Six firefighters injured as Hazleton area fire apparatus collide en-route to house fire
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - These two pieces of fire apparatus were involved in a crash Saturday afternoon north of Hazleton.
DRUMS – Six firefighters were hurt when a tractor-drawn aerial truck and a rescue truck collided as they were both responding to a reported house fire.
Police in Luzerne County’s Butler Township said the crash happened just after 2:30pm Saturday at Route 309 and Butler Drive in Drums, north of Hazleton. It happened about two miles away from a reported structure fire in the Beech Mountain Lakes development.
Fire apparatus from across lower Luzerne County were responding to that fire, including crews from Valley Regional and Hazle Township.
Hazle Township’s Seagrave tractor-drawn aerial truck, or tiller, collided with a Spartan rescue truck from Valley Regional, police said. Both vehicles had emergency lights activated.
Chief William Feissner said a preliminary investigation revealed that the Valley Regional truck entered the intersection from West Butler Drive, turning left, north, onto Route 309 with a red light.
The Hazle Township tiller had a green light as it was approaching from the south on Route 309 headed north. That truck swerved to avoid a collision, but struck the right side of the rescue. Police said the green light for the Hazle Township truck activated via a traffic light pre-emption system, which is designed to give one part of the intersection priority for emergency apparatus.
The driver of the tiller had to be rescued from the vehicle, and six firefighters were injured in total. Four had minor injuries and two had moderate injuries. Five were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton and one to Geisinger Wyoming Valley. They were treated by medical personnel from Sugarloaf, Lehigh Valley EMS, Mountain Top, White Haven, and Geisinger Berwick.
Police said the building in Beech Mountain Lakes was destroyed, and firefighters kept the fire from spreading to nearby homes.
Both pieces of apparatus suffered severe damage, police said.
Local fire companies in our area, including the Rangers in Girardville and the Nuremberg-Weston fire company, posted to Facebook following the incident, extending well-wishes and asking for prayers for the injured firefighters.
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