The Christmas holiday season was a busy one for local firefighters. The unprecedented low single digit temperatures with sub zero windchills resulted in multiple calls for fire alarms, broken pipes and flooded conditions, which were added to the usual load of emergency responses. Between TSFR and Wyo FD, there were 55 responses in the four-day holiday weekend of 12/23 ,24, 25, and 26, which included a response to the City of Reading for a 3-alarm fire.

Christmas night saw a serious fire occur on Gelsinger Road in southern Spring Twp. TSFR and WFD personnel were joined by our mutual aid partners from Shillington (Sta 36), Western Berks FD (Sta 18), Mohnton (Sta 57), Cumru (Sta 42), Kenhorst (Sta 69) and Western Berks EMS (Sta 650) to fight a fire in a large garage property, with a wind chill of 6F. Water supply was a problem as the property was in an area not served by fire hydrants, requiring additional tanker trucks to join those already operating. These were supplied by Brecknock (Sta 72). Robesonia (Sta 26), Womelsdorf (Sta 47) and Denver (Lanc Sta 13). Crews operated on location for several hours in the cold.