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Truss Tragedy: Learning from the Waldbaum’s Supermarket Tragedy So We Don’t Repeat History
Truss Tragedy
Learning from the Waldbaum’s Supermarket Tragedy So We Don’t Repeat History
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the Waldbaum’s Supermarket Fire in Brooklyn, N.Y. Six FDNY firefighters died in this fire in 1978 when the wooden bowstring truss roof of the supermarket collapsed while they were working on it. At the time, this was the largest loss of firefighters in a Brooklyn fire. Although 12 firefighters fell into the flames when the roof collapsed, six were rescued.
We Remember
• Lt. James Cutillo, 33rd Battalion
• Firefighter Charles Bouton, Ladder Co. 156
• Firefighter William O’Conner, Ladder Co. 156
• Firefighter James P McManus, Ladder Co. 153
• Firefighter George Rice, Ladder Co. 153
• Firefighter Harold F. Hastings, Ladder Co.153
Related:
The Incident
The following is adapted from an FDNY report from 1998, when the street corner where the fire took place was officially renamed Firemen’s Corner.
The fire started at 0840 HRS in Waldbaum’s supermarket, at the intersection of Ave. Y and Ocean Ave. in Sheepshead Bay. Nearly 23 electricians, plumbers, etc., were renovating the building when the fire started in the mezzanine area. An all-hands alarm was called at 0849 HRS and a second alarm was called at 0902 HRS.
Shortly after 0920 HRS, with 20 firefighters on the roof, a crackling sound was heard and the center portion of the roof fell into the smoke and flames. Some of the firefighters were seen running toward the edge of the roof; some made it, others nearby fell into the hole. At 0918 HRS, a third alarm was called; the incident eventually went to five alarms.
Laborers and firefighters managed to pull out some who were near walls; some crawled out. Several holes were made into the wall to pull out injured survivors and victims.
Joe Jankowski, a member of Engine 246, was on the roof that day. He later reported that the roof beneath him had a spongy feel. When it collapsed, he went toward the ledge, hanging on until he was rescued a few seconds before the roof caved in.
Although a man confessed to intentionally setting the fire, and was convicted of murder and arson in 1980, his conviction was dismissed in 1988 when it was found that the prosecution had improperly withheld information that could have helped the defense. A new trial was ordered and the suspect was acquitted. The trials represented one of the longest legal battles in New York court history.
Lessons Learned
FireRescue Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach offers these lessons learned:
We’ve all heard the famous quote from philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” No quote more accurately describes the lessons learned from the Waldbaum’s supermarket fire.
In 1978 the fire service lost six brave men in a bowstring truss collapse. Ten years later, we would lose five more firefighters in a bowstring truss collapse in Hackensack, N.J. and nearly 15 years later we would lose three more in Coos Bay, Ore. The lessons to be shared are many and WE (the entire fire service) MUST TAKE THE TIME LEARN THE LESSONS OF OUR PAST. We owe it to those who have given so much.
Critical Lessons:
1. All firefighters should be taught how to identify critical building characteristics from the street, for example:
-humped roof = bowstring truss—high probability of early collapse
-parapet = strong likelihood of hidden hazards—perform a 360 and assess the roof for HVAC units and other potential hazards
2. All fire departments should preplan buildings to determine whether they’re constructed with lightweight truss. Buildings that are should have a note in the preplan for firefighters to RESPOND WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
3. ALL buildings constructed using truss assemblies (roofs and floors) MUST be treated with extreme caution. Once a truss assembly is determined to be impinged upon or damaged by fire, assume a defensive position IMMEDIATELY.
4. Use extreme caution when vertically ventilating lightweight truss roofs. Always assess the roof for stability using a pike pole, axe, etc.). Consider checking for fire extension in the truss space using inspection holes as you proceed across the roof to your chosen ventilation point. Visually examine the roof using a thermal imaging camera before leaving the safety of the ladder. Strongly consider the use of a roof ladder. AVOID VERTICAL VENTILATION FOR ADVANCED FIRES THAT HAVE IMPINGED UPON THE TRUSS ASSEMBLY.
5. Communication is CRITICAL. Interior crews MUST make it a high priority to inspect overhead spaces (cocklofts, attics, etc.) for fire extension. Upon inspection, report your findings immediately to command and operating roof personnel.
Lightweight truss and bowstring truss buildings have a very disturbing track record within the fire service. Today’s firefighters must not let the lessons of our historic past go unnoticed. Let’s learn from the past so we, too, don’t repeat it.
Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIBE to FIRERESCUE
Learning from the Waldbaum’s Supermarket Tragedy So We Don’t Repeat History
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the Waldbaum’s Supermarket Fire in Brooklyn, N.Y. Six FDNY firefighters died in this fire in 1978 when the wooden bowstring truss roof of the supermarket collapsed while they were working on it. At the time, this was the largest loss of firefighters in a Brooklyn fire. Although 12 firefighters fell into the flames when the roof collapsed, six were rescued.
We Remember
• Lt. James Cutillo, 33rd Battalion
• Firefighter Charles Bouton, Ladder Co. 156
• Firefighter William O’Conner, Ladder Co. 156
• Firefighter James P McManus, Ladder Co. 153
• Firefighter George Rice, Ladder Co. 153
• Firefighter Harold F. Hastings, Ladder Co.153
Related:
- NIST fire behavior investigation report
- From Waldbaum’s to Hackensack, Worcester to Charleston
- FDNY Members Commemorate 31st Anniversary of Tragic Waldbaum’s Fire
- Judge Is Assailed in Waldbaum Fire Case
- The Waldbaum’s Fire and Tragedy
The Incident
The following is adapted from an FDNY report from 1998, when the street corner where the fire took place was officially renamed Firemen’s Corner.
The fire started at 0840 HRS in Waldbaum’s supermarket, at the intersection of Ave. Y and Ocean Ave. in Sheepshead Bay. Nearly 23 electricians, plumbers, etc., were renovating the building when the fire started in the mezzanine area. An all-hands alarm was called at 0849 HRS and a second alarm was called at 0902 HRS.
Shortly after 0920 HRS, with 20 firefighters on the roof, a crackling sound was heard and the center portion of the roof fell into the smoke and flames. Some of the firefighters were seen running toward the edge of the roof; some made it, others nearby fell into the hole. At 0918 HRS, a third alarm was called; the incident eventually went to five alarms.
Laborers and firefighters managed to pull out some who were near walls; some crawled out. Several holes were made into the wall to pull out injured survivors and victims.
Joe Jankowski, a member of Engine 246, was on the roof that day. He later reported that the roof beneath him had a spongy feel. When it collapsed, he went toward the ledge, hanging on until he was rescued a few seconds before the roof caved in.
Although a man confessed to intentionally setting the fire, and was convicted of murder and arson in 1980, his conviction was dismissed in 1988 when it was found that the prosecution had improperly withheld information that could have helped the defense. A new trial was ordered and the suspect was acquitted. The trials represented one of the longest legal battles in New York court history.
Lessons Learned
FireRescue Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach offers these lessons learned:
We’ve all heard the famous quote from philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” No quote more accurately describes the lessons learned from the Waldbaum’s supermarket fire.
In 1978 the fire service lost six brave men in a bowstring truss collapse. Ten years later, we would lose five more firefighters in a bowstring truss collapse in Hackensack, N.J. and nearly 15 years later we would lose three more in Coos Bay, Ore. The lessons to be shared are many and WE (the entire fire service) MUST TAKE THE TIME LEARN THE LESSONS OF OUR PAST. We owe it to those who have given so much.
Critical Lessons:
1. All firefighters should be taught how to identify critical building characteristics from the street, for example:
-humped roof = bowstring truss—high probability of early collapse
-parapet = strong likelihood of hidden hazards—perform a 360 and assess the roof for HVAC units and other potential hazards
2. All fire departments should preplan buildings to determine whether they’re constructed with lightweight truss. Buildings that are should have a note in the preplan for firefighters to RESPOND WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
3. ALL buildings constructed using truss assemblies (roofs and floors) MUST be treated with extreme caution. Once a truss assembly is determined to be impinged upon or damaged by fire, assume a defensive position IMMEDIATELY.
4. Use extreme caution when vertically ventilating lightweight truss roofs. Always assess the roof for stability using a pike pole, axe, etc.). Consider checking for fire extension in the truss space using inspection holes as you proceed across the roof to your chosen ventilation point. Visually examine the roof using a thermal imaging camera before leaving the safety of the ladder. Strongly consider the use of a roof ladder. AVOID VERTICAL VENTILATION FOR ADVANCED FIRES THAT HAVE IMPINGED UPON THE TRUSS ASSEMBLY.
