What is a 2-alarm fire vs. a 5-alarm fire?

A two-alarm fire requires assistance from other departments for a couple more pumpers and ladder trucks. Some will go to the scene and the others will cover our stations. A five-alarm fire requires a lot more assistance from the outside due to the large size of the fire. In Rochester, a five-alarm fire is our largest response. The alarms are used to bring in more equipment and manpower due to the size of the building and the amount of fire involved. A typical fire in a small structure will usually require only one or two alarms. A large-scale fire in a commercial building would require three alarms or more.