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“The Big Burn” – Largest fire in American history

The aftermath in Wallace, Idaho

The aftermath in Wallace, Idaho

Exactly 100 years ago, the summer of 1910 was hot and dry like no other. The resultant drought left plenty of dry vegetation in the forests of northeast Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana.  By mid-August there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires already burning due to hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning, and backfiring crews.

Then came the wind.

On August 20, a cold front swept through the area bring hurricane-force winds which blew all the smaller fires into one or two gargantuan blazes- far too huge for the U.S. Forest Service- then only 7 years old- to handle with little manpower, and even less resources.

Some firsthand accounts from rangers who lived through the horror:

“They told of trees swelling, sweating hot sap, and then exploding; of horses dying in seconds; of small creeks boiling, full of dead trout, their white bellies up; of bear cubs clinging to flaming trees, wailing like children.”

There is an excellent article over at the spokesman.com which relates some of the accounts of those who witnessed, fought, and survived the maelstrom.  Here is a small excerpt:

The scale was immense. Telegraph operators sent out desperate messages describing the approach of a solid line of flame 30 miles wide, and that was no exaggeration. Today, you can drive Interstate 90 east from Wallace, Idaho to just short of St. Regis, Idaho — about 45 miles — and be within the old burn zone every mile of the way. And this was by no means the only burn zone in the Northern Rockies – just the biggest.Smoke from the fire was said to have been seen as far east as Watertown, New York and as far south as Denver, Colorado. Ships 500 miles out into the Pacific Ocean, could not navigate by the stars because the sky was cloudy with smoke.


The fire had no end in sight and would have burned on had Mother Nature not returned to the scene with another cold front containing dousing rains.

The legacy of The Big Burn was the re-shaping of the U.S. Forest Service.

Prior to the fire, debates like those that remain today were taking place: let the fires burn as nature intended, or fight them in order to protect the forests.  However, after the devastation of this fire it was decided that the U.S. Forest Service was to prevent and battle against every wildfire.

Firefighters across the nation are gathering to mark the centennial of the event this weekend.  Numerous events are planned around the region to commemorate lost lives, reflect on a century’s worth of changes in wildland fire management philosophy, and celebrate how far we’ve come.

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents, Never Forget, Tradition, Wildland

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Posted by John Mitchell on August 19, 2010 • View Comments

Can you name the largest fire in American history?

Most think they know.  They don’t.

Do you?

(answer here tomorrow)

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents

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Posted by John Mitchell on August 18, 2010 • View Comments

Firefighter Storytellers Wednesday Night: “My dad was a Chief at the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire.”


Like many other firefighters, Tim Sendelbach’s roots in the fire service started with his dad.

A fire chief in his hometown of Wilder, Kentucky, Tim’s dad was one of the many firefighters who responded to the horrific Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire on Memorial Day weekend in 1977.

You may recall it is the third deadliest night club fire in U.S. history, claiming 165 lives and injuring 200 more.

Now the editor-in-chief at FireRescue Magazine, Tim will share his unique perspective on this historic fire live this Wednesday night at 9pm ET on “Firefighter Storytellers”

Don’t miss this great opportunity to call in to talk with Tiger and Tim, hang out in the chat room, or just listen in live Wednesday night at 9pm ET as Firefighter NetCast brings you another engrossing edition of “Firefighter Storytellers” hosted by Tiger Schmittendorf.

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents, NetCast, Videos

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Posted by John Mitchell on July 12, 2010 • View Comments

360 Degree Burn Size Up of the Fire Webs- 7/12/2010

Third DeKalb Firefighter Reinstated after Dunwoody Incident

Can you see me now?

You may remember the sorry case in which DeKalb County GA firefighters responded to, but were unable to locate a house fire reported by the occupant.  Without exiting their apparatus and walking up the driveway, they instead returned to quarters only to be re-dispatched hours later to the fully engulfed home.  The homeowner, 74-year-old Ann Bartlett, was killed in the fire.

We detailed this incident in a Fire Daily article last February which includes a video report and audio snippets of radio transmissions at the scene.

According to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a hearing officer ruled on Friday that Capt. Sell Caldwell was inappropriately terminated and did not neglect his duties as charged when terminated shortly after the incident.

The county indicated it will appeal the decision.

Pumper Valve Sprays Firefighter With… Searing Steam?

