fire science filed report responding
Our department received a call for a residential structure fire, fire reported in the basement. While enroute, the responding units received information from dispatch indicating the resident was attempting to extinguish the fire and refused to leave the structure. Upon arrival, the chief of the department assumed command on Side A. He gave an initial report of a 2-story residential structure with smoke showing from Side C. A 360 of the structure revealed the resident outside on Side C and a moderate amount of black smoke coming from a basement doorway near the B-C corner. Fire was observed inside the doorway and to the right. Call was then upgraded to a second alarm.A 200’ 1.75” pre-connected attack line was deployed by a three-member team from the initial attack engine and stretched to Side C. The crew proceeded inside and knocked the fire down, which was located inside a storage room. The area was overhauled and no extension was found. When the initial attack crew exited the structure and prepared to head off to the rehab area, I noticed one of the members’ protective hood was pulled up, exposing an area, approximately the size of a tennis ball, on the rear of his neck. The portion of the hood that had pulled up appeared to have been caught in the liner of the member’s helmet. It became dislodged when he pulled the hood over his head after donning his face piece or after adjusting his helmet just prior to entry.
Lessons Learned
Needless to say, this member was very fortunate that the fire, which turned out to be rather small, had not built up to the point of causing a severe burn to his neck during fire suppression operations. Although this was one individual that would have been directly impacted by a burn, all members of a suppression crew must look out for each other by making sure everyone is buttoned up in the hard-to-see areas prior to entry.
Demographics
Department Type: Combination, Mostly volunteer
Job or Rank: Deputy Chief
Department Shift: 10 hour days, 14 hour nights (2-2-4)
Age:
Years of Fire Service Experience: 24 - 26
Region: FEMA Region III
Service Area: Suburban
Event Information
Event Type: Fire emergency event: structure fire, vehicle fire, wildland fire, etc.
Date and Time: Mar 5 2009 3:08PM
Hours Into the Shift: 5 - 8
Event Participation: Witnessed event but not directly involved in the event
Weather at Time of Event:
Do you think this will happen again? Yes
Contributing Factors? Human Error, Individual Action, Teamwork
What do you believe is the loss potential?: Lost time injury
