7/24/2016 Mutial Aid Structure fire in Rensselaer. By Greg Forgea.
At approximately 1830 hours on Sunday,
July 24 th, the East Greenbush Fire Department was dispatched along with Clinton Heights
and Defreestville for a second alarm fire in the City of Rensselaer. First arriving
units from the city of Rensselaer found a large two story house with heavy fire through
the roof with an exposure problem. Cars 1, 3, and 4, and Engine 8 took in the mutual aid box.
The crew from Engine 8, under the command of
Captain Palmer, met with Car 4 and assisted with fire suppression on the second floor.
Crews found heavy fire on the second floor and worked multiple 1 ¾ lines to extinguish
the bulk of the fire. After initial knockdown was completed, the crew exited the
building to cool down and rehydrate. Once rehydrated, the crew from Engine 8
assisted with extensive overhaul on the second floor.
The high temperatures made fighting this
fire a challenge. Crews had to be rotated out of the building frequently so
members could rehydrate. East Greenbush operated on scene for just under three hours.
While operating at the box, other members were working a traffic accident with injuries
on Columbia Turnpike in our district.
A great job was done by the initial crews
from the Rensselaer City Fire Department, and quick actions prevented this fire from
spreading to neighboring buildings. At the time of this article, the fire is still
under investigation.
