Fire Damages Apartment, Business in Mount Ephraim
Thursday, July 12, 2007
By Bill Bates
NEWS Correspondent
On Thursday, July 12 at 12:23 AM, Task Force 45 (consisting of Mount Ephraim, Audubon, Bellmawr and Gloucester City fire apparatus and MEPRI Emergency Medical Services) were dispatched to 414 North Black Horse Pike between 5th & 6th Avenues for an apartment fire with reported people trapped. Mount Ephraim Fire Chief Mario Scullan and Deputy Chief Brian Gilmore arrived minutes after the first call came in and immediately requested Camden County Communications to re-tone the assignment for "All Hands Operating" as they arrived to find medium to heavy smoke pushing from the second floor windows.
PHOTO BY BILL BATES
FIRE AFTERMATH - Windows were boarded up on the second floor and some debris was piled up outside on the pavement the morning after a fire consumed an occupied apartment above a recently vacant business - Hair Pair Salon, located at the corner of the Black Horse Pike & Valley Road in Mount Ephraim. The fire was placed under control by the 30 minute mark.
Engine 451 arrived and advanced an inch and three-quarter hand line up the steps to the second floor apartment to extinguish the blaze. Rescue 455's crew arrived behind engine 451 and performed a primary search for civilians of the second floor with negative results. It was then confirmed with the incident command officer that all occupants of the building were accounted for at that time.
The fire damaged the occupied apartment upstairs and the business and apartment downstairs only received minor water damage. Deputy Chief Brian Gilmore credited the efforts of the fire companies from Mount Ephraim and surrounding communities for their quick response to help extinguish the blaze.
Crews from the Mount Ephraim Emergency Management as well as both of MEPRI EMS ambulances along with Haddon Heights E.M.S. and Virtua Paramedics responded to the scene. Thankfully, no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. Crews were on scene till about 4 a.m. before returning to the station.
The Camden County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating to determine the cause of the blaze.