Newsday reports on the freak accident that sent a North Babylon NY firefighter on a helicopter trip to the hospital after being burned by steam released from one of the pumpers valves while operating at the scene of a landfill fire on Wednesday.  Not much information is available on exactly what would cause such an incident, but you can bet they are looking into it.  The firefighter, who’s name is being withheld due to federal privacy laws, received steam burns to his chest and arms.  His injuries are reportedly non-life threatening and he is said to be in good spirits.

Man Found Dead Sitting In Lotus Position

Obviously not the victim, just the position.

Another example of why I don’t use this position (despite the fact I couldn’t GET into this position):

A Sydney, New Zealand man was found dead inside his apartment after firefighters finished battling a fire there.

Officials speculate the man died of smoke inhalation while he was “zoned out” during a meditation session.  The fire is not believed to be suspicious.

Stay Stoked!  (that means no meditating)

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, News, WTF?

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Posted by John Mitchell on July 12, 2010 • View Comments

“The Charleston 43” – Always Remember and Never Forget

On Friday, June 18, we mark the third anniversary of an enormously tragic incident in which nine Charleston, SC firefighters lost their lives battling a furniture store fire.

To mark the incident, there will be no shortage of written and video tributes to experience, no shortage of “ALWAYS REMEMBER”s and “NEVER FORGET”s, and no shortage of opportunity to buy a helmet sticker, purchase a lapel pin, and otherwise show others that you share some type of connection with this and other LODD incidents.

But do you?

This year, I implore you to try something a little different.

Take an additional step or two of effort and delve into the lessons we can learn from what happened that day.  This NIOSH report has about as many recommendations for improvement as any other I’ve run across.

I’ll save you the task of counting them out- there are 43.  Forty-frickin three.

This represents a huge responsibility for us, as professional firefighters, to arm ourselves with some of the ammo we’ll be able to use to make sure each of us actually goes home at the end of the day (not just wear the cool helmet sticker).

To see the entire NIOSH report, click here.  Allow me to enumerate the recommendations made, and ask you if any of them may apply to you or your department today, three years after the Charleston 9 lost their lives.

NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar occurrences, fire departments should:

  • develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for an occupational safety and health program in accordance with NFPA 1500
  • develop, implement, and enforce a written Incident Management System to be followed at all emergency incident operations
  • develop, implement, and enforce written SOPs that identify incident management training standards and requirements for members expected to serve in command roles
  • ensure that the Incident Commander is clearly identified as the only individual with overall authority and responsibility for management of all activities at an incident
  • ensure that the Incident Commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations
  • train fire fighters to communicate interior conditions to the Incident Commander as soon as possible and to provide regular updates
  • ensure that the Incident Commander establishes a stationary command post, maintains the role of director of fireground operations, and does not become involved in fire-fighting efforts
  • ensure the early implementation of division / group command into the Incident Command System
  • ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risk versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive
  • ensure that the Incident Commander maintains close accountability for all personnel operating on the fireground
  • ensure that a separate Incident Safety Officer, independent from the Incident Commander, is appointed at each structure fire
  • ensure that crew integrity is maintained during fire suppression operations
  • ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents
  • ensure that adequate numbers of staff are available to immediately respond to emergency incidents
  • ensure that ventilation to release heat and smoke is closely coordinated with interior fire suppression operations
  • conduct pre-incident planning inspections of buildings within their jurisdictions to facilitate development of safe fireground strategies and tactics
  • consider establishing and enforcing standardized resource deployment approaches and utilize dispatch entities to move resources to fill service gaps
  • develop and coordinate pre-incident planning protocols with mutual aid departments
  • ensure that any offensive attack is conducted using adequate fire streams based on characteristics of the structure and fuel load present
  • ensure that an adequate water supply is established and maintained
  • consider using exit locators such as high intensity floodlights or flashing strobe lights to guide lost or disoriented fire fighters to the exit
  • ensure that Mayday transmissions are received and prioritized by the Incident Commander
  • train fire fighters on actions to take if they become trapped or disoriented inside a burning structure
  • ensure that all fire fighters and line officers receive fundamental and annual refresher training according to NFPA 1001 and NFPA 1021
  • implement joint training on response protocols with mutual aid departments
  • ensure apparatus operators are properly trained and familiar with their apparatus
  • protect stretched hose lines from vehicular traffic and work with law enforcement or other appropriate agencies to provide traffic control
  • ensure that fire fighters wear a full array of turnout clothing and personal protective equipment appropriate for the assigned task while participating in fire suppression and overhaul activities
  • ensure that fire fighters are trained in air management techniques to ensure they receive the maximum benefit from their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
  • develop, implement and enforce written SOPS to ensure that SCBA cylinders are fully charged and ready for use
  • use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire
  • develop, implement and enforce written SOPs and provide fire fighters with training on the hazards of truss construction
  • establish a system to facilitate the reporting of unsafe conditions or code violations to the appropriate authorities
  • ensure that fire fighters and emergency responders are provided with effective incident rehabilitation
  • provide fire fighters with station / work uniforms (e.g., pants and shirts) that are compliant with NFPA 1975 and ensure the use and proper care of these garments.

