Chimneys are one of the most common locations of residential structure fires in Pennsylvania during the Winter Months. The Chimney Safety Institute of America reports that creosote accumulation is the leading cause of chimney fires. A chimney that is dirty, blocked or is in disrepair can inhibit proper venting of smoke up the flue and can also cause a chimney fire. Nearly all residential fires originating in the chimney are preventable. An annual chimney inspection by a qualified chimney sweep can prevent fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. To keep your home safe from chimney fires follow these guidelines. Maintenance - Good maintenance is a very important step in preventing chimney fires! • Have your chimney checked every year by a qualified chimney professional. • Burn only well seasoned hardwoods. • Install a chimney cap. • Install a carbon monoxide detector. • Have your chimney sweep ensure that your chimney has an appropriate liner. • Following a violent storm, earthquake, flood or lightening strike, have your chimney inspected for damage - inside and out. Prevention - Remember prevention is your best defense against fire. If you have a wood or coal stove, be sure it is installed at least 36 inches away from the wall. Keep combustible materials well away from the stove and chimney connector. Place an approved stove board under the unit to protect the floor from heat and hot coals which might drop out. Be Prepared - Know what to do in case of fire. If you suspect a chimney fire, evacuate your home and call 9-1-1

Tonight Member's attended Incident Safety Officer's Class , the first of 3 Classes Scheduled this Month at Lehighton Fire Dept . Topics discussed tonight included Risk Management, Firefighter Injuries and Fatalities , Describing the Key Elements of the Incident Command System.

Crews responded earlier Tonight with a full response into Hazle Twp for a Reported Working Structure Fire. after arriving on location crews went to work Quickly assisting Hazle Twp and other responding unit's . Once Fire was extinguished and overhaul was finished , Crews were released by Hazle Command .

Shortly after 1900 Hrs Sunday Night West Hazleton Crew's were dispatched into McAdoo Borough , For a reported Electrical Fire . McAdoo Crews arrived on scene reporting a working Fire , Engine - 2 , Rescue and Command responded with full Commitment . Shortly after arriving on scene , crews went to work assisting Mcadoo with overhaul. Crews were released by McAdoo Command once Incident was placed under Control . Picture Courtesy of Mike McMahon

Engine Company Responded along with Ems Unit's for the Reported pt struck by a vehicle in the area of 104 Horn St , Crews arrived on location Prior to Ems arrival with C - 1 having Command . Crews found pt with minor injuries , at which time pt was transferred over to Ems Personnel . Engine Company as well as C - 1 cleared the scene no incident .

Winter time is the most dangerous of times for carbon monoxide issues as homes are closed up to keep out the cold weather and many older homes do not have the proper air exchange to minimize the CO levels. On top of that, some homewowners often supplement their heating system with heaters meant for outdoor use without proper ventilation. If you do not currently have carbon monoxide detectors in your home, please consider doing so this winter. They are inexpensive, easy to install and can easily save your life. For any Further Question's or more Information Contact Our Station at (570)455 - 3696

Earlier Today Crew's Handled High Level's of Carbon Monoxide. When Engine- 1 arrived on location Crew's found Dangerous Levels on Second and third Floor of Resident's , Crew's quickly ventilated Resident's , Engine - 1 , Chief - 3 remained on location with UGI until Levels were safely brought down.

Engine Co. Responded earlier this Morning to a 2 Car Crash with Injuries. West Hazleton C-3 and Engine-1 arrived on location and found two vehicles parked on the side of the roadway minor injuries were reported. Crew's remained on location for a short time following crash to assist with Traffic.

Story Written as Printed in Standard Speaker Newspaper ERIC CONOVER/Staff Photographer Dennis P. Ganc, Jr., left, the new West Hazleton Fire Department chiefm presents a rocking chair to retired chief Robert J. Ward on Sunday at the station as part of installation of officers. Dennis Ganc Jr. new fire chief in West Hazleton BY AMANDA CHRISTMAN (STAFF WRITER) Published: January 9, 2012 West Hazleton Fire Department wished a department fixture chief well in retirement and welcomed its new top firefighter Sunday night. Chief Dennis P. Ganc Jr. officially took over as chief of the local fire-fighting institution on Jan. 1, replacing Robert Ward, who served the department for 27 years. Ganc, who will run the department in the unpaid position, said the department will undergo some changes in the new year. West Hazleton, he said, will be functioning heavily on a volunteer basis, though the station will be staffed by paid firefighters during the week as well. Ganc said the chiefs of the department will start on a rotating schedule that will dictate who is in charge of emergencies on a weekly basis. Due to the department being staffed heavily with volunteers, it will hold several fundraisers throughout the year. Ganc said the change in leadership went smoothly because of Ward's contributions, and he promises to continue to honor Ward by seeing projects he started come to completion. He said one of those is a grant Ward applied for to acquire a new ladder. Ganc said the department is eagerly awaiting to hear if it was awarded the funding. "We definitely have big shoes to fill," Ganc said. Ganc first met Ward when he joined the department in 2001 when he was about 29 years old. He was taught how to be a firefighter by Ward. Nathan Sepnefski, senior firefighter, trustee and sergeant at arms, said he met Ward when he joined the department in 2005 to serve his community. Ganc and Sepnefski both took time out of their officers' meeting to talk about how Ward shaped their lives and the department. Ganc said Ward put his heart and soul into the department and taking on the role of chief after him is an honor. For Ward's years of service he was given the title of chief emeritus. Ganc also handed Ward the white chief's hat with red lettering that he wore for 27 years. But the department's nod to Ward's service didn't stop there, as he was presented a special gift to enjoy in his retirement - a wooden rocking chair. A plaque on the chair wished Ward well from the officers and members of the fire department and thanked him for his service. Ward laughed and smiled as the chair was brought into the department's meeting room in the borough building Sunday. Ward joked with the members about the gift, but was quick to sincerely thank his firefighters for the work they had done under his leadership. "The chief is only the driver. It's the guys behind him that make us look good," said Ward as he sat down in his chair for the first time, letting out an exaggerated sigh to the chuckle of the firefighters. Ward will continue to volunteer with the department and holds the title of treasurer, but said he is closing one chapter of his life and opening another with his retirement. Though he will continue to teach firefighting, he said he will enjoy leisure time without the stress that comes with being the chief during a time in which serious emergency calls are on the rise. The department, Ganc said, has members that are young and ready to learn new things. The members are also dedicated to serving the community well, he said. West Hazleton, like many other volunteer departments is always looking for new membership. Ganc said those interested don't necessarily have to fight fires but can join the department in other capacities, such as for organizing fundraisers. achristman@standardspeaker.com

