I bring this up because many departments are straying away from interior firefighting.  I know that some do not have the staffing or experience to do it very often, but there are plenty that do.  This is a fire that happened at 14 T St NW yesterday in DC.  Several reports of heavy smoke and fire showing upon arrival.  Rear was almost fully involved.  However with an agressive interior attack using 1 1/2" hand lines, they were able to get a knock on the fire and extinguish it within under 10 minutes and save this persons house.  Here's a pic after the bulk of the fire on the first floor was knocked down.


My main point is just to show that aggressive firefighting is still something that should be practiced when possible.  Standing outside with a 2 1/2" would have probably meant the loss of this house and possibly others.(These are all row homes which means easy extension)  Thought this may get some people thinking and be an interesting discussion.


Story from fire with pics: http://www.dcfire.com/history.html?view=1&id=70519

http://www.dcfd.com

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Indy doesn't stand by and watch fires, we sit in the truck! :-P
Vic runs off to avoid a beating from Truck 55...
Actualy, Vic...Before we had motorized fire trucks, we stood on the other side of the horses...lol.
Really, 55 Truck?

Here are several historical photos from the Indianapolis FD web site.
Check out the defensive attack in the next-to-last photos.

I guess your claim is valid - the five IFD firefighters fighting the fire from outside in that photo are kneeling outside, not "standing outside".

Then again, the IFD web site's photos from the Grant Fire in 1973 seem to indicate several aerial ladders and a snorkel using master streams to attack that fire from the exterior. Are you sure that no IFD firefighters were "standing outside" at that fire? Unless my math is off, 1973 was definately withint the last 150 years.

I'm just sayin'...
That second to last photo there sprayingin water down an ally between the fire building and an exposer. AS for the Grant fire..It is true that the Grant building was a mostly defensive attack..the Hotel and attached Thompson building were offensive.

Also once the Grant building had collapsed firefighters had to go into the rubble to put out hot spots.....So There....Thpppppppt. lol
After it's collapsed, is there really an "inside"?

It's usually more like "on the rubble pile" at that point.
Some of the walls were partialy there, 3 feet or so high..but still there.lol
If we're going to include chasing hot spots and overhaul, then pretty much everyone "goes inside" right? :-)
mmm...horse bacon!

Glad you have a sense of humour. I debated posting that for a good 15 minutes.

Be safe.

/vic
If I had the staffing on first due, then yeah I 
Would make an attack on it. But let me say 
GREAT safe.
The fire is all on the back, the only way to stop it and protect the rest of the building is from the inside. If you hit this from the outside you push fire into the unburned portions of the structure and it ends up being a total loss.

Great job on this one.

Greenman

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