Hilltop Hose 'sounding the alarm,' doling out free smoke detectors to Natrona residents

A 2008 blaze in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood started in a century-old vacant apartment and, within minutes, tore through five buildings along Chestnut Street, including the township tax collector’s office.

“Oh, I remember that one,” said Pat Walters, who has lived in the community for 60 years. “There was another bad one on Center Street that went right through the row houses.”

This year, a fire at 21 River Ave. quickly spread to an empty building next door, the former Silver Slipper bar, and nearly caught a third building on fire.

“Natrona is a historic town that was built with structure upon structure to accommodate the population of people that lived and worked in town,” Hilltop Hose Chief Jeff Balog said.

Many of the commercial and residential buildings are more than 100 years old. A large number of homes are constructed with wood-frame, balloon construction and are just 3 to 6 feet apart, he said.

“A lot of the buildings have undergone several renovations and remodels through the years, and that presents many challenges for us,” Balog said.

“(They) have a lot of unique buildings with fantastic history. Our goal as first responders is to do all we can to keep the people safe and minimize damage to their properties.”

The chief couldn’t stress enough the significance of smoke detectors in a community with aging housing stock, railroad lines and rental turnover.

His department is partnering with state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, and the Red Cross to distribute an unlimited number of free alarms to Natrona residents.

The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4.

Nearly 60% of home fire deaths are caused by fires in properties without smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

“A smoke detector can be your first line of defense if a fire occurs in your home, especially at night when your family is fast asleep,” Balog said.

“In today’s world, fire burns hotter, spreads faster and produces toxic smoke and gases in a matter of minutes. It is a frightening feeling to find out that some residents do not have smoke detectors in their home.”

Home fires claim an average of seven lives every day, but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half, according to the Red Cross website.

Harrison Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Krzeminski said the fire along Chestnut Street in 2020 easily could have been a tragedy.

Six residents escaped without injury when fire swept through the second floor and attic, but no working smoke alarms were found.

“If (it) had happened in the middle of the night, they may not have gotten out unless someone just happened to smell smoke,” he said.

Harrison’s commissioners are looking at ways to ease the job of firefighters, who are regularly called to abandoned homes with unknown safety hazards.

The board has applied for grants through the federal Community Development Block Grant program to eliminate some of the township’s 110 blighted homes, many along Chestnut, North Canal and Wood streets.

A perfect example is the 2022 fire at 52 N. Canal St., which was difficult to attack because the home was overgrown with weeds and shrubs. It’s on a list of homes targeted for blight remediation.

“We must be extremely cautious of vacant buildings that have been unoccupied for a lengthy period,” Balog said. “We must be cautious on how we attack a fire in a vacant building so no firefighter gets hurt.”

In some cases, there’s a prearranged plan to help protect fire personnel.

When a 2019 fire along Spruce Street broke out at a long-abandoned structure, a plan was in place to perform defensive operations only, Hilltop Hose officials said.

“During fire suppression, the structure partially collapsed,” according to a Facebook post. “Thankfully, thanks to the pre-plan and collapse zone already having been established, no personnel or citizens were harmed and fire suppression continued.”

Balog said some narrow streets in the section of town above the railroad tracks present a challenge, but they haven’t prevented firefighters from positioning fire engines.

The call base for Natrona is about the same as in other parts of the township, Balog said, as is the action plan.

Longtime Center Street resident Drew Jonczak was happy to hear about the free smoke detector program. He said it has the potential to help all families, especially those with children or older members.

“It’s a great idea, without a doubt,” he said.

“I’ve seen a lot of fires here in my days. And with these row houses, especially, it just sweeps through.

“The houses are close together on every street, up against each other. If there’s a fire at your house, the next house will feel it.”

To make an appointment for installation, call Steele’s office at 724-826-5151.