Common STAIRSense

By TOM TULIPANO AND MICHAEL J. LOPINA

As an engine company or A hose team, we understand that one of our greatest priorities at a house fire is to locate, confine, and extinguish the fire. Another priority we must address with either the first or backup line is protection; we must protect a means of ingress/egress for truck work or, in other words, protect the stairs of the house. The house’s staircase is the internal “chimney.” Whether you are attempting to go down the stairs (as in a basement fire) or up the stairs for a search above the fire floor, you must protect the stairs (photo 1).

(1) A new home with a U-shaped, open staircase that allows heavy fire and smoke to travel up to the second floor rapidly. Note the basement stair door adjacent to the staircase. (Photos by authors unless otherwise noted.)

Older-style balloon-frame houses feature a vertical void space in the exterior walls in which fire can travel unimpeded from the foundation to the attic. Modern houses sometimes have unprotected plumbing chases that create a void that runs from floor to floor. That being said, the internal staircase is still the main avenue of fire travel from floor to floor (photo 2) and must be located as soon as possible; ascend/descend the stairs quickly and safely once you have located them.

(2) This view of a modern open floor plan and stairwell shows the multiple dangers of a first-floor fire. This wide-open staircase as well as the open balcony directly above the foyer allows for rapid vertical and smoke spread. Additionally, the room beyond the stairwell has a high-vaulted ceiling, which will allow smoke and heat to collect above firefighters’ heads.

So, where are the stairs in a given house? The better question to ask is: Where is the fire and how will finding the stairs aid us? There are clues that the house gives on arrival that will help you locate those stairs. Do you just go through the front door because that is “what we always do”? Or, can you use these clues to help determine where to stretch your handlines? Unless it is illegally converted in some way, every house has at least two means of ingress and egress, although the front door may not always be the best option for making your attack. Identifying a general location of the fire (first floor, basement, front, rear, and so on) should dictate where you lead out; try to have more than one option available. The front door may also not be the one most used by the occupant (photo 3). There are many considerations during the “four-sided look” of the structure, so why not use what the house “gives us” when it comes to staircase location?

(3) This older-style home [Chicago Bungalow (ordinary, Type III)] has multiple windows, which gives clues to staircase location and room type. The door adjacent to the driveway indicates an interior staircase inside this door as well as a landing to the second floor directly above the door. Depending on your climate, shoveled snow to a home’s door-as opposed to the unused stairs leading to the front door-could indicate that this is the door most used by occupants.

A staircase, depending on whether it is a straight run or U-shaped, can take from 35 to 75 square feet of otherwise usable floor space-per floor-in multistory houses. For this reason, architects and designers have oriented staircases above one another, usually along a bearing wall for support (photo 4). Therefore, traditional house designs have the staircases along either the center bearing wall or along an exterior wall. When attempting to locate staircases, you must consider that one staircase may be precisely above another and how they are orientated along bearing/exterior walls.

(4) A home being renovated with an interior staircase above another staircase affixed to a bearing wall. Notice the tripled header (LVL-microlam) used to support the second-floor joists. This is a good example of why staircases are stacked on top of one another because of the room they encompass as well as the weight that needs to be transferred to bearing points.

In some homes, however, these guidelines do not always apply. Often, when basement stairs are not beneath the first- or second-floor staircase, they are in the rear of the house or adjacent to the kitchen (photo 5). Typically, basements in older houses (circa 1900) are cellars used for food storage and are accessible from the outside (cellar door access) or directly from the kitchen. These older houses may also have a secondary staircase remotely from the main stairs. These staircases, usually found near kitchens or at the rear of the house, were used by servants and were intended to keep domestic staff separate from the house’s living and guest areas. Obviously, encountering a secondary staircase separate from the home’s main stairs may contribute to confusion and could defeat any attempts at finding trapped occupants or finding the fire. Additionally, having another set of stairs in the home could aid in fire spread from floor to floor that could possibly go unnoticed by interior crews. The stairs could also help interior crews locate a room needed for search, which is the reason communication is vital to all companies working on scene if a secondary set of stairs is present in the structure.

(5) This home’s staircase, which leads to the basement, is immediately inside the back door. The first floor of this home is elevated above the ground; therefore, the stair landing is inside the door. These stairs lead up to the kitchen and down to a basement. During a basement fire, it is more advantageous to use the lead-out to this location because the front door is approximately 40 feet from the kitchen.

DOORS

The front door is a good place to start to find the stairs. In many two-story houses, the stairs are usually within five to 10 feet of the front door. These stairs could be a straight run, winders, or turn 90° toward the top (photo 6). Older, narrower houses tend to have offset front doors to accommodate a staircase on the exterior wall; typically, if the front door is offset, so, too, are the stairs. Note that a typical two-story frame or brick house that has been converted into a two-unit building usually has two offset front doors (photo 7). In most cases, the door closest to the exterior wall is the entrance to the second-floor unit. A house that has been renovated from a single-family home into a multiunit building may have an exterior rear porch or a staircase affixed to the structure. This could indicate that the house’s traditional interior stairs used before renovation have been removed or walled in. The exterior porch stairs may be the only access to the upper floors other than by ground ladder (photo 8).

