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By Rita Reith
For the fourth time in 18 days, Indianapolis (IN) firefighters battled a second-alarm fire. Calls to 911 reported possible entrapment inside a vacant warehouse with fire showing when crews arrived. Thankfully, the entrapment was unfounded.
An aggressive interior attack by initial crews proved more difficult than normal due to the building’s construction, with heavy timber, plank ceilings, plaster/lath walls, holes in the stairwells, and multiple entanglement hazards. The 100,000-square-foot building, comprised of five different warehouses–four of them connected–had heavy fire in the cockloft. As engine and ladder crews worked valiantly to get ahead of the fire and cut it off, heavy smoke and fire continued to push and command called for an immediate evacuation of the second floor. All companies were accounted for.
Typical methods of pulling ceiling with pike poles and removing drywall to expose hidden fire were almost impossible because of the heavy timber and plank. It was only after using several master stream operations and getting a good knock on the fire from overhead that crews were able to re-enter and successfully use saws to cut away the plank wood covering. The fire was brought under control in one hour and 45 minutes without any injury.
The bitter temperatures added an extra measure of difficulty for firefighters, with their ability to move quickly hampered by frozen gear, icy tools, and ice-covered walkways/ladders, all of which presented varying degrees of maneuverability. Firefighting gear typically weighs about 75 pounds dry, but wet and frozen can add anywhere an additional 20-25 pounds, severely compromising a firefighter’s ability to move freely. Additional companies were called in for staffing and to allow rehab amongst the crews to be rotated early and often. It is vitally important that hydration and warmth are available as the cold air can be quickly exhausting.
Neighbors reported to firefighters that they witnessed squatters in and out of the building on a daily basis for quite some time but had not yet reported it to police. It was only after the fire broke out today that notification was made. Indianapolis Fire Department asks all residents to report unusual or suspicious activity in and around any vacant or unoccupied structure. Trespassing in a vacant structure is unlawful and dangerous to anyone who is trying occupy it for warmth or illegal actions.
This fire came in the immediate wake of a fire in an Oakland (CA) warehouse that killed 36 people.
RITA L. REITH is a battalion chief with the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department and serves as the agency’s public information officer.
