In the early morning hours of Thursday, August 28th at 1:47 AM, the East Brandywine Fire Company was dispatched, along with several mutual aid departments, to assist Station 47 (Lionville Fire Company) for a reported commercial building fire in the 500 block of Wellington Square.

Early reports suggested a possible transformer fire, but additional 911 callers quickly confirmed that the building itself was on fire and that an explosion had been heard. Police units arrived first and confirmed significant fire visible along the side of the building.

Ladder 49, Engine 49-2, and Utility 49-1 all responded to the scene. Upon arrival, Ladder 49 was directed to position in the front of the building behind Tower 47 and place the aerial to the roof. The crew was assigned as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), standing by to respond in case of firefighter injuries or mayday emergencies.

Engine 49-2’s crew arrived shortly after and stretched a 1¾” handline off the front bumper of Engine 47-2, working to knock down a gas-fed fire along the side of the building. While the visible flames were quickly extinguished, crews were unable to secure the active gas leak, and PECO was requested to the scene.

Firefighters from Ludwigs Corner, West Whiteland, Minquas, and Lionville worked together to extinguish the fire that had extended into the building’s walls and roof area. Firefighters operated for well over an hour opening the roof and removing sections to access and extinguish hidden fire.

Once on location, PECO crews had to dig in a small area to access the gas main and shut off the supply. With the gas secured, firefighters were able to fully extinguish the remaining hot spots and complete overhaul operations.

EBFC units remained on scene for approximately two hours before being released. The Chester County Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the cause of the fire.