Crews Respond to Reported Commercial Structure Fire in Girard

Girard Township, PA – Yesterday morning at around 11:00 AM, first responders from A.F. Dobler Hose were dispatched to a reported commercial structure fire at the GetGo along Route 20. Engines 563 and 553, along with Utility 529, responded shortly after the initial dispatch. While units were en route, Erie County 911 advised that employees inside the store reported smelling smoke within the structure.

Before the arrival of fire personnel, GetGo employees evacuated customers and staff from the building and secured the parking lot by placing traffic cones at each entrance to prevent vehicles from entering and to keep the area clear for responding emergency vehicles.

Engine 553 arrived on scene first and completed an initial size-up, reporting no visible signs of fire or smoke from the exterior. Crews were assigned to investigate the roof-mounted HVAC units, but no abnormal conditions were found. As a precaution, the HVAC system was temporarily shut down while firefighters continued searching for the source of the odor, which was reported to have an electrical smell.

During the interior investigation, firefighters located a refrigerated display case with an excessively hot power cord and a noticeable electrical odor coming from the unit. The display case was immediately unplugged, and crews assisted store staff by removing the refrigerated products and transferring them to a cart before relocating them to a walk-in cooler to preserve the merchandise.

After the faulty display case was isolated, the HVAC system was placed back into service. Crews then utilized positive pressure ventilation with a battery-powered fan positioned at one of the entrances to remove the remaining odor from the building. With no further hazards identified, units returned to service a short time later.