(6) An L-shaped staircase from the first to the second floor that is attached to an exterior wall. Note the smaller window that is offset with the door at the front of the home.

(7) This balloon has been converted into a two-unit apartment; how would you know which door leads to the second floor? Clues include a door that is on the A/B corner (staircase attached to the exterior wall) and the blank wall above that same door.

(8) This home was renovated into a multifamily home with an added exterior staircase. The stairs led to what was once a window, which has been converted into a door. As a result, what was once a bedroom now may contain a kitchen. Is this the only way to gain access to the upper floors? Aggressive search teams may be required at all points of entry if the need arises. How many families or civilians live in this structure? How much has the structure’s interior been changed? Note the dormer above the side-entry door as well as the window in between floors. This is a good indication that this staircase may lead from grade level to attic, but since it is on a college campus, it may have been walled in or completely removed. It is extremely important to have a thorough knowledge of the buildings in your district.

Remember that there are styles of houses in which the stairs are toward the center or rear of the house and may have a closer entry point than the front door; Chicago bungalows and raised ranches are two examples. These houses were built similar to newer construction in which builders followed set floor plans; the floor plans of neighboring houses are most likely nearly identical. The side entry door, especially one that is off of a driveway or gangway, would be the door used most by the homeowner; if it is not your first choice for interior attack, search it as soon as possible.

A house with an elevated first floor and that has an exterior entry door at grade level between floors (i.e., bungalow, raised ranch, tri-level) would indicate a staircase immediately behind the door (photo 9). This is a good rule of thumb that applies to new construction as well. This staircase may have a landing just inside the door with a straight run down to the basement, likely up three to four steps to an interior kitchen or hallway. When you are faced with a basement fire, this would be a direct route to the basement while simultaneously protecting the stairs to the first floor.

(9) A much larger, older style brick home (ordinary, Type III). This home’s first floor is also elevated from grade level, and the side door is adjacent to the driveway, indicating a staircase immediately inside the door. The window in between floors is another indicator that a stairwell exists in this location. Judging by the home’s size and age, it may also have more than one staircase.

If the house is taller than one story, the stairs from the first to the second floor may be directly adjacent to this staircase. Leading out a hoseline to this door may necessitate extra staffing for hose management. Depending on the swing of the door, the presence of a fenced side yard, vehicles parked nearby, or an immediately adjacent neighboring house can easily result in excessive kinking in the hose and slow down or completely inhibit a successful fire attack (photo 10).

(10) This staircase immediately inside this home’s side door is off a gangway. It is in the rear of the structure and leads down to the basement and up to the rear hallway behind the kitchen. Note that the storm door swings toward the front of the house and how the chain-link fence limits mobility. (Photo by Hank Sajovic.)

Rear entry doors are sometimes overlooked and they could be a direct line to the seat of the fire. The rear entry door could lead into the kitchen or be a below-grade walk-out door that leads directly into the basement (photos 11, 12). This door could be as large as a sliding door (six- × six-foot opening) or maybe hidden under a bulkhead (photo 13). If a rear door is used for direct fire suppression, the interior stairs must be protected either by the initial attack line or by a second line. Clearly, a rapid knockdown of the fire could protect the stairs most effectively. Knowing that particular styles of construction such as the bungalow or raised ranch have stairs to the basement at the side or the rear of the house gives you options when faced with any fire. Always use the information the building provides to your advantage.

(11, 12) Two types of exterior stairs leading directly to the home’s basements. Forcible entry may require more time to gain access to the bulkhead door.

(13) This newly constructed home has a walk-out basement. Recognizing this on your approach could give you another lead-out option during a basement fire. This basement may or may not be finished and have exposed open floor joists, which may be made of dimensional lumber or lightweight engineered trusses. Never overlook the option of having a direct route to the basement as opposed to crawling over lightweight floor joists. Understand that the interior stairs must be controlled and protected with a secondary handline.

WINDOWS

The locations of a house’s windows give great insight to room locations, usage, and so on; they also may indicate the locations of the staircases. Offset front doors and smaller offset windows indicate the presence of an offset staircase; they indicate a staircase if they are found together. In some cases, the smaller front window may be diamond or oval shaped and used for lighting the stair landing adjacent to the door or to provide light to a front closet, behind which the staircase is usually immediately located. Having windows positioned between the level of the floor joists (much like a split-level’s exterior door) will also indicate the location of a staircase or landing (photo 14). Not only is this window helpful for easily determining the location of the stairs from the exterior, but it can also serve for ventilation.

(14) An exterior window in between the level of the interior floor joists is a good indicator of the home’s staircase location.

