Photo and information from Franklin Fire Company

Last evening, Franklin Fire Company responded to two major fire incidents in quick succession, demonstrating their efficiency and preparedness in handling emergency situations.

The first call came in at 8:13 p.m. for a structure fire in the 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway South near the Jesse James Auto Mart. Engine 43 was quickly on site and set up in the back of the building. They set up a guideline for an interior fire attack. Assistant Chief 49 Himes reported the presence of a fire within the walls. Squad 41 was tasked with opening the interior to prevent further spread. Their efforts succeeded in containing the fire in the building.

Shortly thereafter, at 9:37 p.m., the company was called to another fire, this time in a residential area on the 700 block of Hillcrest Drive in Hamilton Township. Squad 41, fresh from their previous deployment, responded to a reported kitchen fire along with RE-11 (Pleasant Hall), covering Station 4, and Truck 42. Upon arrival, they discovered a stove fire that had spread to surrounding buildings. In order to completely extinguish the fire, the emergency services had to open the walls.

The clean-up work was already underway at 10:30 p.m. These back-to-back emergencies tested the company’s resilience and ability to effectively manage multiple emergencies in a short period of time.

Photos of the crime scenes were taken by Mike Churchey, Company 8.