(Great information from firegeezer.com Bill Schumm ret. FCFD) Yesterday we reported on a spectacular house fire up in Calgary. What made an ordinary garage fire into an international news event was the construction methods used on the house. Namely, vinyl siding, cheap structural materials and close proximity to other houses. The fire started in the garage of a home while none of the occupants were there and quickly spread throughout the house. When the FD arrived on the scene, not only was the house fully involved but the neighboring houses on each side of it were well underway, too.
It is receiving a lot of press in Alberta because it follows on the heels of that massive fire in Edmonton last month that consumed nearly 200 residences. The fire chiefs up there have the public’s ear right now and they are taking advantage of it by pointing out the deficiencies in the building codes that allow this type of construction method. And now the Provincial government is actually taking up the issue.This problem may well end up being a hot topic down here in the lower 48 as well, if we can keep a high public awareness of the situation. We are already having fires in these places that were “built to burn” and now the public focus will be more likely to look at it.
But it is our responsibility to point out to our citizens what all the fuss is about and what can be done about it. It’s not our place to go out and scare everybody into selling off their homes, but we need to help guide them into putting political pressure on our legislators to change the codes so that they will prohibit materials like the solid-petroleum siding that accelerates fire spread, plywood floor joists that fail immediately under a fire load and particle boards filled with glues and resins that burn readily.
The fire stations are always getting requests from citizen groups to “Please come and talk to our organization.” This should be the topic that you talk about now. Point out to your audience what all the noise is about and why. Tell them why this newer construction increases fire loss and how an ordinary room-and-contents fire is now suddenly becoming a multi-dwelling disaster.
Keep on them and stick with it. In most places, the construction industry has a firm hold on the politico’s attention and they want to build houses as cheaply as possible. Many of them don’t really care if it burns down or not, once it’s been sold. Make this your mission.
1 comment:
I agree with the article comments and the fact that more public awareness needs to be brought to this subject, but I want to offer some insight into how we operate on the fireground of these potential conflagrations.
Time and time again we see illustrations of fire crews tackling defensive fires with offensive strategy and tactics. Big fires require big water from the start. Sparying water from small lines where large lines are required is a waste of time and water.
The fog stream vs. the solid stream. Each has its place within the fire service, but our job is to understand and to know which one will work best for any given fire situation. How many times have you seen master stream devices in operation, only to find a fog nozzle in operation rather than the solid tip. When the fog spray is being prevented from breaking the window line by the fire or when the water is traveling away from the fire its time to reconsider your selection.
A realistic decision has to be made as to where to stop a fast moving fire. In making this decision, you must factor in the heat, volume, and speed of the fire, and forecast the potential destruction of the fire by the time your resources are in position to begin the attack. Keep it realistic.
In picture 1, is the nozzleman making a postive inpact on the fire? NO! He is wasting water from a line too small for the fire presented. The stream isn't even making it all the way across the depth of the structure. He is also making an attack on an already destroyed home, while exposure properties are being seriously jeopardized.
In picute 2, he is a little closer to the right target, but still not being effective. The line is still too small for the situation at hand. The house is already destroyed and the water being sprayed to save the front half will soon be overpowered by the volume of fire coming from the back of the structure.
A better option would have been to forecast where the fire will be in the time it takes to effectively set up to make a positive impact, or in this case, to be able to save unburned properties before the fire itself can be extinguished.
Aside from the obvious lifesafety considerations, exposure protection is the priority. Large diameter streams from deck guns, monitors, ladderpipes, and even handlines should be considered from the start. Applying water through solid stream nozzles rather than fogs will allow for a better chance to hit the base fire with enough water to begin the extinguishment process.
With large scale fires, consideration and planning must be given to sustain an effective water supply. Put someone in charge of this early on. Do not limit your water supply capacity by spraying water through small diameter lines when big water is required. Shut the small lines down and maintain discipline.
Working within collapse zones is a necessity for obvious reasons. Consider apparatus positioning to protect from radiant heat and damage to apparatus and firefighters.
Maintain control of flying embers and radiant heat to prevent further extension in the immediate area and remote from the area. Further fire spread will hamper operations and will have a significant impact on available resources.
The nozzleman should have gone directly to exposure B2 with a larger line to begin exposure protection efforts. From what the picture shows, there is no involvment, yet. By putting enough water on this home from the start, it is realistic to prevent its involvement amd to take arealistic stand at stopping the fire from going beyond this property. Incoming units can then begin to tackle the actual fire. All attacks must be coordinated attacks. Have a plan, maintain a strong incident command and ensure everyone is on the same page, and call for additional resources early.
Consider the direction of smoke in order to forecast fire spread.
Bringing public awareness to lightweight building construction may help us in the long run, but we still have to operate effectively to manage these large scale fires today and the ones that will no doubt follow.
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