FIRE & ICE
Firefighters brave flames and freeze at golf course
UPPERDARBY>> Three of the township’s five fire departments were called into service at midnight Monday for a raging fire at the clubhouse of Cobbs Creek Golf Course, 7400 Lansdowne Ave., on the border of the township.
The alarm for smoke in the area of North State Road and Delco Avenue came in at 11:18 p.m. Monday. North State Road changes to Lansdowne Avenue in the city.
Upper Darby was summoned by the Philadelphia Fire Co. for an assist for water and manpower support within 45 minutes to douse the flames at the clubhouse.
“Philadelphia Fire Department requested Upper Darby respond with additional engines at midnight to help fight the fire and supply water to their aerial devices,” Upper Darby Deputy Chief Timothy Boyce, the senior commander from the township on the scene, said.
Philadelphia Fire Deputy Chief James Bonner was the incident commander.
“The weather conditions were brutal,” Boyce said. “It was so bitter cold and windy everything was turning to ice, the street, the hoses, the men, the trucks. Where the hoses connect there is a spray out that turns to ice. We were literally covered with a coat of ice. Our hands were frozen. The streets were bad. When I was walking I slid ride into a barrier. We had people falling all over but no one was hurt. We had to salt the street in Upper Darby and Philadelphia called in their salt truck and salted. It was a pretty big operation.
“It was a tremendous fire when we got there but Philadelphia did a great job. They were able to save two buildings, one where the golf carts are stored and another building on the property nearby.”
According to Boyce, fatigue was a concern due to the length of the firefighting operation.
“It’s a very difficult thing because after four or five hours on the scene we worry about fatigue,” Boyce said. “We were rotating in trucks.”
According to Upper Darby Fire Chief Ed Cubler, Philadelphia was having water issues due to the lack of independent fire hydrants in the area.
“We had to use hydrants on West Chester Pike and used 5-inch hose lines to transfer water to their trucks,” Cubler said. “We laid water hose lines from Ardsley Road and West Chester Pike to supply other trucks with water.”
“Upper Darby sent fire engines with large diameter hose from stations 26 (Highland Park), 36 (Cardington Stonehurst), and 74 (Primos Secane Westbrook Park),” Boyce said. “Additionally, a ladder company from station 36 responded to assist with manpower. A utility vehicle from the Manoa Fire Co. in Havertown was also used to pick up frozen hoses.
“In all, the Upper Darby Fire Department used over 3,000 feet of hose to supply to Philadelphia engines and our own master water streams for our pumper. That’s more than a half mile of hose to get the water up there.”
The scene was cleared at 6 a.m.