Additionally, federal and state occupational safety and health administrations should:

  • consider developing additional regulations to improve the safety of fire fighters, including adopting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) consensus standards.

Additionally, manufacturers, equipment designers, and researchers should:

  • continue to develop and refine durable, easy-to-use radio systems to enhance verbal and radio communication in conjunction with properly worn SCBA
  • conduct research into refining existing and developing new technology to track the movement of fire fighters inside structures.

Additionally, code setting organizations and municipalities should:

  • require the use of sprinkler systems in commercial structures, especially ones having high fuel loads and other unique life-safety hazards, and establish retroactive requirements for the installation of fire sprinkler systems when additions to commercial buildings increase the fire and life safety hazards
  • require the use of automatic ventilation systems in large commercial structures, especially ones having high fuel loads and other unique life-safety hazards.

Additionally, municipalities and local authorities having jurisdiction should:

  • coordinate the collection of building information and the sharing of information between building authorities and fire departments
  • consider establishing one central dispatch center to coordinate and communicate activities involving units from multiple jurisdictions
  • ensure that fire departments responding to mutual aid incidents are equipped with mobile and portable communications equipment that are capable of handling the volume of radio traffic and allow communications among all responding companies within their jurisdiction.

Do any of these recommendations apply to your department or agency?  Of course they do.  Now work with your fellow leaders and make the changes that need to be made.

The events of June 18, 2007 are tragic indeed.  Failing to accept and learn from the recommendations is a disrespectful slap in the face to the Charleston 9, their families and friends, and the fine firefighters who were so greatly affected on that fateful evening.

So if you sport a cool Charleston 9 t-shirt , or if their sticker adorns your helmet, or you utter the phrase “Never Forget” every June 18, back it up with the knowledge that you took the effort to learn from what happened that day- and took the extra time to apply it to the way you operate on the fireground.

I say THAT’S the memory that Brad, Billy, Mark, Michael, Melvin, Earl, Mike, Louis, and Brandon are counting on you to never forget.

-J

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Never Forget, News, Training & Development

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Posted by John Mitchell on June 15, 2010 • View Comments

Cool Web Sites to Monitor the U.S. Wildfire Season

While wet weather initially delayed the start of the fire season in places like Arizona and New Mexico, the 2010 fire season is now well underway.  According to a report from KTUU, 530 people were battling the Eagle Trail Fire near the village of Tanacross in eastern Alaska which caused the hurried evacuation of over 500 residents.  The fire, now only 15% contained, was started last Wednesday by a lightning strike.  A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service due to additional dry thunderstorms forecast in the region this week.

(Photo by Susan Stancliff.) The Eagle Trail fire near Tok blew up again Thursday during hot and dry daytime conditions.

Of the 14 active fires burning right now across the United States, Alaska is home to eight of them.  You can track their progress here at the U.S. Forest Service Active Large Incident Map as well as follow additional large scale wildfires throughout the season.

Additionally, detailed status information can be found on a cool site called InciWeb, which is an interagency all-risk incident information management system. The system was developed with two primary missions:

  1. Provide the public a single source of incident related information
  2. Provide a standardized reporting tool for the Public Affairs community

A number of supporting systems automate the delivery of incident information to remote sources. This ensures that the information regarding active incidents is consistent, and the delivery is timely.

The site offers news, announcements, maps, and even photographs from the front lines like this one (above right) from the Eagle Trail fire.

