Hazmat Dispatch Turns into
Working Fire at Thomas Stone High School

September 19, 2003 1950hrs:

Units were alerted for a reported "Slight" Haz-Mat incident at Thomas Stone High School. As Engine 33, under the command of F/F David "Klink" Klinikowski, was approaching the scene, Dispatch advised that there were reports of people with something causing burning sensations in their eyes. At the time of the call, the school was being used as a temporary evacuation shelter for area residence affected by Hurricane Isabel. Engine 33 and Engine 31 arrived on scene with a white haze inside the cafeteria area of the school. Upon investigation, the haze was quickly determined to be a smoke condition from an unidentified fire and not from a hazardous materials incident. Dispatch upgraded the assignment to a commercial building fire at this point. Engine 122 was assigned to perform a complete evacuation of the school as the crews from E-33 and Squad 3 searched for the source of the smoke. Chief 3, Dan Stevens, arrived on scene and established the Command on side 1. As Engine 31 was setting up to supply the building fire department connections, F/F Keith Burns advised he could see smoke coming from the roof on Side 4. E-122 quickly laddered the building and a crew was sent to the roof. Once there, a small area of roof around an unknown vent pipe was seen bubbling. A small hole was made in the roof to investigate and immediately fire began to vent skyward. Command was advised that there was a confirmed "Working Fire" as the location was radioed down to the crews inside the school. The fire was quickly located in the ceiling above the emergency generator room by E-33 and extinguished. Truck 1 setup the 100' aerial ladder and brought saws up to the roof to open the area up further. The fire was contained to the ceiling and roof area above the generator room with no extension into the rest of the school. The cause of the fire was determined to be a hot muffler pipe from the generator running through the ceiling that ignited a smoldering fire in the ceiling insulation.

Responding Units: Engine 33, Engine 31, Engine 32, Squad 3, Engine 122, Brandywine Engine 402, Hughesville Squad 2, La Plata Truck 1, Special Unit 9, Ambulance 39, Ambulance 128, and Chief 3.

Building Fire Assignment: Baden Engine 361 and Accokeek Tower 24.

Company 3 Fill-In: Hughesville Engine 23