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Video: Mansfield, TX Christmas Day Fire

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Video Details from DFWPoliceScanner: Mansfield FD, along with mutual aid from Arlington FD, battled this 1 alarm house fire on the evening of Christmas day, December 25 2011. Upon arrival, MFD reported heavy smoke showing. Fire quickly extended to other parts of the house and went well involved over a small amount of time. This fire occurred in the 1500 block of Inverness Drive.

Related: Mansfield Fire Department

 

 

Ready Steady Cook Chef Matt Golinski Loses Family in House Fire

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Australian Chef Matt Golinski was burned and his wife and three daughters perished in a fire at their home in Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Golinski is a chef on the Australian cooking show Ready Steady Cook.

Matt Golinski is a man of few words, and those  he does use are fairly understated. If you ask him where he has worked he’ll tell you that he hasn’t worked “with the Roux Brothers, Marco Pierre White, Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay.” Read more

http://www.news.com.au:

A blaze, which erupted at the couple’s Sunshine Coast home about 3.30am yesterday, claimed the lives of Rachael and daughters Starlia, Sage and Willow.

Mr Golinski was left in a critical condition with burns to 40 per cent of his body.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/chef-matt-golinski-lived-for-the-love-of-his-family-rachael-starlia-sage-and-willow/story-e6frfkvr-1226230880085#ixzz1hfSY3vLu

What is that Adage about Fires Doubling in Size? Watch this Unchecked Apartment Fire Grow in Russia…

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Fires double in size every minute…

Fires double in size every 5 minutes…

Fires double in size every 30 seconds…

I truly don’t think you can put a finger on anything exact since there are too many variables involved like fire load, area, types of materials available to burn, etc.

What I do know is that an unchecked fire will typically continue to grow in size.

I also know that if we put enough water on the fire, the fire will go out.

The video below shows an unchecked fire growing in size at an apartment complex in Russia. The fire appears to have started on the 4th floor and then spreads to up to the 5th floor and eventually down to the 3rd floor.

The video also mentions something about an explosion. I am guessing that was before the fire.

Video: Santa Claus Spotted Changing Air Bottles at Dickson City, PA House Fire

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You heard it right! Santa Claus was seen changing air bottles out at this house fire in Dickson City, PA on December 23rd. He hangs out a while watching over the firefighters as they hit hot spots on the fire.

Watch as at just :14 seconds in Santa Claus helps with the air bottle of another firefighter.

The fire occurred at 724 Carmalt Street right next door to two vacant lots where an explosion and fire occurred two years ago killing 2 people.

http://thetimes-tribune.com:

The blaze, which ripped through their 724 Carmalt St. residence, destroyed all the Christmas presents Ms. Branch bought for her 13-year-old daughter and more than likely killed their cat, Flicker, and parakeet, Birdie.

They escaped with only the clothes on their backs and Claudia’s bookbag.

“I have nothing for her now,” said Ms. Branch, who saw the fire flare in a computer room on the second floor. “It just happened so fast.”

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/blaze-rips-through-dickson-city-home-i-don-t-know-where-we-are-going-to-live-victim-says-1.1248874#ixzz1hTgTY9XM

Video: 5 Alarm Fire in San Fancisco Western Addition. 60 People Displaced with Half of SF Firefighters Working

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A 5 alarm fire engulfed two buildings in San Francisco’s Western Addition. The buildings were residential apartments and displaced over 60 residents.

150 firefighters were on the call equaling about half of San Francisco’s firefighting force.

News links:

MercuryNews.com:

Heavy winds helped spread the fire until firefighters contained it by 2:26 p.m. Firefighters were initially pushed back by the intensity of the fire but managed to prevent it from spreading to other buildings in the neighborhood. A total of four buildings were damaged. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said the fire began in the back of a three-unit Victorian building at 1502 Golden Gate and swiftly blew through the roof.

… The fire quickly spread to a 25-unit apartment building at 1015 Pierce.

