4-ALARM STRUCTURE FIRE — 197 PEARL STREET

At 12:06 a.m., the Essex Junction Fire Department was dispatched to 197 Pearl Street for a resident reporting the smell of smoke inside their apartment. The resident was concerned the odor could be coming from the building following a loud bang heard at approximately 10:00 p.m. the previous evening, during the height of the lightning storm.

Ladder 3 and Car 9 responded, with mutual aid from the Town of Essex Fire Department. Initial conditions from the front of the building showed no active alarm and no obvious signs of fire.

As Ladder 3 turned into the property, the driver observed smoke moving across the parking lot with no immediately identifiable source. While conducting a partial 360-degree assessment of the structure, the driver located smoke coming from the B/C corner of the building and reported, “Smoke showing to Command.”

Command immediately requested additional resources, adding Saint Michael’s Fire & Rescue and Williston Fire Department to the assignment.

Ladder 3’s crew proceeded to the fourth floor to evaluate interior conditions and locate roof access. Ladder 3 was positioned for aerial access to the roof, and a member climbed the aerial to obtain a better view of conditions. Fire was then identified on the roof in the area of an HVAC unit.

Essex Engine 2 arrived, established a water supply, and its crew accessed the roof using Ladder 3. Crews initially found fire that appeared to be contained to the HVAC unit. However, while working to isolate power to the unit, a PVC pipe melted and collapsed, exposing active fire within the concealed roof system between the interior ceiling and roof deck.

The discovery of fire traveling through this concealed space significantly increased the complexity of the incident.

Roof crews were required to use saws to cut and remove sections of the roof deck under active fire conditions. At the same time, crews operating on the floor below worked upward using hand tools through multiple layers of construction, including sheetrock, metal decking, woven material, and more than 20 inches of blown-in insulation to locate and extinguish hidden fire.

The difficult construction, concealed fire conditions, extensive overhaul required, and high heat and humidity created significant demands on personnel and ultimately resulted in the incident being escalated to a Fourth Alarm.

Five apartments were directly affected—one by fire and four by water associated with suppression operations. Two firefighters were evaluated at the scene for minor injuries and both returned to duty. No residents were injured.

The building manager was working to provide housing for residents displaced by the incident.

We cannot adequately thank our mutual-aid partners for their response and support. This incident brought together departments from throughout the region and represented one of the largest emergency responses within our community in decades.

Resources responding included:

Essex Junction Fire Department: Ladder 3, Engine 7, Car 9, and additional personnel responding by personal vehicle

Town of Essex Fire Department: 2 Engines

Essex Rescue: 1 Ambulance

Saint Michael’s Fire & Rescue: 1 Engine

Williston Fire Department: 1 Ladder Truck and Ambulance

Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department: 1 Engine

Winooski Fire Department: 1 Engine and Chief’s Vehicle

Burlington Fire Department: 1 Tower, 1 Engine, and Chief’s Vehicle

Underhill-Jericho Fire Department: 1 Engine

Colchester Fire Department: 1 Tower, 1 Engine, and Chief’s Vehicle

Hinesburg Fire Department: 1 Engine and Chief’s Vehicle

Milton Fire Department: 1 Apparatus

The Essex Junction Fire Department appreciates the cooperation of the building’s residents throughout this extended incident and the tremendous support provided by our regional fire and EMS partners.