New York City...
FDNY Units battled a deep-seated fire in a Garment Center commercial building this morning, March 1st, requiring a not too often requirement of six alarms to contain it.
At approximately 0315 EST, FDNY units responded to initial reports of a heavy smoke condition in the street at Eighth Ave. and West 36 St. First arriving units discovered a gas fed fire in the basement of a Chinese restaurant at 525 Eighth Ave. An urgent request went out for Con Edison, the NYC gas and electric company, to shut down the gas. However, the fire gained headway in the rear of the building, extending upwards to the upper floors of the six story commercial occupancy, before the gas company could respond.
Since the start of the FDNY, a five-alarm fire was the highest number of alarms that could be transmitted. Additional units were summoned by way of a "Boro Call," in which a greater alarm was transmitted for a location in another Borough, and those units responded to the fifth alarm fire. However, with the Computer-Assisted Dispatch System (CADS), the additional units can be dispatched directly by the Borough Dispatcher, regardless from what Borough they respond from. These units are just added as an additional alarm.
The fire in Manhattan continued out of control and the sixth alarm was transmitted at approximately 0600 hrs. EST. Additional rescue and tower ladder companies were also ordered to the scene, and Fire Department officials estimate that the operation will be a lenghty one into most of the day. The Fire was in the proximity of the Lincoln Tunnel, which caused a morning rush-hour problem. One minor injury to a firefighter was reported.
By late morning, heavy fire was still reported in the fire building. More than 300 firefighters were on the scene. Four tower ladders were being used in an exterior attack. An FDNY spokesman said, "When it gets to be of such a magnitude, with fire on all floors, it is easier to back out and fight it from the exterior, so it takes longer."
(C) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996