MN8 Foxfire Illuminating and Reflective Tetrahedrons 40% off here while it lasts!

Mayday Audio: Firefighter Injured in Springfield, Pennsylvania Two Alarm House Fire

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This is the third of three Maydays I know of today.

This fire occurred in Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania around 6:30pm. A Mayday was transmitted after a firefighter fell through the floor. In the audio, it sounds like another firefighter fell through the floor, the news coverage only mentions one.

Photo from ABCLocal.com

The firefighters were inside looking for a person unaccounted for.

Listen to the audio below

ABCLocal.com:

SPRINGFIELD, Pa. – December 19, 2011 (WPVI) – A firefighter suffered non-life threatening injuries while battling a two-alarm house fire in Springfield, Delaware County.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Monday along West Woodland Avenue.

Audio and Video: Mayday Called at Claymont, Delaware Townhouse Fire

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Claymont Fire Company was assisted by many other departments at a townhouse fire today. The fire went to 3 alarms before destroying the house.

During the fire, a Mayday was declared. Listen to the audio for what the firefighters encountered when they arrived and what actions they took once they got there. Of course, this is just the radio traffic…you never know what was said on scene and not on the radio.

The news report offered nothing on the Mayday, but it is captured in the audio below.

If you have been paying attention, this is the third Mayday of the day (that I know of). I posted the audio of the Mayday’s on The Fire Critic Facebook page where you will also find plenty of other stuff that doesn’t make it to the blog. Be sure to “like” us to keep up on what is going on.

Coverage of the FDNY Mayday from today is here.

Photo by Jennifer Corbett - The News Journal

DelawareOnline.com:

A three-alarm fire destroyed one townhome and damaged at least five others Monday afternoon in the Brandywine Hundred community of Ballymeade, officials said.

The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. in the 800 block of W. Boxborough Drive, said Assistant. State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio.

The home that caught fire collapsed into a pile of rubble. Before it did fire shot out of the top floor window to a home next to it and caused external damage to the roof and side of the home, Chionchio said.

Video is below, the audio of the Mayday is below that.

Raw Video: FDNY Rescue 2 Firefighter Rescued from Brownstone in Crown Heights on Fire. 4 Others Injured

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Below is the amazing video of an FDNY Firefighter from Rescue 2 bailing out of a window onto an aerial ladder. The firefighter is in flames as he gets out of the building and another firefighter helps put out the flames. Check out STATter911.com for more details on this fire. In total, 5 firefighters were injured in this fire with some experiencing severe burns.

I will also be adding updates of this incident on The Fire Critic Facebook page

Captain Willie Wines Jr. sits at the table and talks shop with the firefighters of FDNY Rescue 2

Captain Wines, Zach Green, and I also recently visited Rescue 2 and other FDNY firehouses. You can view images here.

I do not know if any of the men we met during our trip were injured in this fire and it really doesn’t matter. I do hope our injured brothers heal quickly so they can get back on the rig to fight the next fire.

Update from The Secret List:

FDNY Firefighters rescued one of their own earlier, pulling him “on fire” from a Brooklyn brownstone. As members searched the Crown Heights dwelling for victims, the top floor of the 3 story dwelling on Prospect Place apparently flashed, trapping at least one Rescue 2 Firefighter inside. An aerial ladder was raised to the third floor window and another Firefighter at the top of the ladder helped get him out. The FF was burning and the FF on the ladder hit him on his back to knock down the fire.


Here is a video with some more information and a clearer look at the fire

Several Videos of Fires in the Atlanta Area

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Apparently, Atlanta and its surrounding areas have been busy recently.

Below are some videos of some fires from Atlanta and surrounding departments around the Atlanta area.

There was an apartment fire in Marietta as well. I don’t believe that this fire is the same as the one in the video below, but I could be wrong. News coverage here

 

I couldn’t figure out if there is news coverage of this fire, but it shows firefighters searching and getting a knock down on the fire in a two story apartment complex.

