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At around 01:00 this morning, box 18, so. 7th and Bingaman sts, for smoke in the area. Car 8 arrived and reported a 3 story, middle of the row vacant with additional vacant exposures it, heavy smoke from within. Crews responding had smoke in the streets 2-3 blocks away on So. 5th St. Fire had blown through the front door and large window opening area as crews were preparing to attack. Both Ladder Trucks were in service working the roofs in the rear 2 floor. Ground ladders were in place for the second floor and used as access with handlines. Multiple hand lines were in service from Engine 5 on all floors.
Unit 21 was working the interior with firefighters and noting the degenerated condition of the building, ordered the lines backed out of the structure. One of the exposures was on the 'do not enter list', an official documentation of numerous vacated buildings around the city left to deteriorate. This building was also marked to visually identify it. Floors were missing and the 3rd floor dormer had collapsed. Some of the other exposures, however, were occupied. Firefighter regrouped and continued the attack. After getting the fire blackened down, crews used caution while attempting to overhaul the rest of the gutted structure.
During the fire another box alarm was dispatched for a working garage fire in the area of West Douglass and Tulpehocken Sts. Car 2 left So. 7th Street and responded with apparatus. This left the city without any frontline pieces and the county was put on stand-by, it's not known if any other calls were dispatched during the incidents. Firefighters knocked down the garage fire and returned to station, Car 2 returned to the scene of the first box.
Apparatus cleared the So. 7th St call around 04:00. No one was displaced by the fire which is being investigated by Car 23 along with Police. There were no reports of injuries.
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