On May 30, 2008, the Hammonton Fire
Department Fire Companies Number One and Number Two, in Atlantic
County, were dispatched to an alarm of fire at Patriot Storage
on Old Egg Harbor Road. Patriot Storage is part of a facility
that is also occupied by Universal Products, a building supply
company and a manufacturer of wood products such as windows,
doors, and home remodeling supplies.
Chief Ruberton arrived to find heavy fire showing from the roof
of a 200 x 200 foot block building and requested a second and
third alarm simultaneously. This brought fire apparatus from all
four fire companies of Mullica Township, Folsom, Newtonville,
and Collings Lakes, from Winslow Township, Camden County, and
Indian Mills, Burlington County. Immediately after this was
accomplished, several Water Tender Task Forces were dispatched;
one from Atlantic County, one each from Burlington, Camden, and
Gloucester Counties.
A large diameter hose relay was set up along Route 30, utilizing
two fire hydrants; one directly at the front of the facility at
Old Egg Harbor Road and Route 30, the second several thousand
feet west in front of Giles and Ransom on Route 30.
The second plan of attack was to set up dump tanks in the
parking lot of the facility, this would allow for one Hammonton
engine to pump out of and supply master streams to the fire on
the “A” and “B” side of the fire building, while the hydrant at
Old Egg Harbor and Route 30 would supply one Hammonton engine to
supply the Hammonton tower. A second relay engine pumping from
the dump tanks would supply an engine and ladder to cover the
“B” and “D” sides of the fire.
Once the water supply was established, an uninterrupted flow of
water could be poured onto the fire. A Winslow Township platform
was set up directly in front of the fire building and was fed
from three separate dump tanks supplied by an engine. Twenty-six
water tenders, 15 engines, six ladders, and several other
utility vehicles responded and provided assistance for the call.
Each water tender delivered approximately 10 loads of water each
to the fire scene, as four fill sites were established with two
water tenders each being filled at each site. It should be noted
that each water tender ran ten loads of water each at 2500
gallons per water tender, and the other engines flowed water
onto the fire from 23:45 on Friday to 07:00 hours Saturday. It
is estimated that 1,070,000 gallons of water was used to battle
the blaze.
-Fire News photos by Dennis C.
Sharpe
