws and codes of most areas require fire walls. The cheapest way to get that is a double layer of 3/4 sheet rock on each end of abutting units. The trouble is many job sites the electricians , plumbers , HVAC and everyone else will knock holes through the sheet rock to run various utilities. On top of that often main floor support beams are run through the wall with only some spackle mud slapped around them. Then where ever the frames meets in places like the walls in attics it is never sealed. End result is just like many apartment complexes the walls only last 15 minutes before the fire spreads to the next units.

[@rosewetzel8284]

These huge fires happen way too frequently

[@hokeypokeypots]

Looks like older row houses built with wood. One goes, they all go.

[@jays106]

this is why i could never live in the city especially row houses i would constantly live in fear of the neighbors house catching fire and spreading rapidly to the one i was living in

[@judis.1810]

I also could never ever live in "a row house", way too scary for me.

[@wrecklessintent1982]

Then dont..

[@RLTtizME]

You would probably get shot on the way to the store before that happens.

[@reginabundy5139]

I hope everyone got out safely.

[@bwbw1341]

With residences like these and apartments, you need to have renters insurance. When I used to live in apartments, I carried insurance because any fire in one unit would consume many more.

[@Eddiecurrent2000]

Open attics were quite common in the UK too, and resulted in similar kinds of fire.

[@jeffreyreinhard7542]

So Sad Great Video Bill

[@Windrider6]

I wonder why no one has figured out how to keep those firefighter personal emergency alarms from going of in the prep area.

[@teleteg787]

Hmmmm.....Whole block of attached wooden houses likely with balloon framing and no firestopping between cocklofts.....what could possibly go wrong?

[@BenjaminEsposti]

Wow, that sure was a busy one! We had a similar fire in my town, but it wasn't quite as bad. Did damage 14 rowhomes though - about half were then torn down.

[@phi11ip_mox77]

Hope everyone git out safe. Great footage Bill! ❤

[@pamhofmeister2531]

Great video. Firefighters did a wonderful job on such a difficult fire and with only 1 injury. Fabulous...🤗🤗

[@dorothydromgoole8040]

My hope is that everyone got out and that no one was hurt. Love from Marysville, California

[@harrisontiemann3276]

Great use of cannon gun.

[@549BR]

I've never heard of cocklofts, but I have heard of firewalls, which obviously were not built into these structures. Remember always buy home or renters insurance.

[@joscallinet6260]

What always strikes me when watching fires like this one, is the huge amount of damage the water alone does to these houses, even if the crews manage to put out the fire. None of these row-house homes here are safe enough or habitable to where the owners or residents can move back in. These structures end up being one huge mess of water-soaked wood and plaster and sheetrock and fire-charred wreckage. At the very least, these homes will have to be gutted to the frame and rehabbed from top to bottom. Wouldn't be surprised to see this entire row of houses condemned as unsafe and every last one of them torn down.

[@Biggestfoot10209]

So what is your answer to this question?

[@joscallinet6260]

@@Biggestfoot10209 It's most likely that these homes will be condemned and torn down. They were a disaster waiting to happen. Adding to this tragedy is the likelihood that the people living there could not afford the cost to have their homes rehabilitated. This appears to be a low-income district, with people living very close to or at the poverty level.

[@Madmac96]

So, because water is used to put out fire, and water causes damage to the housing, we should just let them burn? You do realize that's ridiculous, right?

[@joscallinet6260]

@@Madmac96 No, I'm not advocating that water NOT be poured on the fire in the quantities needed to extinguish the blaze - the firefighters had no choice but to do all they could to put it out. What I was getting at in my comment above was to say that PREVENTING fires - and the consequent need TO pour water on them - SHOULD always be the main objective. In the case of these unfortunate row-houses, their "goose was cooked" the moment that fire spread out of control. There was NO avoiding the fire and water damage that resulted. The only choice the fire crews had WAS to put out the fire as quickly as possible before it spread to additional structures in the neighborhood. Those houses were, in effect, SACRIFICED in order to save others. It's a shame this happened to what looked like q nicely-cared-for set of row houses, and most especially to the people living in them.