5. Communication is CRITICAL. Interior crews MUST make it a high priority to inspect overhead spaces (cocklofts, attics, etc.) for fire extension. Upon inspection, report your findings immediately to command and operating roof personnel.
Lightweight truss and bowstring truss buildings have a very disturbing track record within the fire service. Today’s firefighters must not let the lessons of our historic past go unnoticed. Let’s learn from the past so we, too, don’t repeat it.
Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIBE to FIRERESCUE
Add a Comment
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Comment by Dustin Christensen on September 4, 2010 at 10:03am
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Absolutely! I'm a common sense guy and It works for me. Everyone can get some great core learning and education from books and blogs like these, But I agree, don't over look the Common Sense Factor...
Great discussion, Be Safe.
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Brothers, Please don't chomp on the bait of every website, article, and misc. text you read and hear... Do the thinking for yourselves. As Firefighter Kelley states, Get off your butt and know your office, "credit to Chief Mittendorf and Capt Galien T26, who have stood on the same roof you are speaking. Catch phrases like,
“a truss is a truss is a truss”! are just that!!!! PHRASES.
While this may be true from a technical perspective, it may not be true from a practical and/or fireground perspective. From a practical perspective, is there a difference between the newer and older truss roofs? In addition to age, the major difference is fireground time as the older truss roof will last more time before collapsing as compared to newer truss roofs. Several phrases that are also common are “you can recognize a bowstring arch by its characteristic arch shape,” “bowstring arches are commonly found on large commercial buildings,” and “they will fail in the early stages of a fire.” Interestingly, the older truss roofs come in a variety of shapes and can be found on large and small buildings. Additionally, older arch roofs can last for well over 30 minutes when exposed to fire!
Without understanding the building-occupancy relationships and integrating; construction, occupancies, fire dynamics and fire behavior, risk, analysis, the art and science of firefighting, safety conscious work environment concepts and effective and well-informed incident command management, company level supervision and task level competencies…You are derelict and negligent and "not "everyone may be going home". Our current generation of buildings, construction and occupancies are not as predictable as past conventional construction; risk assessment, strategies and tactics must address these new types of construction. There is a need to gain the building construction knowledge and insights for fire ground operations in order to keep companies safe.
It's all about understanding the building-occupancy relationships and the art and science of firefighting,
FACT:
Hackensack, New Jersey — Three factors contributed to the collapse of this bowstring arch:
1. alterations that consisted of a heavy ceiling of cementious material on wire lath.
2. Auto parts storage in the attic.
3. The fire had burned for a significant length of time and was well advanced prior to detection.
This roof collapsed approximately 35 minutes after the initial units arrived.
How long would you give a light weight constructed roof?
Waldbaum’s Supermarket, New York City — Two factors contributed to the collapse of this bowstring arch:
1. A double roof (rain roof) alteration.
2. The extent and severity of the fire.
3. This roof collapsed approximately 32 minutes after the initial units arrived.
Neither of these incidents upholds the view that a timber truss roof’s fail quickly, even when they have been significantly altered from their original design.
Fires in these types of roofs indicate that there is a noteworthy difference between timber truss roofs located in the Western and Eastern states. Although these roofs are primarily constructed the same, the timber truss roofs on the East Coast are significantly older and have been subjected to harsh weather conditions, wood rot, termites, renovations, and other circumstances for a longer period of time than their West Coast counterparts. Additionally, older roofs will likely have been re-roofed more often, resulting in a higher “dead load” on the roof.
So, are timber truss bowstring arch roofs or any other older truss type roofs dangerous? Absolutely, and so are other types of roofs when exposed to fire. However, fireground statistics indicate that these roofs in Western states can last longer when exposed to fire than their Eastern counterparts. The major hazard attributable to timber truss construction (which includes all timber truss roofs, not just the bowstring arch) may not be the construction itself but a combination of factors as follows:
1. Alterations that exceed the design criteria of the original roof.
2. The inherent size and strength of the construction can allow a fire to burn for a period of time while personnel initiate an interior attack and/or roof ventilations without observing the fire overhead in the truss construction.
3. Significant storage area in the attic space when the lower chords of the truss have been modified with flooring
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