Meanwhile in California, joint training exercises between CalFire, the California National Guard, The U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy have been taking place.  Coordinating an aerial assault with several different agencies with differently trained pilots and personnel can be daunting, but scenario training such as this helps ensure a safe and efficient mitigation of any large scale incident involving numerous agencies and entities.

As the season progresses, we wish all of our wildland firefighters great health and safety as they risk their lives over and over during grueling conditions.  They are excellent representatives of the U.S. Fire Service!

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos, Wildland

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Posted by John Mitchell on June 1, 2010 • View Comments

Fire Daily’s Daily Fire- First Interstate Bank Fire

First Interstste Bank Fire

First Interstste Bank Fire

On May 4 and May 5 of 1988, nearly 400 LAFD firefighters busted their butts getting a handle on what was the largest high-rise fire in their history at the First Interstate Bank at 707 West Wilshire. It took 64 fire companies, 10 City rescue ambulances, 17 private ambulances, 4 helicopters, 53 Command Officers and support personnel, and considerable assistance from other City departments to bring this fire under control in about four hours.The firefight that night would eventually provide for the foundation of training for high-rise operations around the world.

Comprehensive coverage of the incident can be found in an article by FireRescue Magazine in todays FirefighterNation.com. It includes a  timeline of events and videos taken that day. FireRescue Magazine’s Editor in Chief Timothy Sendelbach offers some thought-provoking lessons learned:

“At the time, the First Interstate Bank Fire was said to be, “the high-rise fire that you can’t put out.” More than 20 years later, the largest high-rise fire in LAFD history continues to provide valuable lessons to urban and suburban firefighters throughout the country. While many of the lessons from this incident have been applied–in engineering, building construction, fire prevention and fire suppression–many more have since resurfaced with deadly consequences (in short, we failed to learn from the past) pressure-reducing valves, overtaxed communications, air operations, out-of-service sprinkler systems, command and control issues, etc…In reading the post-incident report and the numerous links related to this incident, few will argue that this incident should be (if it isn’t already) one of the most formidable tools in training today’s firefighters in the challenges and complexities of high-rise operations.”

Posted in Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on May 4, 2010 • View Comments

May 3- Great Fire of 1901

photo: Jacksonville Historical Society

On May 3, 1901, Jacksonville, Florida suffered the most destructive event in the city’s history.  Never before (or since) has there been a larger metropolitan fire in the entire South.

The conflagration destroyed the majority of downtown Jacksonville, wiping out 2,368 buildings and leaving nearly 10,000 people homeless.  Miraculously, only seven died.

“The Great Fire”  triggered an unprecedented rebuilding effort that laid the foundation for modern-day Jacksonville.

Co-author of the book The Great Fire of 1901, Dr. Wayne Wood points out, “The 1901 Fire of Jacksonville was one of the most cataclysmic city disasters in American history. It is right up there with the San Francisco earthquake, the Chicago fire and the Galveston hurricane. Yet with all of its drama and destruction, the story of Jacksonville’s Great Fire has never fully been told.”

It began with an errant cinder from a shanty’s cook stove at lunch hour. The spark ignited piles of moss that were drying at a mattress factory to the west of town, at Davis and Beaver Streets. The fire erupted with a torrent of flame that quickly spread from block to block.

By the time the fire was brought under control at 8:30 pm, it had destroyed nearly everything in a 2-mile swath across the city.

photo: Jacksonville Historical Society

Cindy Devone-Pacheco, Senior Editor at FireRescue Magazine,  also brought our attention back to this incident, as well as the Great Atlanta Fire which occurred sixteen years later.  You can read more about these two epic events in fire history at her article here.

Although these events happened about a century ago, there are valuable lessons to be learned about preparation and readiness that apply to this day.

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents, Never Forget, Tradition

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Posted by John Mitchell on May 3, 2010 • View Comments

Murphy’s Law for Springfield IL city council; 2 videos to watch -IN ORDER-. No cheating!

As promised this week, the city of Springfield, IL laid off 17 firefighters and began rotating station brownouts this weekend due to their budgetary meltdown .  This brings to over 100 municipal employees that have felt the ax this year. Here is a video from WICS ABC 20 about the lengthy response times feared by citizens in the area of the first fire station closed just yesterday (Sunday).

Oops.

Oh, boy. Ummm…

Talk about timing…

WICS ABC 20 put out another video- just hours after the first one:

When is election day for the city council?

