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Candlemoth Syndrome
How many firefighters have experienced Candlemoth Syndrome? I know I have, particularly when I was younger and less experienced. Candlemoth Syndrome is a firefighting cousin of Target Fixation, where firefighters are drawn closely to the fire in disregard for proper firefighting tactics and for firefighter safety.
The definition of "Moth to a Flame" is to be "Irresistibly and dangerously attracted to something or someone." The term relates to moth behavior around open candle flames at night. Moths are drawn to the light given off by the flame, but they often get too close, resulting in badly burned or dead moths. Firefighters can indeed be irresistably and dangerously attracted to be in close proximity to a fire. Candlemoth Syndrome is dangerous, it can easily result in firefighter injury or death, and it is all-too-common. Candlemoth Syndrome is generally avoidable if you recognize the symptoms.
Candlemoth Syndrome includes the following:
1) Waiting to attack interior fires until the hose team is very close to the fire in situations where the water stream could be used to safely and effectively attack the fire from farther away.
An example is using a direct attack with a solid stream or straight stream from very close to the fire instead of extinguishing the base of the fire from farther away where the firefighters are less exposed to the heat. This also gives the firefighters more direct access to their escape route if something goes wrong during the attack.
2) Conducting Defensive attacks in structures where Offensive attacks are indicated.
There are two examples of this. The most common is Horizontal Candlemoth Syndrome; the nozzleman who runs directly to a window venting fire and attacks the fire head-on from close range from the exterior. This will usually drive the fire into uninvolved parts of the building, cut off escape routes for the occupants, and increase the amount of unnecessary fire damage to the structure. The other example is Vertical Candlemoth Syndrome, where ladder pipe streams are directed into vertical ventilation openings. This results in the fire being driven downward into uninvolved parts of the structure, with the same potential bad outcomes as the horizontal example.
3) Defensive Candlemoth Syndrome is a variation of Horizontal Candlemoth Syndrome. This occurs when a fire has been declared Defensive and firefighters push too close to a building that is either in danger of collapsing or that is a No Value building, or both.
Focusing strategy and tactics on the RECEO-VS system, maintaining personnel accountability, and having Division C and http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/downloads/SAFETYOFFICER.docon scene to maintain a 360 view of the fireground help prevent Candlemoth Syndrome.
Good company officers who practice organizational discipline, who monitor their personnel closely during firefights, and who are not afraid to use firefighting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice can prevent Candlemoth Syndrome, keep their firefighters safer, and reduce the amount of antacids ingested by chief officers.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Tom Wheland on November 7, 2009 at 8:16am
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We also had an EMT shot to death in Alex Bay last year at a call.
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I think most of us have done this to some extent early in our careers. But now it is even more critical due to structual designs like laminated joists for a perfect example and the newer gear that can get you in to deep (Past the point of no return) before they realize it when everything goes south real fast.
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Comment by blair4630 on November 5, 2009 at 9:12pm
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We run 6 or fewer "significant" structure fires per year. Thank you for the good information and links.
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Comment by Adam L. Culp on November 5, 2009 at 7:14pm
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isn't those all pretty colors. been there done that got the shirt
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Comment by Rusty Mancini on November 5, 2009 at 5:44pm
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I've seen this happen more than I cared to especially with, newer members. That's when I usually start my hollowing, it's not worth getting hurt over, it's already gone! Discipline along with training is the key to eliminate this syndrome.
Your right Ben, company officers need to pay attention and monitor their personnel.
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Comment by Oldman on November 5, 2009 at 1:20pm
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Good one Ben.
It happened to me early in my career, but on the EMS side. Call to possible suicide, hellbent on getting to the patient. Walked through the front door and into the barrel of a 12 ga shotgun. The guns on a battleship don't look as big. Never forgot it, and I try to instill in all my people to look at whats going on before they go bustin' in. If it don't look right, it probably isn't.
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Comment by Doug on November 5, 2009 at 4:26am
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While I can not personally remember this ever happening to me, I have seen it, and I have had to yell(only because we had our SCBA's donned) at someone and pull them out. I have gotten tunnel vision before though at a fire scene, on more than one occasion. While it is similar, at the same time, it is also very different than Candlemoth Syndrome. Tunnel vision is another problem we encounter, and I'm sure everyone has been guilty of it, and it can lead to serious consequences.
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Comment by truckeewads on November 5, 2009 at 1:02am
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The Candlemoth Syndrome is alive and well. I would imagine this still occurs everywhere in one form or another. The infrequency of incidents such as your posted picture probably increases the likelyhood of this syndrome to appear. I agree that having discipline is the key. The urge is probably there for all of us to do the wrong thing, but with discipline as you suggested, the proper evaluation and tactics will prevail. Gotta see the whole picture, not just the obvious. Good topic...thanks Chief.
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