“BREAD AND BUTTER” OPERATIONS: THE 2 1/2-STORY HOUSE FIRE
PART 4-TRUCK COMPANY OPERATIONS, CONTINUED
The incident we critiqued last month invoiced a fire on the first floor of a 2 1/2-story frame private house. This month, ive will focus on how the firefighting tactics used fora first-floor fire in this kind of structure would he altered to fight fires in other parts of the house.
THE SECOND FLOOR
For fires on the second floor of 2 1/2– story frame houses, the main thrust of the operation once again is to search for trapped occupants. Interior personnel should ascend rapidly to the second floor—preferably before the engine crew makes passage on the stairs more difficult. Truck company duties are the same as for first-floor fires: Search all rooms on the fire floor and remove any victims.
If only light smoke is visible on arrival, the first team should take pressurized water extinguishers, in addition to their normally assigned hand tools, into the house. If the fire is small, such as in the case of a smoldering mattress, it can be held in check until the hoseline arrives. If the fire is too big for the water extinguisher, expending the extinguisher at ceiling level might momentarily stop the fire from extending out into the hallway. Then reach out with a tool to pull the door to the room closed—containing the fire temporarily and allowing you to search other rooms on the second floor before the hoseline arrives. A member must remain at the closed door to monitor the door’s integrity while the search is conducted. If the door starts to burn through or fail, warn members searching farther into the structure that the fire is threatening their primary escape route.
They then must decide whether to back out immediately via their entry path or to use a secondary escape route. The member who stays at the door to monitor conditions should use the water extinguisher on the door if the top starts to burn through. Using the extinguisher on the door might give the firefighters farther into the house enough time to retreat past the involved room to the safety of the interior stairs.
Photos by author.
Searches should be conducted in a systematic manner. This does not mean that members arc required to follow behind one another as they search an individual room; it means that search team members must be aware of where the other team members are at all times. All team members should maintain verbal contact. If it is a three-member team, one of the firefighters can remain in the hall and act as a guide for the searching team members.
When searching bedrooms, be sure to look under and behind beds and in closets. Children tend to hide or get into small places to get away from the smoke and heat. Bathrooms and showers also must be searched thoroughly. Victims get a false sense of security from being close to water and are rapidly overcome in these small rooms.
Your sense of sight most likely will be of little use during your primary search until ventilation improves smoke conditions, so hearing becomes very important. Occasionally halt the search and listen. You may hear the moans of a victim, the crackling of extending fire, or the sound of running water from a sink or tub. The sound of running water usually means that someone was or is at home and attempted to fight the fire. There is the possibility that the party may have been overcome while trying to extinguish the fire. Heading toward the sound of the water usually leads you to the overcome victim.
A FREE-BURNING FIRE
In the case of a free-burning fire, the outside man can use a 10or 12foot hook to provide the ventilation the engine requires to be able to move in on the fire. Remember: Windows should not be “taken” until the engine has water. Position portable ladders at various windows at the second-floor level and one to the attic level. Even if they are not used for VES, they are available as a secondary means of escape for the firefighters and as a means to remove victims.
ATTIC FIRES
Engine companies also can use these ladders to stretch multiple handlines to the second floor should the fire extend to the attic area and the interior stairs become too crowded. If the fire has extended to the attic, the ladder previously raised to that level now can be used to remove the attic window or in some cases the attic vents.
When positioning this ladder, raise it on the side of the house in line with the staircases. (In 2 1/2-story frame houses, stairs are built in line with each other. Removing this window not only vents the attic but also relieves the pent-up smoke and heat in the stairway.)
When a fire originates in or extends to the attic area, it is difficult to directly attack the main body of fire. Even if the house has stairs leading to the attic, the engine may not be able to “push” up the stairs due to heat conditions. The two small windows usually found in the attic areas of these houses do not provide adequate openings for the heat, smoke, and steam to vent out as the engine tries to advance up the attic stairs. An alternate method of attacking the fire is to pull down the ceilings on the second floor and introduce water into the attic area from these openings. Once the fire has been sufficiently darkened down, the engine then can advance up into the attic for final extinguishment.
