How many structure fires have you been inside?

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Permalink Reply by FETC on July 21, 2009 at 4:31pm

ALL of them, unless they pushed us out. This can be pretty open to intrepretation though, any fire within a structure is considered a structure fire on paper.

Total Number - hmmmmmm no clue; last one was a toaster fire and we went defensive - just too scary.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 21, 2009 at 4:45pm

For my first year in the volunteer fire service I have been through 2 working structure fires. My first one was mainly an exterior job. The whole second floor was engulfed in flames, and it was abandoned. It was not till much later that we went in to extinguish the smoldering flames.

My second working fire I was mainly exterior doing ventilation. By the time I got into we went in without SCBA. I used a pike pole to rip through a ceiling to reveal some untouched flames.

Neither were nothing major, but I consider them milestones in my firefighting service career.

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Permalink Reply by Justyn Boling on July 21, 2009 at 5:42pm

been on close to 8 years now and id have to say ive been in bout 20 give or take a few

cant wait for another one

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Permalink Reply by Keith Crawford on July 21, 2009 at 9:37pm

I'm not really sure. We had an independant report from a consultant about 5 years ago, which said our department is running about 2 fires a day. Given I work every 3rd day (121 days a year), and don't make every fire even on those days, I'd guess about 80-90 fires a year. I've been at my department for 19 years so probably about 1500 fires total. I'm IC more often than not now so I can't really count the fires I go in now. Just not the same as the initial attack. Hard to say exactly how many but a fun exercise to think about. I kind of wish I'd kept track, now that you mention it.

Good luck in your career.
Keith

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Permalink Reply by sully on July 21, 2009 at 10:56pm

I have been in the fire service a little over 5yrs. and i roughly been about 10 to 15 interior fires. Are fire department just had a good one this pass saturday.

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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on July 21, 2009 at 11:23pm

Not really sure, never really kept count. The number is up there somewhere though

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Permalink Reply by Larry Curtis on July 22, 2009 at 12:15am

Retired from federal fire service, had 10 yrs vol prior, a few yrs crash/fire rescue and back in the vol service again. started at age 17 and turning 61 in Aug. so I guess the answer is to many to remember and still kicking.
Larry

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Permalink Reply by Dustin J. Millis on July 22, 2009 at 12:16am

Well I've only been on two years, probably been to 10 or 12 structure fires and made the interior attack on 3 of them. I've done search and rescue a few times but only ever pulled out a few cows and some rabbits lol.

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on July 22, 2009 at 12:34am

I was wondering how many fires you guys have been inside of sense becoming a interior firefighter. I have been in 4 fires and have been interior for just about 3 yrs. 3 of which were this year. This is not a contest either.

How many? I have no clue. Not because I'm some old crusty veteran or on some super busy company, it is basically I just don't care. I do my job assigned to me, whether I'm inside or out. It also depends on circumstance, I have been inside doing overhaul with little or no fire to first in on the attack line, it just depends.

What I'm actually more amazed about is the concept of an interior and exterior FF. I've seen this stuff a lot on firehouse.com, so it amazes me there are actual defitions or standards discerning the 2. Here in WI you can be a volly after Entry- level FF, but most go on to meet state FF1. With FF1 you are a firefighter, nothing saying interior or exterior....FF. Not bashing, just amazed there are definitions to be interior and exterior and that there are depts that operate as such.

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Permalink Reply by Cory Deaton on July 22, 2009 at 1:38am

I have been on going on 3 years and i cant remember how many i have been in. To many to count.

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Permalink Reply by Shane Palmer on July 22, 2009 at 1:45am

well i almost had my first one today i was so pumped ( im still a young buck only been in for a little over a year). came over as smoke in a structure and i guess someone accidently plugged in a space heater and had blankets ontop of it and we all know what happens then. but luckily the family reacted quick and threw the blankets out the window before any real damage took place. But my time will come.