Fire Incident 101
Our engine crew was dispatched to a working structure fire. It was mid day with blue skies; it was a cool crisp day. While en-route we were putting on our packs. As we got closer we could see dark smoke off in the distance. I could feel the anxiety building within the crew. We saw that this was a working fire so we proceeded to put on our masks. I could smell the rubber silicone of the mask. I was seated on the side of the fire. So I knew I would be pulling the pre-connect hose.
Upon arrival we found a two story residential home with heavy smoke coming from the eaves. I grabbed the nozzle and hose stretching the line out. My partner was right behind with his tools. I approached the front door with adrenalin pumping and my heart racing.
My partner was a new firefighter and he was hanging onto my coat tail. He was a little nervous but excited. I could hear the excitement in his voice as we approached the front door. As the hose charged the pressure pushed me forward. I checked the nozzle pattern bleeding the air out of the line. I had to make a minor adjustment to the water stream pattern. I checked the door and found it locked. I proceeded to force the door open, size eleven style.
We found fire behind the door and up the stairway with the second floor fully engulfed in fire. The fire was an orange color swirling down the stair case. I opened up the bail on the fire. The stairs were carpeted and burning. I was extinguishing the fire on the steps as I was climbing up them, hoping the steps would not fail and send me falling. The hose had gotten stuck at the front door so my partner had to go back down the stairs to free up the hose line. As it was freed I continued to climb without my partner. As I approached the second floor I could feel the intense heat trying to push me back down the stairs.
I directed the water stream towards the ceiling to check for flash over conditions as I was taught in the academy. It was safe to proceed, when suddenly I had ceiling tiles falling on top of me. I could feel my breaths getting bigger and faster within my mask. I took a step back kneeling close to the top of the stairs; I knew I could retreat down the stairs if the roof started to collapse. I was able to darken down the fire and our visibility went to nonexistence. It was black as charcoal.
I radioed command requesting ventilation on the second floor. A second crew had entered the first floor to search for any trapped victims. The vent crew broke out the second floor window with long pike poles. The second floor now had some ventilation, our visibility started to improve. I could now just make out the red glows of fire to the right and left of me. I could hear popping and crackling of the fire until the positive pressure ventilation fan fired up at the front door. With smoke now being forced out the second floor windows, visibility was once again clear. We proceeded to the seat of the fires for extinguishment.
Being young and excited my partner and I had sucked down our 30 minute bottles of air quickly. Our low air alarms started sounding just after extinguishing the fire. We radioed command informing him the conditions of the fire and that we were out of air and starting to exit the house. As I exited the front door I had ran out of air and my mask was being sucked into my face using every bit of air in the system. Our gear was steaming due to the heat from the fire and exiting into the cool air. Removing my mask I could smell my smoke stained gear. We were exhausted and dripping with sweat, we were ready for a rest in rehab. We sat on the front bumper of the pumper. While we were sitting catching our breath we heard the search crew had rescued a victim on the first floor.
I was so proud of our company that day. Everything went so smooth, as some would say text book style. Everyone was on a high of pride that seemed to last the week.
