The Perils of Basement Fires
A first due engine arrives at a single story home with light smoke showing. Assessing the situation the company officer orders an 1.75 line stretched to the front door and once stretched the attack team makes entry. Immediately there are high heat conditions but very little smoke. As the attack team pushes forward to seek out the fire the nozzle-man tells the company officer it's way too hot. The company officer senses his stomach tightening up and orders everyone out. Once at the door fire shows itself as it bursts through the floor where the team was just moments ago located.
When heat is felt but little smoke is showing take a moment to check the basement. Firefighters perish in basement fires often because they plunge into them when the floor collapses. All floors are built by the lowest bidder using the cheapest materials. Would you trust it?
Fires in basements require the following:
Alternate Entrance
Solid streams
Quick knockdown
If your company is operating above a burning basement try to find the stairs or an outside entrance. Put the fire out there prior to any other activity. Protect the stairwell and get the basement vented. Above all don't trust the floor.
Gas fed fire would destroy the structural stability of the floor above in a rapid manner.
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Advocates For Firefighters
January 11th, 2010 - 11:19
Falling into a basement ruins anyone’s day. The heat is the key.
January 11th, 2010 - 11:21
Don’t forget they are using lightweight trusses for joists now. Once those gusset plates are impinged by fire, the trusses will fail in minutes, and we’re not talking 10s of minutes. We’re talking single digits.
January 11th, 2010 - 11:22
Why a solid stream? Fog works.
January 11th, 2010 - 11:25
We had one two weeks ago. Newer construction and it collapsed after we were on scene for maybe 6 to 8 minutes. We were at the basement door when it happened.
January 11th, 2010 - 11:27
Freddy you need penetration in a basement fire. Fogs have their place but not in the basement. In my opinion of course. :>)
January 11th, 2010 - 23:48
All so if you get a spongy floor or pushing smoke with no source, hold the line at the door and send the Truck to search. Another thing I’ve found is to check the heat on the floor like you would check a closed door. Heat should be minimal at the floor level. If you get high heat, diver down and full jet into the basement.
January 11th, 2010 - 23:58
Freddy, only use a fog stream if your a lobster. If your not, you soon will be. FDNY proved solid strait bore will give you distance and less steam. A fog will put you in the middle of the fire due to limited reach. And is now used primarily for cooling tanks that might B.L.E.V.E.
January 12th, 2010 - 12:03
Does everyone see and understand where and why a 360 is so important on a situation such as this ? Thanks Jay for these little lessons that refresh our strategic and tactical mindset.
January 13th, 2010 - 11:19
I will have to agree with the fact that fog nozzles do have their place in the fire service. They should be in the far back of the driver’s cabinet in case you ever have to do that neat little marching side by side thing that you learn in probie school.
January 13th, 2010 - 12:35
The fog has no place in a basement. Or anywhere.
January 13th, 2010 - 16:17
I had a guy come around and tell me that a thing called a PyroLance was good for a basement fire. Anyone seen this one?
January 14th, 2010 - 23:08
And I apologize, I didn’t realize this was a GAS FEED FIRE. Never ever put the fire on the end of a gas line out! If you do, now you have the potential to blow up everything with in a 3 to 4 house radius. Get the utilities controlled from the street, NOT THE METER, and then the fire is under control.
January 14th, 2010 - 23:32
I jst looked up what PyroLance is, and it’s the equivalent of a “cellar nozzle” from the 70’s. In which you break out the window and drop an 1 3/4″ into the basement and charge the hose. The nozzle spins and “put’s the fire out”. Or my personal favorite…. “The Piercing Nozzle”. This one you get to use a flat headed axe or a sledge hammer, pound it through the wall, attach an 1 3/4″ line and let the “mist” do the work.
Haven’t heard or seen any of these? Well there’s a good reason…. they burn down houses and no practical use in the fire service. All of the new gimmicks are based off of this concept. Nothing beats a TFT smooth bore nozzle. More on this at: http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/the-old-smoothbore-tft
Train hard, train often and Stay Safe