FF Kirell arriving first onscene in Engine 4 reported heavy fire conditions in the rear of a two story dwelling at 434 Bucknor St in the 4th ward. The call was received at approximately 1911 hrs, reporting a house fire with possible entrapment. The resident was not home at the time of the fire. Engine 3 supplied Engines 4 and 1 from Benton and Bucknor, as a exterior "blitz" attack was used before interior crews could go inside and extinguish the fire. Multiple 2 1/2" and 1 3/4" hand lines were used, and the fire was successfully confined to the rear 2 story addition section of the building. The remainder of the residence received smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire was determined to be from a wood burning stove, there were no injuries at the incident. The # 3 Shift was working and the incident commander was Chief Keith Ahlstrom. Many off duty members came in to assist. Reserve Engine 2 was manned at headquarters, and Rescue 71 from Fredonia responded to the scene to fill air bottles.
At 1604 hours Monday June 2nd 2008, The #2 Shift responded to a report of a industrial grease fire inside the Special Metals building on Willowbrook Ave. FF P.Ossman was first onscene in Engine 3, and all units encountered heavy smoke coming from the roof. The column of smoke could be seen from blocks away. A machine inside the plant was fully involved, and was extinguished by an interior attack consisting of (1) 1 3/4" Foam Handline, and (1) 2 1/2" Handline. Ladder 1's aerial device was used to access the roof. No injuries were reported, and the structure itself was undamaged. The incident commander was Lt. Gary Katta. Additional manpower was requested for off duty personnel, and Reserve Engine 2 was manned at Fire Headquarters. All units were clear the scene in service @ 1720 hours.
While all units were clearing a previous fire alarm activation at Steger Highrise @ 15 North Main Street, Fire Dispatch received multiple calls for an apartment fire at 717 Central Ave, STEL's newly renovated housing complex that was formerly Cardinal Minzenty School. FF's Todd Ellman and Jared Meyer arrived onscene in Ladder 1 and encountered moderate smoke conditions inside the western hallway. Upon further investigation crews found a kitchen fire extinguished by the sprinkler system. FD crews remained onscene for an extended period of time performing salvage operations, which consisted of removing smoke and water from the floor in the apartments close to the fire. Chief Keith Ahlstrom was in command of the incident. One resident in the neighboring apartment was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, and was transported to Brooks Memorial Hospital by Alstar EMS. The # 4 Shift was on duty for the incident, and the alarm at the highrise was a steak well done.
At 1956 hrs on Sunday June 29, 2008 all equipment was dispatched to a report of a house fire on Deer Street between East Second and the RR Tracks. Rescue 1's Lt. Loeb arrived first onscene reporting a working vacant house fire with an exposure on the south side. An exterior attack was initiated, due to the poor structural integrity of the residence. Multiple 2 1/2" and 1 3/4" lines were used, along with the deluge gun from Engine 1. The house was a total loss and is scheduled for emergency demolition. Human involvement was determined by investigators as the cause. Reserve Engine 2 was dispatched to the scene, and numerous off duty personnel assisted with fire suppression. The East Dunkirk Fire Department stood by at the scene as a FAST team, Fredonia Engine 14 was on standby at Fire Headquarters, and Alstar EMS was onscene for EMS standby. The fire was under control at approximately 2100 hours, and the fire was under the command of Lt. Allen Loeb and Chief Keith Ahlstrom. The # 3 shift was working for the fire. (PHOTOS BY ALLEN HOLLANDER AND LISA LOEB)