[@JB91710]

What you saw here is Fountain Statue Fire Playing. When you saw the streams of water going through the windows, do you think there was even a little fire in those rooms? There wasn't even smoke coming out those windows. You have to go in there and surgically apply the water to the burning material and just the burning material. They destroyed that entire building flooding it like that. Absolutely no need for it either.

[@greyjay9202]

An amazing concentration of fire apparatus and fire members. Those row houses are hell on wheels. Was water supply ever an issue, with all those engines at the scene?

[@williamschlenger1518]

They're older than they look. They've been covered in vinyl siding.

[@beckytwister01]

Absolutely no way would I ever consider living in something like that

[@anthonymirande4030]

Typical fire in most cities in PA with attached row homes. And balloon construction cause once it is in the walls it's off to the races

[@thomasmiller815]

Good coverage I was going to text you about this fire but I thought maybe it was too far to go.

[@danefilander6306]

Well done to the fire department they did such a amazing job. That is why I wouldn't live in a weatherboard board house they are too much of a high fire risk!!!

[@carlson9530]

This looks more like an apartment building then 15 homes.

[@tobiakbas3323]

Great video

[@nayanpanchal39]

Great video billy

[@newsworking]

Thank You

[@anthonysaggio6551]

Very sad 😢

[@helenevilleneuve4567]

Sad !😭

[@ItsTheCostanza]

Only the best okay.

[@tjerkheringa937]

Woodframes... We used to build our cities in Europe like that in the Middle Ages. That made some spectacular fires then too.

[@Trooper_Bukkake]

Bad ass video, great job capturing that. That's Forks Tower ladder sure is pretty and the up ladder shit was awesome.

[@stevenpivornik9982]

That's the new Ascendant ladder Pierce has got every department on their knees in wanting now

[@barbannco]

terrible loss to the families.

[@thomashelm3252]

Row houses depending on fire codes if they have gire walls

[@samrock7632]

Looking at the water's color pouring from engine #2018's deck gun, when they return to station, they need to flush the tank and inspect, as well as check the anodes. I like the trench cut Forks FD did on venting, making an anchor point to stop further horizontal fire spread. In my opinion these are essential in row home wind driven conditions and are not used a frequently as the should. By in the olden days massiive fire spread was done with dynamite, but it's use is a tab bit founded upon today.

[@JB91710]

Roof ventilation is ridiculous. Weren't there enough dormer windows for you?

[@Derekva40]

well now i know why it went to 5 plus alarms

[@jerryhughes5380]

Is this a Defensive fire or Offensive fire mode of attack? Fire Departments that mix the mode of attack place the safety of their firefighters at risk. You are either in Defensive mode or Offensive mode, but never both.

[@JB91710]

From what we saw this is mostly an offensive fire. If you can't see what's burning, how are you going to get water on it?

[@shirleyleichliter4487]

Prayers 😢

[@suzylarry1]

That RED DEVIL sure knew where to run in that complex , sad to see it go up in flames on such a beautiful weekend . Hope all are safe involved.

[@jubelet]

When did they stop requiring fire walls?

[@pattiabb3259]

Those houses are older than dirt. Probably wasn't any fire wall laws when they were being built

[@MsCnote1984]

Looks like the street is too damn small for all of the firefighters and equipment.

[@teamgafff]

Get in there and put it out. Master streams in windows won’t cut it.

[@NINA_2005]

Other amazing job bill

[@MrHarryhere69]

This video show all outside attacks. I did not see one inside attack. Maybe it happened, the video did not show it.. Never seen so many sticks up with only one guy cutting the roof. So many people lost everything.

