BY JOHN T. CARLIN
Creating an outlet so that high heat and toxic gases can rapidly escape also improves victims’ survivability and can prevent dangerous flashovers and backdrafts.
The fire is out. You’re back at the fire station. The chief or company officer pulls you aside. It never fails: If you broke the window, you get yelled at for causing too much damage; if you didn’t break the window, you get yelled at for letting the interior crew take a beating.
Most firefighters love to hear the chief or company officer say the magic words “take the windows.” Now, there is no question about what to do. However, what do you do if the chief or a senior officer is not on the scene to give that order? It takes only one negative comment from a superior to discourage you from ever breaking a window without being told. What is a firefighter to do?
Since the majority of structural fires we fight are residential fires, this article will focus on this type of fire.
We are taught early in our basic fire training that ventilating the products of combustion from a structure is a very important part of the successful firefight. There are various types of ventilation: horizontal, vertical, positive pressure, negative pressure, and hydraulic (hose streams). Horizontal venting is generally most effective for house fires. It is also the easiest method, and it is less time-consuming.
WHY BREAK A WINDOW?
As a young firefighter, my fire station had two engines and no ladder company. I recall fires at which our engine arrived on- scene well before a chief officer. We would get a feed from a hydrant, pull an attack line, and head into the building. Because we were shy about taking the windows without being told to, we would take a real beating inside the building. The visibility was poor, the heat was unbearable, and advancing the line was real slow. If we were lucky enough to find the fire, the steam generated from the hoseline cooked us like lobsters. On more than one occasion, we were forced out of the building and into a defensive operation because interior conditions were bad. Looking back at those incidents, we realized that we could have made a good stop at some of these fires, but the early retreat increased damage or resulted in the loss of the building.
 (1) Removing windows allows smoke and flame to rapidly escape from the house. (Photos by Don McFeely.) |
After a few of these scenarios with less than ideal outcomes, we recognized that beginning the ventilation process by simply breaking the right window at the right time resulted in a much more positive outcome. A member of our engine crew was assigned to carry a tool and initiate a quick vent to make conditions tenable for the first interior crews. This crew member must be equipped with a radio so he can communicate and monitor radio transmissions that will help him coordinate his ventilation efforts with the advancing hoseline.
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Removing windows is one of the quickest and easiest ways to begin venting heat, smoke, steam, and toxic gases from a structure, and it can be accomplished effectively with a limited crew. Of course, we all know that ventilating a burning building improves the visibility and allows the interior crews to find and remove victims more quickly and to locate and extinguish fire. Creating an outlet so that high heat and toxic gases can rapidly escape also improves victims’ survivability and can prevent dangerous flashovers and backdrafts.
Removing windows also creates additional entry points and escape routes for firefighters. If firefighters are operating in these dangerous conditions, it is appropriate to promptly remove the windows in the fire area.
WHICH WINDOW SHOULD I BREAK?
Preferably, break the window closest to the fire or in the fire area. By doing this, you create an outlet through which the interior hose crew can push the heat and smoke out of the building. Many times, you can determine which window is closest to the fire from the exterior. Look for the window that is discolored by smoke, cracked by heat, or hot to the touch. In many situations, houses with energy-efficient windows (double insulated, thermal pane) may give no indication of the fire conditions inside the structure. Communication between the hoseline crew and the vent person may be needed. People who were in the building at the time of the fire might also be able to direct you to the fire’s location. These determinations can be made as part of the initial size-up.
WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE TO BREAK A WINDOW?
Once you have established that a window needs to be removed and you have chosen which one to break, timing is everything. Coordinate removal of the window with the interior hose crew. The crew will have to have a charged line and must be ready to advance into the fire area. Premature ventilation can cause problems that can be detrimental to the outcome of the firefight by increasing the fire’s intensity and conditions and pulling the fire into uninvolved areas.
HOW TO BREAK THE WINDOW
When breaking a window, use the proper tool. You can use an ax or a halligan to break first-floor windows; however, this usually requires that you stand in front of the window so you can reach and remove the entire window. You will now be in the path of the escaping smoke and heat-a place you won’t want to be.
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A pike pole or all-purpose hook will give you greater reach while standing off to the side of the window-a safer position. Using a 12-foot pike pole usually will provide adequate reach for second-floor windows when venting from the exterior.
When breaking windows, it is safest to stand off to the side. Swing the pole to break the glass. Start at the top of the pane, and work your way down until you have removed all the glass. Wear full protective clothing, including gloves and eye protection. Turn your face away while striking the window to prevent glass from flying in your face. Once you have broken the glass, take out any screens in the window opening, and remove all drapes, curtains, shades, and blinds to allow the products of combustion to escape unimpeded.
