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May 12, 1998
B Platoon
Third Alarm - Child Fatality
Shortly after 10:00, the Berks County Communications
Center began receiving numerous 9-1-1 calls reporting a fire in the 600
block of Birch Street. One of the calls reported that a small child was
still inside. As the calls were being received, Anthony F. Miccicke, a
9-1-1 operator who was assigned to telephones that day, looked out the
window on the top floor of the Courthouse and saw a large column of
smoke. Dave Bensinger, Dispatcher 15, transmitted the first alarm from
Box 623, 13th and Spring streets, at 10:14. The alarm consisted of
Engines 9, 1 and 13, Ladder 3 and Snorkel 1.
Fire Chief William H. Rehr, III, was in his office at
City Hall when the alarm went out. He got up and glanced out the window
before he departed for the scene, and saw smoke. By the time he
descended one flight of stairs to where his car was parked, he noticed
the smoke condition had gotten worse. In the meantime, Bensinger
notified the responding companies that there may be entrapment. Rehr
proceeded up Walnut street and as he rounded the corner onto North
13th, he saw two columns of smoke rising into the air. This indicated
that the dwelling was fully involved and venting from both the front
and rear. Hearing the reports of entrapment and knowing his men were
facing a job, Rehr ordered an immediate second alarm before he even
arrived on the scene.
The second alarm was dispatched at 10:19, and
consisted of Engines 11, Engine 3, and Ladder 1. While the additional
call for help was being dispatched, the first alarm apparatus were
arriving on the scene. They found the front of a middle of the row
dwelling fully involved. Car 1, Rehr, reported to the city fire
dispatcher that he had heavy fire on all floors, front and back, and
that flames were extending to exposure buildings at 612 and 616 Birch.
Rehr continued with his 10:21 initial report that he had confirmed a
child was still in the dwelling.
At the time of the call, Rescue 1 was busy. They
quickly placed themselves in service and responded to the scene. Career
Firefighter Robert Himes, the crewman on Engine 1, led off with a 2½
inch attack line. Himes proceeded through the front door and blackened
all the visible fire down. He then took an inch and a half to the
second floor, then the third. As he progressed up the third floor
stairway, he was met with heavy fire conditions. Himes blackened the
fire down, then crawled up to the top of the stairs where he found the
lifeless body of 3-year-old Briana Bordner. He then informed Lieutenant
William Stoudt, Jr., who relayed the information to the fire ground
commander, Chief Rehr. The fire death, also known as a 7-D, was
confirmed at 10:35. Berks County Chief Coroner John N. Lampros
pronounced the child dead at 11:05.
Fire Chief Rehr ordered a third alarm for additional
manpower at 10:33. This brought Engines 5 and 14 to the scene. Chief
Rehr then radioed Bensinger for a special call of more apparatus. His
request would have made this incident a fourth alarm assignment, but
after conferring with Dispatchers Miccicke and Bensinger, Rehr decided
to piece together what he needed. At 10:50, he called for Engine 2,
then at 10:54, Rehr asked for Engine 12. By 11:09, most of the visible
fire was knocked down. Rehr then reported that his men were making good
progress in controlling flames in the adjoining dwellings at 11:35. The
incident was listed as under control at 12:27. Another special call
went out at 13:02. This one was for Engine 8 to respond normal flow of
traffic to help wrap up equipment used at the three-alarm blaze.
Investigators revealed that the mother was upstairs in
the bathroom while two of her children were on the first floor playing.
One of the children found their mother's lighter and while playing with
it, they accidentally ignited a blanket that was sitting on a chair.
Frightened, they ran upstairs to their mother and told her of what
happened. What she saw the fire, she ran out a rear patio door, leaving
it wide open, and grabbed a neighbor's garden hose. Unable to put the
fire out, she and two of her three children fled the house through the
front door. The mother then informed a neighbor that one of her
children was still inside. The neighbor attempted to go back into the
house through the front door, leaving that wide open. As the neighbor
was attempting to find the third child, the flames gained control of
the first floor and spread rapidly up the stairs to the second. All of
this caused a more than ten minute delay in notifying the fire
department.
More than $60,000 damage was done to 614 Birch street.
Neighbors at 612 and 616 Birch incurred a loss of $25,000 and $12,000
respectively. 610 Birch was also damaged, but the loss was not
recorded. Three firefighters sustained injuries during the three-alarm
plus blaze. Thirty-seven-year-old Robert C. Himes received moderate
burns, while John Diehm, 36, and Todd M. Iaeger, 32, nursed minor
burns.
Thanks to Tony Miccicke, RFD Photographer and Historian
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