[@misha2197]

😔💔

[@captainotto]

07:00 Is that rust in the line causing the orange color in the water? Would that be a problem for the pumps in the engines if so? I wouldn't want to imagine what else would cause that color. 🤢

[@Biggestfoot10209]

That would be no problem whatsoever. Could be they are drafting from a pond.

[@stevenpivornik9982]

Normally you'd find this in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., but wow, this is something else.

[@southernoregoncatmom6519]

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@jurgenkuhlmann9194]

6:50: This must be a distress signal!

[@chrisburns8894]

That was the evac tones building was in jeopardy of collapsing so they sold the air horns to let all firefighters know to get out asap

[@jonarmedpiandsecurityoffic9051]

That's a GTFO tone, firefighters hear that and head to the door quickly

[@jurgenkuhlmann9194]

@@jonarmedpiandsecurityoffic9051 Well yes, they MUST hear that signal when their own lives are in jeopardy, but I believe there is a chance that inside a fire building with all that noise around them, firemen might miss it. Especially when under stress, it is possible not to hear and see everything around you. So in addition, this warning signal should come over the radio from the Battalion Chief as well, if possible. All the best!

[@haroldenglish943]

Building codes in 1920's? Hmmm, interesting

[@MrAlden66]

Do you know if any pets escaped?

[@ronaldayers7424]

I’m scared to fight inside . Obviously not volunteering paid fire fighters set back and relax

[@sircampbell1249]

Let fire 🔥 burn to water.....todays firefighting

[@Gruntm203]

Not good Henry……..

[@tinagrier6641]

This is O sad 15 ho es burn on a holiday whatxould havestartez auch adevaztati f

[@tinagrier6641]

Fire ❤ hope those families are OK

[@damm1957]

Let me guess... refried bean fire or frying chicken?

[@wongd7946]

you got issues brodie

[@rosesmith6208]

do you know the cause?

[@scottdore9799]

If one person is a shit head everyone loses 😢scarey

[@stormmakainag]

13d

[@eliasthienpont6330]

🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁LION c LIKE No. 272

[@reginabundy5139]

I bet the owner is mad. His or her insurance just went up.

[@chrisbarr1359]

Forget the premiums. They just let stuff that CAN'T be replaced.

[@joeytheauditor1286]

They need better radios u can’t understand nothing they say

[@Biggestfoot10209]

Double negatives. Didn’t you go to school.

[@joeytheauditor1286]

@@Biggestfoot10209 nope

[@bigcheezmoe]

There is a number of chubies on the force.

[@shelbymccoy3936]

Who cares? What a RUDE thing to say!!!! At least they answered the call when danger struck. Do you???

[@rosesmith6208]

one thing I have learned in my short life, is that weight is one of those things is hard to control simply because we dont understand how our bodies work and why it does what it does, if you listen to the experts they will tell you it is a lack of self control, I am here to tell you that is only partially true, they will lead you to do the oppisite of what you should do, maybe they are confused maybe they are misled or maybe they are just evil and want people to stay unhealthy and to hate themselves who knows the heart of some people, i know wiht weight watchers they dont want you to be successful especially on your own otherwise you wont need them anymore and who will pay them?

[@cherylt8590]

Chas aka Bigcheezmoe,what's chubies got to do with fighting a fire,my son was chubies and was one of the best firefighters out there,and went to every call,so are you a firefighter 😤 🚒🚑😊👍...

[@cherylt8590]

@@shelbymccoy3936 ya really. ..

[@bigcheezmoe]

@@cherylt8590 Cheryl, under strenuous conditions those with high BMI are associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They will end up having a hart attack while on the job thereby requiring emergency treatment during an already emergency situation.

[@kurtismckemmie4850]

Bacon burgers are ready.

[@michaeld8443]

didn't save a single house lmao

[@Steve-cu1ye]

Alot of fat firefighter not wearing gear on fire scene

[@IG10705]

That's their choice

[@ryangalasso4015]

You have a mix between volunteers and paid guys who all have different levels of lax on rules