Decision Making at Vacant Structure Fires- Are You Brave Enough?

Fire Engineering has a good little article thsi week about vacant structure fires, questioning are we brave enough to stay out?

It's a quick read but raises some good food-for-thought questions about our decisions to go interior or not. Check it out at http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/display/9407237913/ar...

A read through many discussions in these and other forums seems to split the firefighters- some saying you HAVE to go interior to be a firefighter, it's what we do, etc, to those who say, no way- my (or my crews) life safety takes priority.

It's vacant, it's confirmed that everyoen is accounted for, why do we need to go interior if it's unsafe (or potentially unsafe)?

We must continuously risk assess the scene and change tactics based on what we see, hear, smell, feel, etc. You're no less of a FF if you decide to stay exterior....

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on April 6, 2010 at 7:22am

Spot on Paul! I've never said we should never go interior, though some here would suggest I have- it's about assessing the scene, conditions, information at hand, etc as you said....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by T.J. on April 6, 2010 at 11:30am

I feel you need to check it out, you can never consider a building vacant no a days with all the homeless people out there.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Blake Sexton on April 7, 2010 at 1:00am

I would say that at least 60 % of our house fires are unoccupied beacuse of the poverty level. Its mostly arson they just set them on fire but . Regardless if its vacant or occupied depending on how long its been burning and the stability of the structure. I love fighting fire so i go interior and plus it keeps you on your toes its good practice that you cant get from no book. The more fires you have the more experience you get you learn to read the smoke, one of the most important things when arriving is the color of the smoke. I mean how much experience can you gain from a exterior attack not much to that surround and drown, protect exposures.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on April 7, 2010 at 2:56am

We'll never see eye to eye on this one William. TO go interior is not based on whether it's good practice or experience, it's based on safety. MY SAFETY. MY CREW'S SAFETY.