I-95 Tractor Trailer fire: Poland Spring Water Truck

[EJS1810 7]

Description Of Incident: TRACTOR TRAILER AGAINST THE LEFT HAND SHOULDED FULLY INVOLVED FILLED WITH 5 GALLON POLAND SPRING BOTTLES

So, why did the fire not self extingush?

[HFD750 6]

The bottles were exploding... Guess I won't be getting my water delivery today.

[mlcougar2001 8]

I was one of the first arriving firefighters on scene. When I arrived all you heard was a hissing noise and exploding bottles it was scary at first until you found out it was just water... the water was boiling and exploding the bottles... alot of good the water was doing.... the foam was definitely needed....

[helicopper 1,050]

Description Of Incident: TRACTOR TRAILER AGAINST THE LEFT HAND SHOULDED FULLY INVOLVED FILLED WITH 5 GALLON POLAND SPRING BOTTLES

So, why did the fire not self extingush?

It was actually Tony Soprano transporting bootleg alcohol!!!

[jklam3 10]

Some pictures

[jklam3 10]

Some more

[mikeinet 37]

great pix

[cas2383 22]

Complete and utter mess.

[lad45der 78]

Did you guy's set up the Tower ladder???

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

Quick question... how was water supply for this type of incident handled ?

[JetPhoto 626]

In the one photo where you see the 2 FF to the left of the truck in a plume of smoke (under more photos, top picture) , it does not look like they did not have a SCBA on, did they?

[turk182 37]

Rye Engine 191 hand stretched 300 feet of 5 inch down embankment into office park and hit a yard hydrant there. They then supplied themselves and a Port Chester engine with water.

[TL2L31 8]

Rye Engine 191 hand stretched 300 feet of 5 inch down embankment into office park and hit a yard hydrant there. They then supplied themselves and a Port Chester engine with water.

Were they anywhere near the dry hydrants located on the highway? Are they operational?

[turk182 37]

Were they anywhere near the dry hydrants located on the highway? Are they operational?

The closest dry hydrant would be Boston Post Rd. As for the second question the short answer is yes, although they have never been used since being installed

[RichC 0]

TL

The FF assigned to L-25 realized it would be futile to enter I-95 at Midland Ave as planned when he realized the density of traffic and where the truck fire was. He had the presence of mind to recall that a hydrant was located on the upper parking lot of the Avon office complex off Midland. As Turk said, line was stretched down the embankment, cut through the fence and across the lot to the hydrant. The Rye FF on L-25 that night does post on here from time to time so any other questions on the water supply he may come on here to answer. Here is a good example of knowing your hydrant location.

Edited March 17, 2008 by RichC

[ny10570 745]

So if the dry hydrants were functioning why the need for a 300' hand stretch?

[turk182 37]

So if the dry hydrants were functioning why the need for a 300' hand stretch?

The fire was at mile marker 14 +/- and the closest dry hydrant is at the Boston Post Rd overpass that is at mile marker 13.5+/-. 300 foot hand stretch beats 1/2 mile lay any day in my book.

[TL2L31 8]

Is the one at 13.5 the northern most hydrant or are there anymore towards Conn?

[turk182 37]

Post Rd. bridge is currently the furthest north. There is still a stretch of 95 to be completed approx. Midland Ave to the state line. When this area is rebuilt there will be two more dry hydrants added (fingers crossed) Midland Ave and Grace Church St. The problem with the system as it is, no one is taking responsiblity for the maintenance of the system.

[x242Steve 1]

The highway standpipes along Rye's stretch of I-95 are useless. They are all capped with a non-FD cap that requires an over-sized monkey wrench to remove. They are probably so rusted on that you would need a mallet, if not a torch, to free them up. Even then you would still have to attach an adapter or two, and this would have to be done at both the highway end and the local road end. It has been brought up several times that many neighboring communities have Storz couplings and/or gated wyes on their highway standpipes, but nothing has come of these discussions.

According to one member of PCFD that I spoke with, prior to Rye hitting the hydrant in the Avon parking lot, PC's Engines had a relay of sorts going from the hydrant at the corner of Hillside Rd and Boston Post Road, at the top of the I-95 S/B on-ramp near Rye Country Day School.

[TL2L31 8]

IT was a great job done by all at a difficult scene and location.

[ny10570 745]

So the jist is, the hydrants are a hair short of useless. Thanks for clearing that up.

Edited March 17, 2008 by ny10570

[STAT213 332]

Sounds like a big sloppy mess. How long was the highway closed for?

[cas2383 22]

I think from around the time it got called in around 3:45 until 7:00ish....

[joshlost818 6]

I belive it was closed all the way through the morning rush and merged people onto the post road and i think it was back up and running fully aroung 10:15

[TBarnum 2]

I would not call the Dry Standpipe system installed on I95 in Rye totally useless. Granted it is not the best designed system ( no Stortz connectors - need adapters carried on Rye Engines). For an extended operation like a Propane or other Tanker fire it might come in handy. To put it into operation requires a COORDINATED effort.

And there are areas that are not covered by the System yet - pretty much where the fire occured at MM 14.0 to the CT state line. If that Trailer was full of a Class A type load (instead of water bottles) on scene operations might have been longer.

Edited March 18, 2008 by Lucky-Truckie