At 1100 hours on Tuesday Stations 5, 1, 2, and 59 were alerted to a reported working house fire on River Springs School Road in Avenue. Fireboard took a single call for smoke from a residence. Engine 51 responded to the scene and arrived on location with a three-story residence with heavy fire showing.

Because of the staffing on the engine, the crews began with an exterior attack on the fire using a 1 3/4" hand line and a 2 1/2" line with the Blitz Fire. After Engine 14 arrived on the scene two crews entered the structure and began an interior attack. The crews were met with heavy fire conditions on the second and third floors.

Truck 1 arrived on the scene and immediately laddered the roof and started ventilation. A first cut was made directly above the fire room and a second was made above a joining room. The crews from Station 2 arrived shortly after and began assisting on the interior attack.

After the bulk of the fire was contained, crews regrouped and made another attack on the remaining fire. The crews discovered the fire broke through the ceiling of the house and was burning in the attic.

Because of the construction of the residence, the fire was hard to access in several locations. The house was originally a historic schoolhouse which had been converted in several constructions. Engine 74 was requested to fill in at Station 5, but while on the way was requested to respond to the fire. Engine 91 was also requested to respond to the scene while they were responding to a fill in at the station.

Extensive overhaul operations took place inside the residence checking for extension and hitting hot spots throughout the structure. The units operated on the scene for over three hours before returning to quarters. A Deputy State Fire Marshal investigated the blaze and determined the preliminary cause to be accidental.