Firefighters from Doylestown and Chalfont open up the soffet to get to the fire.

Doylestown firefighters responded with Chalfont Station 34 for Direct Salvage on County Line Road on Feb. 15. The 3-alarm fire consumed the office and warehouse areas of the expansive compound. Engine 19 dropped 1400′ of 5′, as water supply was at a distance. Ladder 79 and Engine 19′s crews were engaged during the fire, and Rescue 19 and Engine 79 also responded.

Firefighters stretch a hose into the dwelling.

As the Halloween snowstorm of 2011 raged along the east coast, the members of Doylestown Fire Company were busy keeping the area safe. Firefighters and fire police responded to dozens of calls for downed trees and wires starting mid-day Saturday. At 9:26 PM Saturday night, the fire company was dispatched to 13 Maple Lane in Doylestown Borough for a chimney fire. Battalion 19, Paul Kreuter, was first on scene and found that the fire from a fireplace had spread to the wall of the home directly above the fireplace. Engine 19 arrived and with the help of Ladder 79 opened the wall above the fireplace and quickly extinguished it. Warrington and Plumsteadville firefighters assisted, along with Central Bucks Ambulance. The scene was cleared by 11 PM. There were no injuries, and minor smoke and structural damage to the residence.

During the course of the storm and it’s aftermath, the all volunteer members of the fire company responded to 35 emergency calls. They have now responded to over 550 calls for the year.

Doylestown Fire Company reminds everyone with the cold weather upon us, don’t take the safety of your heat sources for granted. Have your heaters and fireplace/chimney checked, cleaned and maintained every season.

Firefighters from Doylestown and Warrington made quick work of a small fire in a dryer in the basement of the Vine and Fig Tree Bistro on E. State St. in Doylestown Borough Monday afternoon, October 3. Battalion 19, Paul Kreuter, arrived on scene and found an active fire in the dryer. Engine 19′s crew arrived and quickly extinguished the small fire. Ladders 79 and 29 ventilated and did overhaul, and all companies were picked up in a short time. There were no injuries and damage only to the dryer.

Ed Loux brings out the truckie bucket.

Molly Bailey-Goga helps with the hoseline.

On September 29th at 19:34 hours, Doylestown Fire Company was dispatched to a 3 alarm dwelling fire on Milords Lane in Buckingham. The fire originated in one home and quickly spread to the nearby houses, completely destroying two of them, damaging two others and displacing several families. Several fire companies from Bucks and Montgomery counties were called in to assist with the rapid moving fire. Paul Kreuter, Battalion Chief 19, took command, got the scene under control and successfully prevented the fire from spreading to additional homes. Peco was also on the scene to shut off gas to the four homes involved in the fire. The gas meter on one of the homes was damaged from the fire and ignited, further complicating the effort. Peco was eventually able to dig up the gas line and crimp it to shut off the flow.

Photo provided courtesy of Ray Lekich (PVFC)

On Feb. 9 at 10:44 am, Doylestown Fire Company and Central Bucks Ambulance were dispatched to a vehicle rescue, with the report of a car into a creek, on the Rt. 202 bypass in the area of South Main St.. Police units from Doylestown Borough and Township, along with Chief Denny Loux, looked for and found the vehicle off the side of the highway on the southbound side just north of Pebble Hill Road. The driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was in and out of consciousness and airbags had deployed. Rescue 19 and Engine 79 arrived on scene and assisted Medics from CB Ambulance in removing, packaging and transporting the driver to an ambulance. Cold conditions and snow made the trek up the hilly side of the road tricky, but the operation was successful.

On January 10, 2010, Ladder 79 and Engine 19 were dispatched to an address of fire on Springhill Circle in Buckingham. Chief 5 arrived on scene and reported fire on the 2nd floor in a bedroom. Crews from Midway Fire Company Stations 5 and 15 made an interior attack up the stairs. Engine 19′s crew assisted with getting an additional hand line in service. Ladder 79 went to the rear of the dwelling and set up to open the roof. A bulk of the fire was knocked down and crews went into overhaul mode. Engine 19 and Ladder 79 stayed interior to open up all the walls on the 2nd floor to check for any remaining pockets of fire. Rescue 19 was dispatched as an air cascade to fill air bottles. Crews were back in town within 2 hours.

Photos by Sara Grogan

On January 6, 2010, Rescue 19 was dispatched to Blackburn Court to assist with a fully involved dwelling that was under construction. Rescue 19 was initially dispatched as a RIT Team however when crews switched to an exterior operation only due to the amount of fire on arrival Rescue 19 assisted Ladder 74s crew with suppression efforts and exposure protection.