Spring Mill Fire Company's Engine 45 crew had barely returned to the station from a Whitemarsh Township alarm call on Thursday, July 30, 2026, when dispatchers sent them right back out to a working building fire in Norristown.

The first call came at 12:53 p.m. Engine 45, with a crew of four, responded to the 2100 block of Basswood Drive in Whitemarsh Township for a reported fire alarm. After investigating, firefighters determined the activation came from a malfunctioning alarm system. No fire was found.

The crew restored Engine 45 to service and returned to quarters.

Thirty-five minutes later, at 1:28 p.m., the company was dispatched again to assist the Norristown Fire Department with a building fire in the 600 block of Calamia Drive. Ladder 45, also staffed with four firefighters, responded and arrived as the first-due ladder company on scene, according to Spring Mill Fire Company's incident report.

The operator positioned the aerial for rooftop access while other firefighters deployed ground ladders to the A, B and D sides of the building, providing multiple access and egress points for crews working inside.

Eight fire companies joined Spring Mill on the Calamia Drive scene: Norristown Professional Firefighters Local 2335, Plymouth Fire Company No. 1, Norriton Fire Engine Company, Upper Merion Township Fire & EMS, Conshohocken Fire Company No. 2, Bridgeport Fire Department, Lower Providence Fire Department and Barren Hill Fire Company.

Plymouth Fire Company No. 1 and Barren Hill Fire Company both serve communities adjacent to Whitemarsh Township.