This might be a repost on youtube since I couldn’t find any news on it, but I wasn’t sure. It is worth a look anyways.

Here is a car fire at the Georgia Dome…

This one was fought by East Point firefighters. News coverage here

Close Call Video: House Fire in Ventura County

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Watch at :15 for when a firefighter walks right under the front porch and wires begin arching just above him. That is a “Close Call” if you ask me!

Description: December 16, 2011 (/GPTV) — The Ventura County Fire Department responded to calls around 10:20 p.m. Friday night of a vehicle on fire on a driveway of a home in the 2400 block of Cedarwood Circle in Simi Valley. Upon arrival, the vehicle fire had extended into the garage and home. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to knockdown the blaze. No word yet on the cause.

Early Video: 2 Alarms in Hackensack, NJ

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2 Alarm fire in Hackensack, NJ caught on video. Plenty of work being done by the handful of firefighters on scene.

More discussion on this fire at the Brotherhood Instructors Facebook page (scroll down 81 comments)

and on Backwards and Stupid here

Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Firefighters 2011

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The 2011 Christmas season is in full swing.

Willie Wines Jr. recently posted IronFiremen.com’s Top Ten Stocking Stuffers here. There are some great gift ideas on the list! While some of those items might have made it to this list, I decided not to duplicate in order to give you all some more options.

What a great start to buying for that significant firefighter in your life.

You can read the past years Top Ten Christmas Gifts lists:

This year will be no different. The best gifts for firefighters. Some of these are custom gifts and will require ordering…don’t worry they are worth the wait!

Here we go…

10. Ride Backwards Apparel

Ride Backwards is what it is all about. Apparel for the fit firefighter…or the one trying to get fit. If your firefighter is working towards being healthier or is already there, Ride Backwards gear is made for them. Let me be clear though…Ride Backwards isn’t just an apparel company, they are a community of like minded firefighters who train, exercise, and lead healthy lives. I can’t put my finger on exactly why I love this company, I have only met a couple of the people behind the company once. I just love following them on Facebook and keeping in touch with their fan base.

If you are trying to get fans on Facebook or build a community you should definitely be taking notes from them!

Check out their web site here. They have some great products!

9. Phenix Leather Helmet

I wish I could tell you mine fit great, but I haven’t received it yet. I have one on order, a gift from a friend (more on that later). Let me say that I have had one on my head and it felt awesome. I have had several leather helmets and as the times change, technology changes, regulations change the leather helmets have changed. Some of them have become very cumbersome. While I have not tested this helmet out, it felt very good to wear. One of the biggest things I liked about it is that it sits low on my head.

I cannot wait to have it in my hands! The picture to the right is mine in production.

Check out Phenix helmets online here.

8. Firefighter Calendar

Whether you are looking for a bunch of hot men or women firefighters we have you covered. You can view the hottest male firefighter calendars here and the hottest female firefighter calendars here. Most of these support a great cause and are organized by firefighters. Pick your poison and order a calendar for that special firefighter in your life. Better yet, order one for yourself too!

My personal favorite has to be the America’s Female Firefighters Calendar. Check out their site here and they are on Facebook as well.

7. Firefighter Apparel

I admit, some firefighting apparel is gaudy and over the top. If your firefighter is going to wear firefighting apparel they need to be wearing the right stuff. Trust me, there is plenty of stuff out their for different tastes.

I suggest you look at:

6. Leather Bunker Boots

Much like #1 on our list this year, too many firefighters are not provided leather bunker boots. It amazes me that departments waste their money on rubber boots. In my department, rubber boots merely take up space on the tops of our lockers. Although there are a few firefighters who still wear them because they don’t care about their feet enough to purchase leather boots on their own.

I cannot speak for all of the brands, but I will tell you that the Black Diamond X Boot, Black Diamond X2 Boot, and Lion Apparel Marshall boots (all links to product reviews) are great boots.

I also hear that the Globe leather boots and Haix leather boots are great boots.

