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Fighting Fires in Storms
Does anyone have a policy that prohibits fighting fires in bad thunder storms. We always seem to get several calls for lightining strikes when a system moves through the area and inevatibly we get a working fire. Ilive in SC and we get bad storms in the spring and summer. I know that all fires are judged by risk vs gain, the risk including the weather. I have personaly fought fires that in hindsight we probably should not have been out in the storm.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Good question. Even under the harshest of storms we have responded and made attacks on building fires.. Things that make you go hmm
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Permalink Reply by Rob on
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We have no policy on this issue. We will try obviously to do all we can to save property in a safe manner. I have never really run in to an issue with fighting a fire in a severe thunder storm ours always seem to be a freaking blizzard or just an absolute downpour for the duration of the call so we are either froze or soaked or both. About the only two things I can see that would be a primary concern is obviously roof work or ladder ops.
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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I'll second that!
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Permalink Reply by John Schander on
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I've always focused on the job at hand, but like I said it's always hindsight that makes me wonder if I should have been there. The last really bad storm we had a fire in was caused by a lightining strike that blew the outlets of the room it hit off the studs in the wall, the asst chief and I were giong in the front door when lightining hit close and both of s could feel the " tingle ". Would I do it again in a storm? Of course I would. One more thing , I'm 6"5 I dont need to be in a bucket or on a roof in a lightining storm.LOL
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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We will fight a fire during a severe thunderstorm/light show. However, ground ladders are not to be deployed unless absolutely necessary and the ladder truck is not put into operation. Hose lines are of course deployed from the ladder truck, but the ladder does not go up.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Box on
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Well people keep mentioning maybe using ground ladders. If you have firefighters on upper floors, I'd imagine you'd better have ground ladders in place.
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Like I said, only if absolutely necessary, i.e. firefighters on upper floors.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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This is an excellent question, and one I've wondered about for years. In an active, intense lightning storm the only really safe place is in a metal building or vehicle, inside and not touching any metal if at all possible. I guess we've always just done our jobs and silently hoped that Mother Nature would spare us. We've been lucky.
It does not take a direct lightning hit, either, to kill or injure people. Anyone who has seen a tree that's been hit by lightning knows that the bark is blown off and can strike a bystander like a shotgun blast. Any metal object in the area gets charged with thousands of volts and can "blow" people off of ladders.
With all of the discussions we've had on safety on the site this is one area we have overlooked.
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Permalink Reply by Fire Chick on
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safety of the crew members come first...
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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The determination whether or not to fight fires in storms is part of managing the overall incident risk.
It's must one of many factors involved in the incident risk-benefit analysis.
If there are lightning hits in the immediate area - blowing the tops out of the next-door neighbors trees, etc, then the option to delay fire attack for anything except a known or probable rescue should be on the table.
If the storm has quickly moved on, as in most of the spring and summer storms in the southeast, then active lightning is going to be a pretty rare problem.
The decision is going to be situational. A department could issue some broad guidance, but there's no way to write a specific policy that's going to force the IC into the correct decision every time. There are simply too many variables involved, so on-scene size-up and relative risk decisions will have to be made by the IC.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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Joe you are right and I have to say it has gotten me thinking. I guess I have always trusted the officer in charge to make the call on what or how we are to operate in the weather. It is something to think about and maybe have something in place on incidences that involves severe weather. This is a really good question...
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Firefighters being struck by lightning has historically not been a big problem.
That doesn't mean that it can't happen, but it's not one of the higher risks we face.
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