Response: 24 pieces of heavy fire equipment, 96 firefighters

Times: 1^st alarm – 4:07 p.m., 2^nd alarm – 4:11 p.m., 3^rd alarm – 4:12 p.m., 4^th alarm – 4:53 p.m.

5^th alarm – 4:58 p.m., 6^th alarm – 5:16 p.m. Under control @ 6:49 p.m.

Cause: Utility pole fell on building

Injuries: None

Damage: $450,000

Details: Firefighters arriving at the large skating rink reported heavy smoke and immediately requested a 2^nd and then a 3^rd alarm response. A utility pole near the front of the building had fallen onto the roof, starting the late afternoon blaze. Six people, including the building’s owner, were inside when the fire started, but all of them were able to make it out safely. Firefighters made an attack on the fire from inside as other crews worked to cut holes in the roof to allow the smoke and fire to vent out. As the fire continued to grow, incident commanders made the decision to remove firefighters from inside and also from the roof. After an exterior attack, the fire was controlled enough for fighters to re-enter the building and complete the extinguishment from inside. The fire grew to six alarms primarily because of the heat and the need to rotate firefighters out to take a break before going back to work. No injuries were reported during the incident and it is still not known what caused the utility pole to fall.

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