When heavy fire is encountered on the first floor in proximity to the staircase and an aggressive search is warranted on the floor above, ventilating through the staircase window (photo 15) would help clear smoke and heat from the staircase. Removing this window could result in a two- × four-foot or three- × five-foot ventilation hole (depending on the size of the window) on the side of the building that could give crews enough time for a second-floor search and rescue. Never forget that this technique always is dependent on wind direction; avoid this maneuver if the wind is blowing toward the window, as this will aid in fire and smoke spread up the staircase. Having a windowless, blank wall on a house or a house with several windows that extend diagonally up to the home’s exterior could also show the location of the staircase.

(15) A window at the top of this staircase could be used for ventilation if heavy fire on the first floor is in close proximity to stairs.

In a house that is two stories or taller and in which the stairs from first to second floor are on an exterior wall, a dormer must be present above the stairs if crews are to continue into the attic (photo 16, 17). The dormer provides headroom above the staircase. Without it, occupants would not be able to walk up the stairs to the attic without hitting the roof rafters. If no dormer is present, the stairs to the attic are remote from the first-/second-floor staircase. This is particularly important if access to the attic space is needed because this upper staircase may be in a rear bedroom or closet and will be difficult to find in heat and smoke. Once located-depending on the age of house-this staircase may be nearly as vertical as a ladder and much narrower than an ordinary staircase (photo 18).

(16, 17) This home has a dormer above the stairwell that allows travel up to the attic without running into the roof’s common rafters. Once you discover the first-floor staircase, note its location in relation to where you entered the structure. These stairs allow you to travel easily from the first floor up to the third floor (attic) in case of search and rescue and heavy heat and smoke.

(18) The attic stairs are hidden in the closet of a rear bedroom. This staircase type is common in older homes and may be difficult to locate under heavy smoke and heat. These older stairs may not be up to today’s building code standards, in which case there is a minimum length for the rise and run of the stair treads. This could be similar to climbing a ladder and be much narrower than we’re used to.

You also can use windows to help determine if there is a basement present in the house and, if so, the type (full, partial, garden, or crawl). The basement’s elevation helps determine how difficult it will be to ventilate a basement fire. During your 360° size-up of the structure, take note of any windows below grade in a window well. Windows at grade level usually are present when the first floor is a few feet above ground level. Sizing up windows is also important during a Mayday or other situation that would involve emergency egress. Having windows present, whether below or at grade, helps determine if a basement exists and, if a fire is below grade, the most effective means of entry and extinguishment.

OTHER OPTIONS

There are several other ways to determine a staircase’s location inside a structure. The best of these ways is having direct knowledge of a structure-i.e., personally entering a structure or a similar structure on the same block, taking part in an emergency medical services run to the house’s area or a building inspection of a neighborhood house, or getting information from company members who live in or grew up in the neighborhood. Combine this direct knowledge with the tips previously mentioned, and you will almost certainly be able to quickly locate a home’s staircase.

Newer subdivisions-houses that popped into existence from barren land almost overnight-and older style construction have something in common: similar neighborhood floor plans. Older-style houses such as the 1920s Chicago Bungalow, 1960s brick raised ranch, 1970s tri-level/bi-level, and the now common two-story single family house with attached garage all share a common floor plan with similar style houses-hence, the term “cookie cutter” houses. There is a good chance that if a street is lined with houses that look exactly the same on the exterior, those houses have an interior layout that is exactly the same (barring major renovations). In newer construction as well, the builder of a subdivision may have offered only four or five different floor plans. Floor plans are usually identical or “mirror” one another with different exterior colors or accents to give the impression of variety.

Having firsthand knowledge of a house’s floor layout, particularly the location of the stairs, would help tremendously on the fireground and would speed up your efforts. How fast can you search your own house in total darkness? How fast could you lead out to your own kitchen? You obviously would know exactly where to go and how to get there the quickest. Perhaps you can use these same clues to aid your fireground efforts. If they help you find the second-floor bedroom faster or find the basement stairs more quickly, it is certainly worth the time and effort to learn them. If a house fire is not in a newer “cookie cutter” subdivision, it may be on an older street with the same style construction from one house to another. Did you use these to your advantage, or did you overly commit before you did your 360° size-up?

Finding those stairs to protect the crew advancing above the fire for search and rescue or to access the stairs to reach all the floors for extinguishment is paramount to a successful interior attack. These are just a few tips to help make the information come to you a little quicker. If you gain as much knowledge as possible involving the types of buildings you face under fire conditions, you can truly have a tactical advantage.

TOM TULIPANO is a 25-year fire service veteran and has been a carpenter/general contractor for 28 years. He is a firefighter/paramedic with the Lombard (IL) Fire Department. Tulipano is also co-owner of Firefighter Education Group, LLC and co-creator of the program “Common Sense” Building Construction & Fire Behavior for the Street Smart Firefighter.

MICHAEL J. LOPINA is a 24-year fire service veteran and a lieutenant/paramedic with the Lockport Township (IL) Fire District. He is also co-owner of Firefighter Education Group, LLC and co-creator of the program “Common Sense” Building Construction & Fire Behavior for the Street Smart Firefighter.