Firefighters Battle Multi-Alarm Fire On Spring Street In Trenton

February 25, 2023

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)– A firefighter was injured while battling a multi-alarm blaze that gutted two homes on Spring Street today (Saturday, Feb. 25). It took firefighters nearly two hours to bring the fire under control.

It was just before 11:55 a.m. when Engines 1, 8 and 10, Ladder 4 and Rescue 1 were dispatched to the 300 block of Spring Street in response to multiple 911 calls reporting a house fire. Engine 1 quickly arrived on scene and reported heavy fire showing from the rear of the three-story duplex occupied by 305 and 307 Spring Street.

The “All Hands” signal for a working fire was transmitted and the remainder of the full first alarm – Engine 9, Ladder 1 and Special Services 1 – was dispatched.

A short time later the incident commander provided the following progress report: “Dispatcher, the original fire building is going to be 305 [Spring Street], a three-story semi. We have heavy fire on Divisions 1, 2 and 3. We have three [hose]lines in service. We also have fire in 307 [Spring Street] on the third floor. We have an interior attack line in there.”

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., with firefighters still operating multiple hoselines to extinguish fire on all three floors of the 305 Spring Street and on the top floor of the attached home next door, the incident commander called a second alarm for additional manpower. Engine 7 and Ladder 2 (which had just returned to the city after helping out at the fire on Scotch Road in Ewing) both responded.

Around 12:50 p.m. a “Mayday” radio signal was transmitted, indicating a firefighter in distress. Fortunately, the emergency was cleared quickly and the injured firefighter was removed from the building and transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The nature of the firefighter’s injuries were not released but they were not believed to be life threatening.

With pockets of fire still burning within hard-to-reach void spaces inside the structures, an extra engine company and extra ladder company were summoned to the scene. Those units were Engine 7 and Falls Township Ladder 30 (which had relocated into Trenton with other mutual aid units to help cover empty city firehouses).

The blaze was finally declared under control at 2:42 p.m.

A special unit from Hamilton Township Fire Department was also called to the scene to help refill firefighters’ air breathing air cylinders after Trenton’s air truck (Special Services 1) exhausted its air supply.

Signal 22, the city’s volunteer police and fire canteen unit, also responded with refreshments for weary firefighters.

Other mutual aid companies from Hamilton, Bordentown City, and Morrisville (Pa.) responded into Trenton and handled other assignments while the Spring Street fire was still being fought.