On Wednesday 1725 hours the Hose Company was alerted for a reported apartment fire at Saint Johns Towers on Congress Avenue. Chief 5-1w1 Chief 5-2w1 Battalion Chief 5w1 Engine 512w7 Engine 513w8 Engine 514w6 Engine 515w9 Mini-Pumper 545w3 Rescue 551w4 Tower 531w8 and Utility 573w2 all marked up by 1728. Dispatch advised the 50 volunteers that they were receiving reports of an apartment on fire on the 6th floor. Engine 512 arrived 1727 hours with nothing showing from the alpha side of a 7 story apartment building. Chief 5-1 arrived shortly after and established the Congress Avenue command. Engine 512 and 514s crew advanced their stand-pipe packs to the interior and found heavy smoke conditions on the 5th floor. After further investigation on the 5th floor and as remaining units were arriving Engine 512 and 514s crew encountered a kitchen fire in apartment 506. Crews extinguished the fire by using a dry chem extinguisher and advised command the fire was knocked 1733 hours. As Engine 512 and 514s crew were checking the apartment for extension remaining Hose Company crews were assisting citizens from exiting the building. The Hose Company crews assisted or rescued a total of 21 citizens out of the 59 residences. Out of those 21 citizens 1 was transported to Harford Memorial for respiratory problems 2 citizens refused and 18 were not patients. Hose Company crews were held on the scene for approximately 90 minutes and then cleared. Chief 5-1Hurst had the Congress Avenue command Chief 5-2 had operations and Battalion Chief 5 had the interior.
