4-6-2008(Camden County) CAMDEN 1211 Penn St.-3rd Alarm Warehouse

At 3:55 p.m., a cell phone call was received for a building fire in the area of 11th and Linden Streets. The full box was transmitted dispatching Engine 1, Engine 6, Squad 7, Ladder 1, Ladder 3, Rescue 1 and Battalion 2 at 3:59. Camden County Communications advised responding units of multiple calls reporting a building with a lot of smoke coming from it. Responding units reported a column showing from blocks away. EMS arrived on location and reported a heavy smoke condition with several vagrants exiting the building. At 4:02 Ladder 1 arrived and reported a 2 story warehouse with smoke showing from the 1st floor. One minute later Battalion 2 arrived and struck the all hands and a 2nd alarm.Battalion 1,Car 3,Car 4, Squad 2, and mutual aid Ladder companies from Bellmawr and Audubon were added on the box.At the 10 minute mark, Battalion 2 reported at 1112 Penn Street, a 2 story masonry 100 x150 warehouse with heavy smoke with fire conditions doubtful.At 4:13 Command, Car 3, ordered the evacuation tones as building conditions worsened and the fire continued to spread.Command confirmed all firefighters were out of the building as crews set up for defensive operations. A special call for another Tower Ladder was made bringing Cherry Hill into the job.Fire continued to spread and consumed the entire warehouse with flames high enough to scorch a water tower and consume a electronic billboard.The New Jersey State Police along with NJDOT shut down Highway 676 due to completely no visibility through the black smoke. The Ben Franklin Bridge was also shut down for the same reason.At the 30 minute mark, Car 3 reported heavy fire conditions on the 2nd floor with collapse potential in the B/C corner. Crews were operation with multiple master streams at this time.At 4:52 a 3rd Alarm was struck for additional water supply and to protect the exposure being a church just several feet away from the fully involved warehouse.Crews stretched multiple supply lines approx 7 blocks to hook to a larger main as the Camden City Water Department was notified to raise water pressure in the area.Command reported at the 60 minute, heavy fire conditions throughout with multiple collapses. At the 2 hour mark, Command reported he still had heavy fire conditions throughout with building collapse in areas as the fire was still doubtful. At 6:30 the fire was declared under control as companies would remain on location for several hours. A total of 80 firefighters operated on the fire ground to bring the fire under control. The church was protected. The Camden City Fire Marshals and Camden City Police Arson Division have the fire under investigation. No injuries were reported on the fire ground.

--Photos NJFG Ted Aurig