Make The Call #34

[papacheese]

I'll apologize in advance the small size of the picture but the situation bears closer examination.




What do you see? Where's the fire? Where will it be five minutes from now when you're going to commence operations? What about the exposures...are they in any danger? Any special safety considerations based on the "smoke read"? How many engines, ladders, and rescues will be needed? Does your stance change if a neighbor tells you there's an elderly, bedridden resident in there???

Sum it up and make your call: Offensive, Transitional, Defensive

[voyager9]

I'd say Transitional leaning toward Offensive.
Looks like the fire is well in the attic. The smoke has some volume and pressure to it and the color makes me think its confined in a void/kneewall on the A/D side of the attic. Probably a finished attic up there.

Some concerns:
A whole lot of smoke coming from the rear. need a 360 and make sure we don't have somethign that autoextended.
From the age/configuration this may be balloon? Get a crew to check the basement just in case.

1st Engine: 1"3/4 to the top of the stairs on division 2.
If attic is finished advance up to 3 after evaluating conditions.
If unfinished, fight from below.
1st Truck: work with the Engine and open voids on 3 (finished)
or pull ceiling on Div 2(unfinished) , conduct primary search div 2.
Operator, get the stick position to vent Div 3A windows
2nd Engine: Pull backup line to protect stairs, check basement

[thelurker]

Judging by the quantity and level of the smoke between the houses, I am rooting for an interior fire on Division 1, side C of this house. Obviously, an interior fire that has extended upward. I can't tell about the age of the structure because it looks relatively new, but that window on the front porch leads me to believe it could be a refreshed older structure.

My call is offensive with the possibility to go transitional.

1st 1-3/4 to Division 1 to find the seat of the fire.
2nd 1-3/4 to the attic division if this is a balloon frame, otherwise Division 2.
3rd 1-3/4 to Division 2.
Truck Crews need to open that roof ASAP, then get inside and begin pulling those walls and ceilings all the way up.

Now with what I am seeing in the pic, depending on how rapidly that front window smoke had changed, I might even just pull the crews from div 3 down to div 2, give them a 2-1/2 and tell them to try to cool the division 3 from the base of the stairs, and make the push back up as they can. Putting that GPM up into that attic may cool it enough to stop the flashover and allow us to put it out.

[BIGDOG]

1st Engine 1- ¾ to division 3
2nd Engine 1- ¾ to division 2
3rd & 4th Engine assist interior with opening 1- ¾ or 2 inch (depends on engine company) to division 2 as back up for the other lines
1st Truck to the roof (report conditions open roof vents, and roof)
2nd Truck D side exposure- assist interior with opening

Other things to look at are what kind of appliances are being used. Is any one using CRAFS, solid stream nozzle or variable tip nozzles? I think a lot of decision making will be made depending on these types. Solid stream nozzle has high volume rate, long reach and superior penetration of the walls. CRAFS and variable tip will darken it but you have to go up and open up to put a knock on it.

Let the water do the work.

The roof should report conditions on the C side. (Could be a flat roof that presents the same condition as the front)

Get in and open up, check and double check. It’s not a good thing to have some one tell you “We got it opened, no extension”, and then 5 minutes later it blowing through the roof.

[thelurker]

bigdawg said:

Get in and open up, check and double check. It’s not a good thing to have some one tell you “We got it opened, no extension”, and then 5 minutes later it blowing through the roof.

LOLOLOLOL..since when does that ever happen?...LOLOLOL

[JDub]

I see a flashover waiting to happen. Transitional. Hit it from the exterior and darken it down. Once it is darkened down get in there and mop it up.

[augdog]

offensive but could change to defensive very quickly. that first in engine needs to blast the hell out of that attic fire. a very well coordinated effort with the first in truck having them opening may make the job go quick. but that second line better be there in case this situation goes south. also the walls better be torn apart quickly in case of voids. lurker makes a good point about the fact that it might be renovated.

however, this image also poses something that i saw on the mt holly the other night. crews knocked the bulk of the fire that was showing rather quick. the truck got there in a respectable amountof time. due to circumstances, the vent hole initially cut was not adequate. later in the incident having taken the reading smoke seminar by Chief Bickore i noticed that on the c-side gable window as well the a-side gable window that the smoke began to push out of the structure very similar to that image. within 5 min a flashover occurred. companies were already pulled.

if this 'make the call' image turns south then i have to transition my attack and go defensive and protect the exposures.