Ruth Street Residential Fire

8/8/2024 2:18 p.m. — The investigation of last night's fire that left two without their home has been concluded. Red Cross information was offered to the residents.

The cause of the fire was classified as undetermined, with no suspicious circumstances or reason to believe it was arson. The fire originated somewhere inside the house, but an exact location was not pinpointed.

The structure and all the property inside are a complete loss and the premises are unsafe to navigate for any further investigation.

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10:45 p.m. — The fire is mostly contained at this point. Firefighters will continue to extinguish hot spots as the investigator collects information.

The incident commander said firefighters would remain at the location through the night on fire watch, ensuring it does not flare back up.

Engines 16, 23, 2, 3, 8 and 12, along with Trucks 24 and 4, Rescue 24, Rehab 1, Districts 1 and 3 chiefs and Car 80 were dispatched to the scene.

9:38 p.m. — Personnel are continuing to extinguish the fire with a defensive attack.

When the first unit arrived on scene, smoke was visible from the rear of the residence. Behind the brick structure on the street was a connected wood-frame addition, roughly the same size as the front part of the house. The owner of the house was found safely outside.

Crews made entry into the back half of the home but personnel reported extreme hoarding conditions that impeded progress. The roof was successfully opened for ventilation, but fire and smoke conditions worsened and firefighters were pulled out due to safety concerns.

Going defensive also proved challenging on account of power lines in the front along the street that limited use of elevated streams.

At about 8:52 p.m., incident command called for more apparatuses for manpower and also for an additional elevated stream.

When Truck 4 arrived, it was positioned in a driveway beside the house, allowing firefighters to dump large amounts of water from above onto the back structure.

Crews are expected to be on scene for several more hours extinguishing all hotspots. The fire will be under investigation when it is safe to enter the structure.

8:01 p.m. — Mobile Fire-Rescue Department units were dispatched at about 7:53 p.m. after receiving multiple calls for a report of a residential fire in the 600 block of Ruth Street in Mobile, Alabama, Wednesday evening, August 7, 2024.

Personnel arrived on scene and advised this would be a working fire on a two-story brick residence.