The Fires That Forged Us: Cherry Road Fire

On May 30, 1999, a second-alarm fire on Cherry Road in Washington, D.C., claimed the lives of two firefighters. D.C. Fire Department (DCFD) Firefighter Anthony S. Phillips Sr. of Engine Company 10 and FireFighter Louis Matthews of Engine 26 would die in the line of duty while attempting to extinguish a townhouse fire at 3146 Cherry Road NE.

From the NIOSH Report

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) firefighter fatality report, DCFD firefighters responded to a box alarm on May 30, 1999, involving a townhouse fire. The initial report came in as a house fire, and it was later reported that the fire was in the basement (all firefighters did not receive the follow-up report of fire in the basement). Engine 26 (a lieutenant and three firefighters) was the first to arrive on the scene and reported smoke showing on the front (side 1) of a row of townhouses (see Diagram 1). A firefighter (Victim #1) from Engine 26 advanced a 1½-inch attack line through the front door (first floor). Soon after, the layout man from Engine 26 entered to back up Victim #1. Engine 17 (a lieutenant and three firefighters) arrived shortly after and stretched a 350-foot 1½-inch hose line to the rear (side 3). Truck 15 (a captain and three firefighters) arrived on the scene and began ventilation on the front. Truck 4 (a lieutenant and three firefighters), responding for Truck 13 (out of service), arrived later and began ventilation in the rear. Engine 10 (lieutenant, Victim #2, and two firefighters) arrived on the scene as the third-due engine and backed up Engine 26 on side 1. Engine 12 arrived as the fourth-due engine and proceeded to side 1 of the building. Battalion Chief 1 (the incident commander [IC]) and Rescue 1 (a lieutenant and four firefighters) also responded as a part of the box alarm.

Engine 26 and Engine 10 advanced their hoselines through the front door in a search for the fire and the basement door (at the top of the basement steps). As the two crews searched, Truck 4 made forcible entry through a sliding-glass door in the rear (basement entrance door at ground level). Engine 17 (at the basement door with a charged line) reported to the IC that they were on the first floor, in the rear, with a small fire showing (Engine 17 was actually at the basement level). Engine 17 radioed the IC for permission to open their line and knock down the fire. Knowing that he had two engine crews on the first floor in the front, the IC denied Engine 17’s request until he could locate the interior crews’ positions. He radioed the officer from Engine 26 several times for their position, but received no response.

Engine 17 asked a second time for permission to hit the fire, as it began to grow. The IC denied the request a second time and again tried unsuccessfully to radio the officer from Engine 26. Conditions in the interior rapidly deteriorated, forcing the firefighters on the first floor to search for an exit. A firefighter in the interior recalled seeing fire appear from a doorway on the first floor. After seeing the fire, the firefighter stated that everything went black and he felt an intense blast of heat. Victim #1 and Victim #2 were unable to escape, while the lieutenant and a firefighter from Engine 26 escaped with severe burns. All injured firefighters were transported to a local hospital. The lieutenant and firefighter were admitted with burn injuries. Victim #1 was treated for severe burns and was pronounced dead the following day. Victim #2 was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The full report and recommendations can be read here.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) performed computer simulations of the fire behavior at this incident using the NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and Smokeview, which can be viewed here.

Simulation of the Dynamics of the Fire at 3146 Cherry Road NE Washington D.C., May 30, 1999 (PDF)