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Company Discussions: Redeployment?
What would you do at this point?
There is a lot already taking place here. A hose crew is at the door or inside. A guy is taking out a window or something to that effect on the D side. And someone is on a ladder.
There is some nasty smoke pushing out of this structure. It definitely is under pressure.
Time is running out for keeping this in check and an interior attack. We’ve all been here and we know how this can go.
At this point in the fire, what ventilation tactic would you use and why?
If you need to, redirect these crews and put them where you think they will make the most progress and explain your actions.
Share with your crew and post your discussion points. We always get great feedback and we know you have some goo ideas, so, let’s hear them.
Stay safe and be careful. Get yourself healthy and stay healthy.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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It looks like a one-story, wood frame construction. Are one-story's balloon framed? Hmmmm
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Some departments put all officers in white helmets - even Lieutenants or Sergeants.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on
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Very good point Ben. Whose to say that the white hat is in fact the Incident Commander.
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There are four things that should jump out at us even withouth a 360-degree size-up, which is missing here.
1) There is a large volume of dense, rapidly-rising, and increasingly dark smoke showing from at least two sides of this house. That tells us that the smoke is getting very hot, it's pressurized, and that the interior is not survivable for an unprotected occupant unless there is a clear space in the rear with a heavy barricade between the victim and the fire.
2) The fire has just autovented on Side D. That tells us that this is a ventilation-controlled fire that is in the process of changing to a fuel-controlled (free burning) fire. That's bad, bad news. It also tells us that vertical ventilation isn't going to be possible - fire will be roaring out several openings before we can get to the roof. It also tells us that a gasoline-powered saw will not be able to operate due to the heavy smoke choking it out.
3) It is a little difficult to tell due to the smoke, but the Delta door looks as if it's 1/2 or 3/4 height. That could mean that door leads to a crawl space and not a basement. Crawl space fires are almost always Defensive due to the nature of the space and the lack of any barricade to fire movement.
4) There is a hoseline running up the Alpha steps and into the structure. That tells us a crew is inside.
The bottom line - this fire is a BORN LOSER. We're getting ready to lose a ladder on the Alpha side. More importantly, we're getting ready to lose the firefighters on the interior and the one on the ladder if the smoke ignites suddenly. That ignition is a matter of time. The lack of steam production tells us that we don't have enough water power to match the fire's heat power, so we're losing the fight. Recognize it, go Defensive, protect exposures, get better water supply and a higher attack volume, and don't trade firefighters for property that is already lost.
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on
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Learn something new every day. Around my area, Lieutenants and Captains have white shields, then chief officers have white helmets.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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Yeah what Ben said. Pull 'em out. Should have been done a few minutes ago, just based on where it is at now. Nothing to save, everything to lose. I couldn't imagine anyone disagreeing, or why anyone would stay with an offensive interior work with this job.
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Permalink Reply by Steve on
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Yes I've been in a house that you could look from the attic and see the crawl space. Never underistimate the building. It was built on an old creek rock foundation and had an old cellar under one room with a pull up door going into it. no way to tell from the outside.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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It's a two-story, and certainly looks old enough to be balloon-frame construction.
The venting on the side may be from the FF knocking out the window with the pike pole so the interior crew can knock-down the fire which may still be contained to a single compartment with closed door. With the window out the fire has a place to go and the smoke venting through the house will dissipate as it vents out the window.
Without having a report on interior conditions, and lacking a full 360 size-up it's hard to know for sure.
Even if it is a single room fire, in a kitchen or dining room with a door, you still need to watch for extension into the attic and the basement, doubly so if it is balloon construction.
Greenman
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With the smoke Color, Density, Volume, and Velocity along with the fire autoventing on Side D, it doesn't matter if this one is balloon frame, stick-built, engineered, or glued together with toothpicks. Get the hell out of it, go Defensive, and protect exposures.
Even if the fire is contained to one room, as soon as you open the door to that room from the interior, the smoke will probably ignite and roast the crew. The smoke spread tells me that there is a tremendous amout of heat in places that aren't yet on fire. Any combustibles in those places (furniture, curtains, paint, carpet, books, a TV, or whatever) are about to ignite.
If this fire really is contained to the one room on Side D, do a Transitional attack - knock that room from the exterior, then vent horizontally and often, then see if there's any extension. From the smoke conditions, I don't think we're in time to do any of that, but sometimes we get lucky. The question is "How lucky are we going to get on this one?" My answer is "not very" because all of that pressurized smoke makes it very unlikely that this fire is contained to a single vented room.
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