After a relatively quiet period, two serious fires, one a fully-involved vehicle fire along Nevada Street, the other a dwelling fire that went to two alarms at 2159 Overhill Road, occurred almost simultaneously about 12:35 p.m. Oct. 14.

While firefighters on the first engine from Western Salisbury Fire Department were fighting the gasoline-fed vehicle fire, a second call was dispatched from the county communications center for the dwelling fire.

When the fire department's second engine arrived at the 2159 Overhill Road dwelling and reported "smoke showing," WSFD Deputy Chief Jason Faryniak immediately asked for a second alarm, which brought out firefighters from Eastern Salisbury, Emmaus, Lower Macungie, South Whitehall's Cetronia and Woodlawn Stations and Upper Macungie's Schantz Road station.

Alburtis Fire Department sent a Rapid Intervention Team to stand by with no firefighting duties, but as a safety team in case an interior firefighter should get in trouble. Arriving almost simultaneously at the dwelling along with the WSFD engine, Salisbury Township Police Sergeant Don Sabo, a trained firefighter and the township's fire marshal, arrived in the Police Department's Special Operations vehicle and suited up in firefighter protective gear to assist the firefighters until the second alarm contingent arrived at the scene.

Salisbury Police Patrol Officer Charles Whitehead and Eastern Salisbury Fire Department Firefighter Clint Ballek also arrived on the scene before the second-alarm response and dragged a heavy five-inch supply line about 75 yards through the yard and across the street to hook up to a fire hydrant. Because the water supply on the engine was sufficient to dowse the smoldering fire, the supply line did not need to be charged. Whitehead stood by at the hydrant in case an additional water supply was called for.

A preliminary on-scene investigation by Sabo and WSFD Chief Joshua Wells indicated the fire was triggered by an electrical fault when a utility pole fell onto the attached garage at the dwelling, and an electrical current followed the home's metal rain gutter system and sparked a fire in a wall where the residential portion of the structure abuts the garage.

The home is owned by Edna and Harry Brill.

As the WSFD units were returning to the Swain Station a third call was dispatched to WSFD firefighters for an automobile collision at South 24th Street and Lindberg Avenue. A fire department EMT assisted a passenger who was injured and had to be transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital by a Cetronia Ambulance crew on standby at the fire scene. Firefighters assisted with traffic control on the busy 24th Street highway.

An ESFD unit returning to its Emmaus Avenue quarters from the fire happened on the accident just a few seconds after the collision and assisted at the scene.