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Note: (1) If conditions and structure characteristics allow, after venting a window, use a tool to sweep the immediate area below for possible victims. (2) When performing a secondary search, always check for victims under the drapes, curtains, and blinds at the base of windows. Also remove any sashes and mullions and jagged pieces of glass. Remember that this opening is not just allowing heat, steam, and smoke to escape; it also provides a potential exit for victims or firefighters who need to bail out.
BREAK FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE?
You can usually break first- and second-floor windows from the exterior; this allows the interior crews to focus on hoseline advancement, search, and fire suppression. It is also quicker and safer. You may need a ladder to break windows above the second floor. This is a slower process and generally requires more personnel. If necessary, have a member of the interior crew remove upper-level windows as part of a “vent as you go” procedure.
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to this method. Poor visibility makes it more difficult and dangerous to break a window from the interior. Because you cannot see the glass, your hands and wrists may go into the area of the jagged glass. Furniture may hinder your reach; the heat may prevent you from standing up so you can reach the window tops, or you may not have a tool long enough. Another drawback is the possibility of creating an autoexposure problem by indiscriminately venting windows when not knowing the conditions below.
Whenever possible, use the right tool, one that keeps your body away from the glass. Don’t use your helmet, your hands, your feet, or the nozzle to break a window. In extreme conditions or as a last resort, you could use furniture such as a drawer or a chair, as long as it will break the glass without jeopardizing your safety.
WHEN NOT TO BREAK A WINDOW
It usually is not necessary to break a window when the fire has not created visibility problems for the interior crews. You can usually vent smoke from burnt food or small fires in wastepaper baskets and the like by simply opening windows. The normal rule of thumb for opening windows for smoke removal is two-thirds down from the top and one-third up from the bottom. Always keep in mind, however, that windows initially opened for a small fire may have to be removed because conditions changed rapidly.
At larger fires, flames can be drawn to open windows. Therefore, if you break a window in an unburned area, you can pull fire to that area, causing greater damage. You also can draw fire toward victims who may still be in the building, not to mention firefighters who may be conducting a search.
If the hoseline crew does not have adequate water or is not advancing into the fire area, do not break the window. When windows are broken and hose crews don’t move in, the introduction of oxygen can quickly intensify the fire. So if the hoseline crew cannot get water on the fire in a timely manner, do not break the window.
LESSONS LEARNED AND REINFORCED
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- For departments that have dedicated ladder company crews that arrive on the scene quickly, coordinating the fast removal of windows with line advancement is usually not a problem. Many fire companies, however, do not have a dedicated ladder company. If quick ventilation tasks are not assigned to a crew member, the hoseline crews often are subjected to working in high heat and heavy smoke with zero visibility and take a beating.
- If you do not have a dedicated quick-arriving ladder company, consider assigning a member of the engine company as an outside vent person.
- Incorporate this information into the department’s standard operating guidelines so that members will have a better understanding of when, why, and how to break windows. Discuss the issue with your officers and chief and set up some company guidelines. Recognize that removing windows early will have a positive effect on the overall incident.
- Remember that a building on fire is not a green light to randomly smash every window in sight. You must select the right windows and break them at the proper time using the proper methods.
On the other hand, fear of public criticism is never a good reason to avoid breaking windows if it is appropriate to do so. After the fire, a spokesperson for your department can explain to the public why firefighters must break windows, cut holes in roofs, and open up walls.
Sometimes, uninformed people in your own organization might criticize you for breaking windows. Don’t let this deter you from doing the right thing. The fact is that windows darkened from heavy smoke and heat will have to be replaced anyway. You are choosing between making things safer for your fellow firefighters inside the building and trying to save the cost of a replacement window. That should be a no-brainer.
- Breaking a window in the initial stages of a structure fire is not the end of the ventilating process; it is the beginning. You are simply using a quick method to create an exit point for the high heat, dark smoke, steam, and toxic gases so the interior crews will have safer working conditions. Horizontally ventilating windows is quicker than other ventilating methods. Most crews can stretch a line much faster than they can open a roof. As additional personnel arrive on-scene, they can initiate some of the other expanded methods of ventilation if the situation dictates.
I have seen several fires where all of the windows were left intact and the interior crews did not get to the seat of the fire but had to be pulled out because the heat and smoke were bad and conditions continued to deteriorate. After the roof burns off the building and the bulldozer comes to take down the remaining walls, it is not very likely that the owner will come and thank you for not breaking his windows.
Special thanks to Division Chief Don McFeely of the Buffalo (NY) Fire Department for his assistance with this article.
JOHN T. CARLIN, a 20-year veteran of the fire service, is safety officer for the Big Tree Volunteer Fire Company and fire coordinator for the Town of Hamburg, New York. He has served as an EMT-I and is a past chief of the Blasdell (NY) Fire Department.