You can buy the boots on TheFireStore.com

5. NFFF Merchandise

Supporting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is the right thing to do. They take care of our Fallen and their families. Purchasing, gifting, and wearing their merchandise supports their mission.

They have cups, mugs, challenge coins, picture frames, posters, books, stuffed animals, charms, and so much more!

Support the NFFF, they are supporting us!

Check them out online. Their store is here.

4. MN8 Foxfire Illuminating Gear

I have been a long time fan of the illuminating gear from MN8. I have done some product reviews on their stuff and use it on a regular basis. The thing about their products is that it isn’t another product, it is a better spin on a current product. Instead of simply having a helmet band, you can have one that illuminates. Instead of having grip tape on on a tool, you can have grip tape that illuminates. They also have epoxy grip that illuminates for tools. Soon, we they will be unveiling a brand new tetrahedron for firefighter use. I can’t say much more, but it is impressive.

Check out MN8 on Facebook as well. Another company creating a community around their products.

View their products on their web site. Purchase their products on TheFireStore.com.

3. Custom Leather Accessories

No not the Excessive Leather Accessories for Fire Fighters (ELAFFHQ.com), I am actually talking about custom leatherwork by firefighters for firefighters. Might I point you in the direction of Box Alarm Leather. They do everything from helmet shields to radio straps and can custom make just about anything. Check them out here.

There are plenty of other great custom leather companies as well:

2. Brotherhood Chips

You may not know it, but that special firefighter in your life is sure to read both FireCritic.com and IronFiremen.com.

They can now carry us with them wherever they go. Introducing the FireCritic/IronFiremen “Brotherhood Chip”. It is smaller and weighs less than the typical “challenge coin”, but serves the same purpose.

Challenge Coins are a long held tradition within the Military, Fire and Police Service. Now, your firefighter can have one from 2 of the Nation’s top Fire Service Bloggers!

We designed the chips with the words “Tradition”, “Honor”, “Pride”, “Respect” and “Brotherhood” on the edge. That is what we are about and is exactly what we are trying to spread.

Get more details and purchase yours by clicking  HERE .

We got our chips made by TheChipSite.com. Check them out!

1. Personal Rescue Escape System

Too few firefighters have these!

I do not own and am not issued a commercially made personal rescue escape system, bailout bag, or whatever you might call it. I do have a pretty decent set up that I can use as a search line or rescue rope/webbing for victims or other firefighters as well as a bailout system for myself.

Here is the thing…every firefighter should own and carry some sort of setup. Whether it is a commercially made system or a made up system of caribeeners and rope/webbing they should have it.

If their department is like mine and doesn’t care about this need in our job, you can step in and get it for your firefighter.

TheFireStore.com offers several different setups. Check them out.

Video: Bread and Butter Job in Philly

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Check it out. Foam 18, Battalion 12, and other units on scene in Philly.

Helmet Cam Video Captures Rescues in Contra Costa Fire

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This occured on October 13th.

Two people were rescued from their Contra Costa home around 1:30am on Thursday. A woman and her caretaker were found inside the home and were rescued without life threatening injuries. The fire was in the attic.

The rescue was caught on video by a helmet camera of one of the firefighters involved in the rescue.

I still think that overall, helmet camera’s  have a positive use in the fire service. To ensure that they are used correctly, fire departments should mandate approval of using the videos online through an approval process. If there are victims involved, they should be given the courtesy of approval for use as well. I am not sure what Contra Costa FD’s policy is, but I see no harm in using this video. As a matter of fact, this video could be used in fire prevention applications in the future.

Here is some more on this incident from Backstep Firefighter

Great job guys!

This Just In…Detroit Continues to Burn

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I just watched the video below about 4 fires in Detroit…Let me tell you what I was thinking.

Damn…that is a lot of fire. And that is just what was caught on film in several hours.

The third fire was interesting because of the reverse lay. That isn’t something my department does everyday. Then as you continued to watch, the firefighters don’t put water on it. I wonder whats up with that. I wonder if they decided to let it burn so that someone can’t burn it again some other day.