At 0825 hours on Sunday, July 6th of 2008, the Dunkirk Fire Department received a report of smoke coming from a building near the intersection of Lake Shore Drive East and Main St. Engine 3 FF Jason Kirell arrived onscene reporting smoke showing in a vacant 2 1/2 story building. Heavy smoke conditions were throughout the residence, and the fire was found to be on the first floor. The fire was quickly extinguished using (1) 1 3/4" handlines, and fire damage was limited to the front portion of the first and second floor with smoke damage throughout. East Dunkirk was called to the scene for an Engine, and Engine 14 from Fredonia was called to stand by at headquarters. Both units were canceled upon arrival. Reserve Engine 2 was placed in service at headquarters. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. All apparatus was in service off the air at 0937 hours. The fire is being investigated by the Chautauqua County Fire Investigation team. The Incident Commander was Lt. Allen Loeb, and the #3 shift was working for the fire. (PHOTOS BY ALLEN HOLLANDER)
At 0038 hours on August 13th, Calls were received for a possible structure fire in an unoccupied residence at 77 Ruggles St. Upon arrival of Rescue and Engine 1, (Lt.Brown and FF. Muscato) crews found moderate smoke coming from a 1 1/2 story house. Multiple 1 3/4" Handlines were used and the fire was contained to the first floor with moderate smoke damage throughout the house. Lt. Brown was in charge of the incident, and some off duty firefighters assisted with fire suppression. The cause of the fire was determined as human involvement, and all units were in service at 0210 hours. The #1 shift was on duty for the fire. (PHOTOS BY DEAN WRIGHT AND PAUL TRIPPY)
At 1925 hours on Friday September 12th, Multiple calls were received for a house fire with possible entrapment. FF Kucharski onboard Engine 4 arrived with heavy smoke coming from a 2 story residence with all occupants accounted for. Crews found heavy fire conditions in the first floor of the two family home, with fire threatening the neighboring residence at 82 Lincoln. Crews used (3) 1 3/4" and (1) 2 1/2" handlines to extinguish the fire and protect the neighboring residence. 82 Lincoln sustained minor damage to the siding. The American Red Cross was called to assist 4 residents. The #4 shift was on duty, and Lt. James Hyland was in command of the incident. There were no injuries, but some pets perished in the fire and one cat was treated at the scene by FD and EMS crews. All units were at station in service at 2222 hrs.
At 1646 hours on Friday September 26th, All units responded to a report of a structure fire at 722 Main St. E4 FF.Kirell arrived onscene reporting smoke showing, and crews started an initial attack with a 1 3/4" hand line. A 2 1/2" line was used as a backup, and E1 assisted with the 5" supply to E4. Crews found a fire in the basement of the 2 1/2 story residence, and quickly extinguished the fire. All floors were searched for occupants and fire extention. Fortunately all occupants escaped the fire without injury. Fire crews were onscene for approximately an hour and a half, and the cause was determined to be related to human involvement. Captain Allen Loeb was the incident commander, and the fire was minutes before the switch from #3 to #2 shift. 
At 2214 hours on Tuesday evening, the Dunkirk Fire Department received a call reporting an attic fire at 628 Washington. Rescue 1 Lt. Hanlon reported heavy smoke 2 blocks away at E.Fifth and Washington. Upon arrival, residents reported that there is an individual still in the residence. The resident escaped without harm.Crews found a fire in the attic wall and extinguished it with a 1 3/4" hand line. The two family residence suffered light smoke and water damage. Engine 4 supplied Engine 1 from East Seventh and Washington. The cause of the fire was determined as improper disposal of smoking materials. Firefighters were on scene for approximately 40 minutes. The #2 shift was on duty for the fire and the Incident Commander was Captain Allen Loeb. LINK TO OBSERVER ARTICLE Crew on duty: C1-Chief Ahlstrom, C2-Capt.Loeb, R1-Lt.Hanlon, E1-FF.Trippy, E3-FF.P.Ossman, E4-FF.Kujawa, L1-FF.Ahlstrom 
At 1844 hours on Thanksgiving Night, Fire HQ received a call reporting a working structure fire at Lakeshore Drive East and South Roberts Road. FF. P.Ossman in Engine 3 arrived reporting heavy smoke conditions on the second floor. A primary search was initiated, and fortunately no occupants were present. The two apartment dwelling sustained heavy smoke damage, but the fire was quickly contained to the area of origin which was in the first floor ceiling. The American Red Cross assisted the residents after the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The #2 shift was on duty for the fire, and the incident commander was Lt. Gary Katta. LINK TO OBSERVER ARTICLE Crew on duty: C1-Chief Ahlstrom, R1-Lt.Katta, E1-FF.J.Ellman, E3-FF.P.Ossman, E4-FF.Kujawa, and L1-FF.Thompson. (PHOTOS BY PAUL TRIPPY AND ALLEN HOLLANDER))