A combination of swimming pool cleaning chemicals poured into a bucket in a West Hazleton home Saturday afternoon created a chemical vapor reaction that sent at least three people to a hospital for treatment.

West Hazleton fire Lt. Shawn Evans said a woman and her 13-year-old daughter were inside the home at 202 W. Green St. when two "pop" noises came from the bucket and vapors started filling the home, harming both of them.

The woman's husband, who is a trained firefighter, was outside at the time with their two 13-year-old sons and ran inside to save his wife and daughter. Evans said once he got them outside, one of the boys grabbed a garden hose and sprayed the three of them with water to decontaminate them while firefighters and ambulances were en route, Evans said.

He praised the father's and son's quick thinking.

Evans said an ambulance crew arrived at the home first and tended to the girl and her parents, who appeared to be suffering from respiratory problems.

The chemical fumes could be smelled a half-block away, Evans said. People attending a wedding at nearby Holy Name of Jesus Parish at Transfiguration Church were asked to stay inside until the services were over, and then to leave through a side door to avoid the fumes.

The parish's annual festival also was going on in the church's parking lot. Evans said the wedding and picnic guests were not at risk.

A neighbor was asked to close windows and doors as a precaution.

Firefighters ventilated the home from the fumes and removed items that were inside the kitchen. Once the home was free of the toxic vapors by about 5 p.m., firefighters were released.

Evans said as the home was ventilated the vapors were released into the air, diluting their toxicity and not putting anyone else at risk. Two dogs that Evans believes were outside of the home during the incident were taken to a shed for safety but two family cats were unable to be found, he said.

West Hazleton's hazardous materials unit was sent to the scene to decontaminate anyone who came in contact with the house. Evans said the fire department was in contact with the Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency during the incident, though its presence wasn't required.

Firefighters from Harwood APTS, West HAzleton  EMSand Hazle Township also responded.

This  story  was  copied  from the Hazleton Standard  Speaker as  reported  by  Staff  writer  Amanda  Christman

Fire ripped through a West Hazleton apartment building Monday evening, displacing three families and sending two women to a local hospital for treatment.West Hazleton Fire Chief Robert Ward said a West Hazleton police officer alerted emergency responders to the fire at 101 W. Clay Ave.

Firefighters arrived at the scene of the 8:11 p.m. fire in a three-story brick apartment building at the intersection of Clay Avenue and South Broad Street to find a bed in a second-story bedroom engulfed in flames, Ward said.The fire spread quickly, inflicting heavy damage to the bedroom and an interior hallway before firefighters brought the fire under control, Ward said.

"It was a joint response by West Hazleton and Hazle Township," Ward said.Emergency responders from Sugarloaf Township, McAdoo and state police also responded.

When he spoke to a reporter at the scene, Ward said he had not yet questioned the members of the three families that lived in the apartment building and did not have their names immediately available.

Hazle Township firefighter Bill Gallagher said two women were transported from the scene by ambulance to Hazleton General Hospital. Gallagher said the women did not appear to be seriously injured, but emotionally shaken by the events.

Ana Polanco and her husband, Alberto, own three apartments in the same building. The Polanco apartments are on the West Branch Street side of the building at 122, 124 and 126 S. Broad St. The Polanco properties did not appear to sustain fire damage.Polanco said she and her family live at 122 S. Broad and rent their two other apartments to families.

Polanco said she was in her apartment with her family when a police officer knocked on her door and said, "Get out. There's a fire. Get out."

She told her husband and two children to get out of the building quickly, then knocked on neighboring doors, including those of her tenants, with the police alerting neighbors to get out. She was grateful her family and tenants escaped unhurt."They are doing a good job," she said of the firefighters.


 

E-242 L-244,E-241 Dispatched Structure Box 201 E. Green Street for working Fire. LT. 248 arrived on scene with heavy fire load showing from the third floor, Immediate Struck for 2nd Alarm to the scene for man power and Mahanoy City RIT requested. Begining extension into the 203 side of structure through common crawl space.

Engine 241 and Truck 244 were alerted to respond to 1236 Mountain Road in Black Creek Township for the house fire. The Engine and Truck arrived to find a well involved house, with fire throughout division 2 and the roof already consumed. Engine and Truck crews assisted with extinguishment and a good amount of overhaul before returning to service.

Engine Co. 241 responded on a Medic Local for 1 shot in the area of North 3rd St and Boundary St. Engine Co. assisted Medic 11, and the patient was flown to the Level 2 Trauma Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley.