WBAL TV in Baltimore has some amazing video of a fire running through a slew of rowhomes in Baltimore last week. The overhead footage from the news chopper shows just minutes after the fire is reported, residents evacuating prior to the fire department's arrival and then the first arriving units on what eventually became a three alarm response.
Like last week's hot topic on 'SCBA on the Roof', just at about the four minute mark of the video, you can see a firefighter on the roof in heavy smoke conditions and a rapidly advancing fire without any SCBA.
I was kind of surprised to see them leading off with a 1 3/4 instead of a 2 1/2... but then the engine may not have been aware of the heavy fire blowing out of the rear.
Permalink Reply by Matt on February 4, 2009 at 5:51am
Not a fan of that cold shower in the face at the 4 minute mark. I would say intially, I would have deployed an 1 3/4 line to knock down the fire in the porch area and had another crew(s) stretch a 2 1/2 to do the interior work. My volume isn't working right now, but was there any communications about having a pumper come down the street on the D side and dragging a line(s) down the alley for the fire in the rear?
TRIED TO WATCH THIS,BUT IT KEPT BUFFERING EVERY 6-10 SECONDS-SEVERAL QUESTIONS COME TO MIND--GRANTED I WASNT THERE,BUT SHOULDN'T THERE HAVE BEEN A LADDER TRUCK IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE THAT WAS BURNING? AND SECONDLY--DID THEY USE A INCH AND THREE QUARTER HANDLINE TO START WITH,OR DID THEY USE TWO AND HALF BLITZ LINE? MY TAKE IS.....IF THEY USED A BLITZ LINE--WOULD IT HAVE GONE THREE ALARM? AND WAS THERE AN ALLEY BEHIND THE HOUSE WITH WHICHTO BRING ATRUCK DOWN? WE HAD A CALL LAST NIGHT (TUES ) FOR A LIGHT SWITCH THAT HAD SHORTED OUT-NO FIRE BUT WE CHECKED IT OUT,TURNED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OFF,TOLD THE HOME OWNER TO GET IT REPLACED AND WENT HOME.ON THE WAY BACK TO THE HOUSE MY ONE CHIEF ASKED ME WHAT WE WOULD WE HAVE DONE IF THERE WAS A DECENT SIZE FIRE ------HOUSE NEXT DOOR HAD THE MINIMUM FOOTAGE FOR CLEARANCE---MY REPLY WAS---TO GET A HYDRANT TAGGED,AND MY FIRST CHOICE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BLITZ LINE FOR-----A)-EXPOSURE PROTECTION AND B)--TO KNOCK DOWN ANY LARGE VOLUME OF FIRE . JUST MY TAKE ON IT