09:13 hrs. - January 29, 2012 Northumberland County Communications Center dispatched a working fire in the area of 7th and pine in the city of Shamokin. County advised they received more than 30 calls reporting a well involved fire, shortly after Shamokin chief 10 Jeffery came on the radio and confirmed a working fire from across town.
Command arrived and found five abandoned homes with fire showing. Crews immediately wend defensive operations by using ladder pipe and master stream involving truck 32, engine /squirt 41 and Truck 2 upon and Engine 11upon arrival.
During the fire 3 houses collapsed making it harder for crews to extinguish the blaze burning underneath the rubble. Temperatures during the fire were 6F (-14C) degrees with a real feel of -8F (-22 C)degrees. Crews operated for roughly 3 hours before the box was reduced while wetting down the structures involved.
Frozen fire hydrants further complicating the response as command quickly activated a tanker task force that was eventually placed in service once the issue was corrected by Aqua Pennsylvania (Water Company).
Shamokin Fire Chief Steve Jeffery said all homes were vacant and nobody was hurt in the fire or during the attack.
Shamokin street department and Penndot also were requested to the scene to deal with heavy icing conditions on the roadway.