On Tuesday April 23 at 8:13 a.m. The Holbrook Fire Dept was activated for a chimney fire on Carnegie Blvd to the rear of Seneca Middle School. Chief Pendl and SCPD units had difficulty locating the fire and it was determined to actually be at 378 Mohawk place on the next block north. Staff from Seneca Middle School saw suspicious smoke and flame emitting from the fireplace chimney and decided to investigate. They found two small children ages 1 and 3 alone in the home. The children's grandmother was watching them at the time and was at the bus stop with an older sibling. Smoke was present in the house and the children were removed for their safety and were later evaluated by the crew of 3-15-17 and Paramedic 81. The staff then opened all windows and doors in an attempt to help remove the smoke. When Chief Pendl arrived flames were shooting from the top of thre chimney due to the ideal conditions of ventilation created when the windows and doors were opened. With an unlimited source of oxygen the fire continued to grow in the fire box and flue causing catastrophic damage to the flue pipe. Chief Pendl led interior operations with Chief Stack handling roof operations. The external portions of the flue pipe were removed due to extreme damage and safety concerns. A 2 1/2 gallon water extinguisher and small booster line were used to extinguish the fire with minimal water damage to the home interior. Automatic mutual aid for a Ladder Truck was provided by Syaville FD. All units were back in service at 9:06 a.m.
