Straight Streams Still Useful For Certain Fire Conditions
The Volunteers Corner
Most of us operate fog streams so frequently that we are familiar with the ways they can speed extinguishment of fire and the ways they can make conditions difficult. What we tend to do in the heat of the initial attack is to forget an alternative to the fog stream—the straight stream or solid stream.
One of the characteristics of a fog stream is that it will push fire. Thus, we ventilate ahead of a fog stream attack so that the hot gases and steam can move out of the building and permit the hose crew to advance. The important thing to remember in selecting the point of the attack is to approach the fire from the side that will allow you to push the fire directly out the building or back to an already burned area of the building—where the fire earlier had vented itself.
If an approach to the fire cannot be made to accomplish either of these objectives, then you will push fire and gases into unburned areas. Sometimes there is no other approach available.
The alternative: This is the time to remember that we have the straight stream in our bag of alternatives. Actually, the alternative is right at our fingertips because all fog nozzles—except those for house lines in electrical hazard areas—have straight stream capability. When you need it, it’s there.
Let’s say you have a second story room fully involved in fire. The room is in the front of the building and so is the stairway to the second floor. Heat has made it impossible to make the second floor from the stairway and you know that a fog stream through the window will push the fire into the hallway.
This is the time to put a straight stream through the window and aim it at the ceiling for a couple of seconds. The stream will break up on the ceiling and splash over the burning material in the room. The intensity of the fire will be diminished without the push associated with the fog stream. The effect will be like the operation of a sprinkler system—only with a much larger water application rate.
Interior attack: Frequently this brief application of a straight stream will take enough heat out of the fire area so that the stairway line can then be advanced to the second floor to make a conventional attack with a fog stream. As the fog is applied to the room, the stream will push the hot gases out the window and conditions will rapidly improve.
There is nothing new in this use of a straight stream. As a matter of fact, it was a rout ine fireground operation many years ago in departments that had two-piece engine companies. The pumper would go to a hydrant and the hose wagon, which had a deck pipe, would stretch a line from the hydrant to the front of the building. Once the supply line was charged, one fire fighter took a shot at the upper story room with the deck pipe while other fire fighters were taking a line to the stairway. The moment the flames subsided, the pipe was shut down and the interior attack line was moved into the fire area.
Coordination of the two streams was vital to success. While there are few deck pipes on apparatus these days, more and more pumpers are equipped with portable deluge guns mounted atop the apparatus so that they can be used the same as a permanently installed deck pipe. Use of the deluge gun still in its mount is one alternative today. Depending on the fire conditions, use of the attack line is another alternative. That line should have at least a 200-gpm capability. That means a 1 ¾ or 2 ½-inch line can be used to hit the ceiling with a straight stream from the outside before moving up the stairway for an interior attack.
Personnel protection: In another situation, flashover may have occurred in a room off an upper floor hallway—such as a motel or office building—with the definite possibility that inability to ventilate ahead of the attack can get the hose crew into trouble. If a fog stream is operated into the room, lack of ventilation will cause flame and steam to come out the doorway. If they are lucky, the fire fighters will see the flames above them while they are on their bellies. If they are unlucky, the air being entrapped by the fog stream will bring the flames down on them.
Again, a straight stream applied to the ceiling from the hallway for a couple of seconds can alleviate the situation. This will create less steam and therefore less pressure forcing flame and steam out of the room through the doorway.
When it is possible in the smoke to see where a window is located, direct a straight stream to the window to break it out and provide the necessary ventilation. Precautions must be taken to make certain no one is outside where shards may fall.
After operating the straight stream either at the ceiling or out the window, a conventional attack can then be made under conditions that are safer for the hose crew.
As in any hose line operation, the officer must be alert to changing conditions and he must use the option most suitable to the specific situation. As the leader of his company, he has two basic responsibilities—the safety of his fire fighters and the most effective use of his hose line.