At 1810 hours on Wednesday evening, The Dunkirk Fire Department received multiple calls reporting a heavy smoke coming from the vacant Edgewood Warehouse located on South Roberts Road near East Talcott. Engine 3 FF K.Ossman arrived onscene with heavy smoke showing, and initiated the fire attack. Crews found large amounts of rubbish inside the north end of the building on fire and the cause was determined by Chief Ahlstrom as human involvement. There are no utilities in the building, and it is believed that crews are in the process of emptying the building for demolition. There was no structural damage, and no injuries due to the fire. The fire was extinguished by multiple 2 1/2" handlines and Ladder 1's aerial device was used to assess the extension. The Incident Commander was Fire Chief Keith Ahlstrom and the # 4 shift was on duty. Crews were at the scene for approximately 2 hours. LINK TO OBSERVER ARTICLE Crew on duty - C1-Chief Ahlstrom, R1-Lt. Hyland, E1-Lt. Brown, E3-FF.K.Ossman, E4-FF.J.Michalski, L1-FF.T.Ellman (PHOTOS BY ALLEN HOLLANDER)
At 0223 hours on Saturday October 4th multiple calls were received for a vehicle and house fire in the vicinity of E.Second and S.Roberts. Initial crews found a car that had sheared off a power pole and struck a house, resulting in both the car and house involved in fire. The fuel tank of the car was ruptured igniting the gasoline. The car also hit a gas meter and ignited the natural gas. The resident of 166 E.Second St. was alerted by a neighbor and brought to safety. The patient was then transported to Brooks Memorial Hospital by Alstar EMS for evaluation. The occupant of the car was not found at the scene. An aggressive exterior and interior fire attack was used to extinguish the fire. Considering the heavy amount of exterior fire and the fuel sources, damage to the interior of the structure were minimal.Utility crews were called to the scene, and a tow truck from Ellman's Garage was used to pull the vehicle away from the residence. The #3 shift was on duty for the fire with many off duty firefighters assisting at the scene. Engine 2 was also in service at Fire HQ. In command of the incident was Lt. Michael Edwards. LINK TO OBSERVER ARTICLE Crew on duty - R1-Lt.Edwards, E1-FF.Thomas, E3-FF.Wright, E4-FF.Kujawa, L1-FF.Stern, C1-Chief Ahlstrom, C2-Capt.Loeb (PHOTOS BY LISA LOEB AND JARED MEYER)
At 12:49 PM on Sunday September 28th, All units responded to a report of a structure fire in a two family residence at 314 Lord St. Engine 4 FF Piglowski arrived onscene reporting heavy smoke conditions. Engine 3 laid 5" supply from E.Doughty and Lord, and an initial attack was started. Heavy fire conditions were present in the attic area, with water damage to both the first and second floors. Salvage operations were performed covering some valuable contents in the first floor apartment. All occupants were out of the building at the time the fire department arrived. (1) 1 3/4" and (1) 2 1/2" line were used to extinguish the fire. Ladder 1's aerial device was used to ventilate the roof. Firefighters were onscene for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. The cause of the fire was a faulty electrical circuit. Lt. Gary Katta was the Incident Commander, and the #1 shift was on duty for the fire. Engine 2 was placed in service at Fire Headquarters to stand by for the incident. LINK TO OBSERVER ARTICLE Crew on duty - R1-Lt.Katta, E1-FF.Muscato, E3-FF.Trippy, E4-FF.Piglowski, L1-FF.Thomas, and C1-Chief Ahlstrom. (PHOTOS BY DEAN WRIGHT)
At approximately 1545 hours the Dunkirk Fire Department was dispatched to investigate an alarm at the former Ehlers Building on Central Avenue at East Fourth Street. Crews found a burst water pipe above the second floor, leaking copious amounts of water into many parts of the currently vacant building. Crews shut off the utilities and left the building in care of the Building Inspector. (PHOTOS BY PAUL TRIPPY)
At approximately 1145 hours all units were dispatched to a possible structure fire in the area of Talcott and Franklin. Crews arriving found heavy smoke conditions caused by a large rubbish fire behind a building off of Franklin Avenue. An 1 3/4" hand line and tools were used to extinguish the fire. (PHOTOS BY PAUL TRIPPY)