Posted in Fires, News, Staffing, Videos

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Posted by John Mitchell on March 1, 2010 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 2/8/10

Not a great night in Indy…

According to firefighter reports, a man was heating grease on the stove when he decided he needed to go to the store.

Flamage ensued.

Although everyone got out safely, about 20 people were left without homes in the large apartment fire on Indianapolis’ northeast side late Sunday night. More on the story here.

“I don’t know what he was going to eat from that heated grease, but he’s probably a lot safer now then he would have been had he eaten it.” said one bystander.

iPod Charges, Chevy Suburban Crisps

Firefighters are warning drivers to unplug all electrical chargers from their vehicles when they are not running, after a charging iPod reportedly caused a Chevrolet Suburban to burn up last week. Read the full story at PublicOpinionOnline.com

Agreement Disagreement Changes Personnel Exchange Agreement Changing Personnel’s Pension Payout Agreement.

Damn.

Only a couple more months and he might have had it made.

If you missed it the first time around, be sure to catch Dave Statter’s story on Sarasota FL Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbee and what could have been a monetary windfall for him on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Washington D.C.

See how a “Personnel Exchange Agreement” was worked out (before being unworked-out) for the former DC Chief, ironically in charge of Community Outreach.  Then, compare that to the treatment given to critically burned DC firefighter Joe Morgan in another story over at STATter911.com.

Posted in 360 Burn, Fires, News, WTF?

Posted by John Mitchell on February 8, 2010 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 12/22/09

Chicago’s Gold Badge Society- One of a Kind

We know that a special type of brotherhood exists in the fire service.  In a Chicago Tribune story we see an example of the true blessings that brotherhood is made of.  Chicago’s Gold Badge Society recently held a Christmas Party bringing together many of the group’s 75 members, all of whom are relatives of Chicago firefighters and paramedics killed on the job. Read the story of how these wonderful people have helped the family of a Buffalo NY firefighter nearly killed in a roof collapse and putting him into a coma lasting almost 10 years.  If your active on Facebook, Chicago’s Gold Badge Society has it’s own Cause page, nearly reaching the goal of 2500 members.  Pop in and show your support!

Grab the Right Tool

If you cant get to the fire, you can’t make an interior attack.  Without good forcible entry skills, just prepare to set up for an exterior attack and all the fun that ensues with a winter water carnival.

The blog site VentEnterSearch.com is always a great spot to check out when looking to review your ability to recognize the way to best force entry in a given situation.  The most recent post gets you thinking about which is the best tool to use for gaining access into a special kind of door (your first choice is probably wrong).

As always, VentEnterSearch.com is worth your attention on a regular basis.

Station Fire Government Report Indicates Planes Ordered, Canceled, Then Re-Ordered

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich reportedly wants Congress to investigate how the firefighting was conducted in the county’s largest wildfire in history. The “Station Fire” ultimately killed two firefighters, destroyed 89 homes and blackened 250 square miles on the edge of Los Angeles.

According to a report from the Associated Press, questions still linger regarding the handling of the incident.  Chief among them is the apparent two-hour delay of three aerial tankers summoned by the U.S. Forest Service who later canceled then reordered them again according to Forest Service records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.  Read the entire story here

Posted in 360 Burn, Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, WTF?, Wildland

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 22, 2009 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/12/09

The New Haven 20 Finally Get Their Due

Amid blaring bagpipes, the crowd erupted with even louder cheers, whistles and shouts when firefighters entered a high school auditorium to receive their promotional badges after a 5-year legal battle that ended with a U.S. Supreme Court victory. Read more on the promotions of the group who became known as the New Haven 20 and the finish line they crossed yesterday in a contest that began back in 2003.

Berkshire County Loses National/Local Treasure

A five alarm fire marks the end of a historic and beloved building in the Massachusetts Berkshires this week.  The Egremont Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having been around since before the American Revolution.  The three-story wood frame structure did not have a sprinkler system.  Of course, the cause has not yet been determined.  One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Read more from the Boston Globe here.

VIDEO:  When it becomes second nature, training can save your life.

Toronto firefighters on a residential second-floor interior attack forced to bailout a window and down a ladder.  See how each firefighter came down the ladder and file it away in your memory banks under training.  Also a great “Reading Smoke” video…


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 12, 2009 • View Comments

Fatal Early Morning 5-Alarmer Eerily Similar to Fire There 8 Years Ago

“It was the only thing we could do. Both stairwells were filled with smoke. There was nowhere to go but up.”