Unfortunately, many of these attics have floor boards, and pushing them up from downstairs is difficult—especially with storage or furniture in the attic. If knockdown cannot be made from the second floor, you must advance into the attic. In this case, additional ventilation probably will be needed. Since horizontal openings are limited, you must turn to vertical ventilation. This is not to say that this is the only time roof ventilation is needed, but it is not required for the majority of fires not located in the attic area. Completely and properly removing window glass will provide enough ventilation for the engine to move in.
Fires that require roof ventilation place firefighters in an extremely dangerous position. Only experienced and well-trained firefighters should work on a peaked roof with a fire burning below. Prior to cutting the roof, check for roof skylights. Not only will skylights indicate that the attic is being used as a living area, but taking these natural openings may provide sufficient ventilation of the attic space to preempt cutting the roof.
If the roofs pitch prohibits comfortably walking on the roofs surface, leave the power saws on the ground. Power saws should be used only if they can be operated comfortably in an erect position. If you start sawing in an awkward position, the torque of the saw may be enough to throw you off balance and off the roof. Power saws are best used from a tower ladder bucket or from an aerial ladder. Using them while on roof ladders is questionable. The weight of the saw and the awkwardness of the operation make this task very difficult. Advancements in chain saw technology have given us lightweight saws that can be used easily from the roof or hook ladders. The main drawback is that the operator’s reach limits the size of the opening.
If the roof is too steep for operating a saw, then use the trusty axe. On older homes it is relatively easy to break through the roof shingles and boards to vent the attic area. Although a large opening (four feet by four feet) often is preferred, a smaller opening (two feet by two feet) directly over the fire soon will be enlarged by the fire itself. When opening a roof on a private house, try to make the opening over as many bays (parallel to the ridge) as possible; this method is preferred to making a large opening in only one bay (perpendicular to the ridge). Using the former approach vents the upper area of the attic and also helps the fire enlarge the vent hole. A problem may arise with regard to venting with an axe only when an older house has had a new roof installed. Many times plywood—which is very difficult to vent with an axe— is used to replace roof boards. If you encounter plywood on your first attempt, move to another position and try again; the plywood could have been used to patch a limited area. If plywood has been used throughout the roof, you may be forced to use a saw to create a limited opening and let the fire do the rest (see sidebar).
Be aware that in some 2 1/2-story houses the attic area may have been converted to a bedroom or other living area. Search such an area as soon as conditions permit. Some indications that the attic area is being used as a living area include drapes or curtains on the windows, fans or air conditioners in the windows at the attic level, or—inside the attic—furnishings such as a bed or sofa, chairs, or dressers that appear to be in use and not just stored.
BASEMENT FIRES
Truck company operations at basement fires in 2 1/2-story frames are limited to work performed outside the house or in the house above the fire. Outside work involves forcing entry to rear or side doors for the engine and performing ventilation at any and all window openings that can be found. Basement fires, like attic fires, are very punishing operations for engine personnel. Ventilation is limited and the fire load may be heavy. People store many things in their basements—including, but not limited to, paint, gasoline, tires, newspapers, and furniture. It is also common to find workshops and family rooms in basements. You will find heavy heat and smoke conditions. Expect extension to the floor or floors above via pipe chases and poorly firestopped outer walls.
Inside work above the fire consists of a thorough search of the complete house and checking for extension on all floors. On the first floor, check for extension under the kitchen sink and around any radiator pipes. Pull baseboards away from the walls, and quickly open any hot spots. In case of balloon framing, check the attic even if the first floor appears to be clear.
As soon as the engine is able to gain entry to the basement, begin a search there. Always perform thorough secondary searches after all primary searches are completed—regardless of the original fire site.
Although this is not intended to be a complete operations guide for fighting fires in 2 1/2-story private houses, it should be enough to help you establish SOPs that will help your department function better at fires in these houses.
All personnel entering these burning buildings should have full firefighting gear, including SCBAs, flashlights, gloves, and appropriate hand tools. Personnel operating remote from the company officer, on the floor above the fire or on the roof, should have portable radios. These firefighters are working in perilous positions and should be in radio contact with their company officer and the officer in command. Firefighter safety is, and always should be, our number one concern.