It started as a slight smell of smoke, possibly from a cigarette he thought. But when the smell continued to grow stronger and smoke began seeping through the vents inside his apartment, Jeff Amsel called 911. As his apartment began to fill with smoke, he woke up his 6-year old daughter and, clothed only in loungewear ran out into the hallway. With no other options, they grabbed some winter coats and headed for the roof.

This morning’s hi-rise fire at The Plaza on DeWitt in the Streeterville neighborhood in Chicago has now claimed at least one life and developed into a five-alarm challenge for firefighters facing the first brutally windy and cold night of the season. Among the many injured reported were several Chicago firefighters treated for smoke inhalation.

Nearly 8 years ago, an eerily similar fire at this 51-story condominium building at 260 East Chestnut resulted in a fatality and injuring eight firefighters. As in this morning’s fire, the January 2002 fire also required firefighters to rescue residents from the building’s roof where they had also fled for safety.

The 2002 fire revived criticism by local fire experts about the City of Chicago’s refusal to require sprinkler systems in residential high-rises built prior to 1975. Because of the expense involved in retro-fitting these buildings, the city has given them an alternative. They have until Jan. 1, 2012 to take alternative life-saving measures. The modifications could include communication systems, fire hoses and emergency backup equipment.

Read more on these stories from Chicago Breaking News here , here and here.  FireGeezer has posted a video report as well at his site.

Here is the fire communications audio:

Posted in Chicagoland, Fires, Major Incidents, News

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Posted by John Mitchell on December 10, 2009 • View Comments

If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26
A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gain “ensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC- “ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing- “ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA- “ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive“

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures“

TIC- “enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations“

Mayday- “ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped“

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- “ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC- “ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC- “use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Line of Duty, Rescues, Training, Training & Development, WTF?, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on November 22, 2009 • View Comments

What Happened at the Station Fire? $$$ ?

On a sizzling August morning, as flames burned unchecked down the road, fire crews milled about at an Angeles Crest Highway ranger station. Others were parked along the pavement — a critical line of defense — their engines quiet and hoses slack.

It was more than an hour after first light, and some six hours after U.S. Forest Service commanders had determined that the fire required a more aggressive air attack. But the skies remained empty of water-dropping helicopters — tankers that were readily available.

What was happening?

In a story to be published in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times, Paul Pringle reports on the mounting quest for answers regarding the response to what turned out to be the largest fire in LA County history. The Station Fire eventually killed two Los Angeles County firefighters, destroyed about 90 dwellings and devastated one of America’s most-visited national forests.

It had been previously reported that the Forest Service issued a memorandum to Southern California Managers three weeks prior to the Station Fire. It had directed its Southern California managers to trim expenses by reducing the use of reinforcements from municipal departments and the state.

Many have charged that the initial response to the fire was inadequate, and assets that were ready and available were not used soon enough, resulting in a conflagration that should never have occurred.

County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said he has ordered an executive review of his department’s response during the first five days of the fire.  It is due out November 17.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, WTF?, Wildland

Posted by John Mitchell on October 31, 2009 • View Comments

Fire Ravages Historic Mall in Estes Park

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has joined local authorities investigating one of the largest fires in over a half century in downtown Estes Park, CO.

According to the Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department Public Information Officer Sue Pinkham, fire was initially reported at 6:19am at the Park Theater Mall, at 116 East Elkhorn Ave. It took firefighters from several area departments until noon to gain control of the huge blaze which destroyed a major portion of the historic building.

“The good news is the fire department was able to protect the adjacent structures and save the Park Theatre, which is very historic,” Pinkham said. However, burned areas have not yet been deemed safe for shop owners to inspect their losses.

Thick, acrid smoke could be seen across the valley, and caused additional problems as it blanketed the downtown area, sending several to the hospital with respiratory complaints.

No firefighter injuries were reported. “The only fire-related injury was a woman with chest pains,” Pinkham said.

A video from the Estes Park News has some excellent footage of how the fire progressed from “smoke coming from the corners of the building” to a raging fire. The video shows what appears to be a flashover as firefighters conduct venting operations, as well as excellent footage to exercise “smoke reading” skills:


Posted in Fires, News, Videos

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Posted by John Mitchell on October 20, 2009 • View Comments