Given, Detroit is a big City. I have no clue if it is the same firefighters at these fires, but one of the fires was just down the street from another at the same time.

So it appears as though Detroit continues to burn…I don’t think that is a shock to anyone though. If you haven’t checked it out yet, there is a movement to create a full feature film called Burn: One Year on the Frontlines of the Battle to Save Detroit. Their video is below as well.

This video is courtesy of NEFirePhoto.com

BURN Trailer from BURN on Vimeo.

Early Video and Collapse Later both Caught on Tape in Lincoln Park, Chicago 2-11 Alarm Fire

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This house fire occured at 525 W. Armitage in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, Illinois. Bystanders caught some early video as lines are being placed in service. The fire quickly makes its way to the second floor and eventually engulfs much of the structure by the time firefighters get attack lines in place.

Later, news crews catch the building collapsing (second video)

CBS Chicago – Fire Destroys 123-Year-Old Home On Armitage Avenue:

A still-and-box alarm was initially called for the fire at 12:50 p.m, but it was later upgraded to a 2-11 alarm, according to the Fire Department. Firefighters used four master hose lines and four hand lines to fight the blaze.

By 1:55 p.m., the building had collapsed.

 ABC Chicago – Lincoln Park building collapses during fire:

“All people, including the workers, are accounted for We had a 2-11 alarm in the neighborhood of 150 firefighters on the scene…the guys did a good job keeping out of the exposure building,” said Chicago Fire Department’s Steve Chikerotis.

Neighbors and witnesses applauded the firefighting effort.

Helmet Cam: Firefighter Close Call with Acetylene tank at Building Fire

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Several things caught my eye in this video. Early on in the video, an acetylene tank off gases due to the fire just as firefighters open the door to the building. The firefighters quickly back up and regroup.

This acetylene tank raises the biggest question though. If indeed it only off gased due to the heat and did not rupture, shouldn’t they have trained a hoseline on it to keep it cool. It is obvious that they don’t have enough water for the fire, they could at least keep the tank from rupturing if it hadn’t already.

The Grove Fire Department in Oklahoma battled this fire with other mutual aid departments.

Let’s be clear, these guys didn’t have a chance with the 1 3/4″ line they had in their hand. Our department would have hit this with 2 1/2″ lines and aerial deck guns, although the outcome might have been similar if we showed up with the same amount of fire. The building had fire end to end, it just needed some more oxygen. That being said, we have a municipal water system with hydrants everywhere…they might not. They might have been working off of tank water and water shuttles. It is hard to tell.

I would have picked a solid tip nozzle.

One thing is for sure, they should have opened that door sooner to get to work. After they do, they would have had a better futile effort by keeping the water stream trained on the interior of the structure.

It was a goner, that is for sure. As always, it is hard to determine the capabilities of the fire department and their resources just by one video.

Keep in mind that these questions are for thought provoking conversation.

What we can do is sit back and watch the video and think about how we might have done things in our department. How our resources, manpower, water capabilities, and other contributing factors might have played out if this fire was in our area. That is what these videos are great for.

Fire Videos Around the World From Cleveland to Houston & Thailand to Canada and More!

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This is a bit of a long post…and it involves plenty of video. I got in front of the computer searching for what fires were caught on video and uploaded to Youtube…and I found a ton!

There is also a great video about the Mayday, Rescue, and Rescesutation of a Lt. in Columbus, Ohio at Paul Hasenmeier’s blog “Pass the Training & Tradition Blog”. The video describes what happened when Lt. Mike Polaski went down at a bread and butter house fire in Columbus. It occured in the basement and firefighters were quick to put their training into action and rescue one of their own. The fruits of their training and labor is that Mike survived the event. Great job guys!

I am actually sitting here working at ole #13 on C-shift. I am paying back another guy for working for him. I am sitting right next to Captain Willie Wines Jr. and we are having a great time! I even made him a cake for his 20th anniversary on the department. I made him  a cake with a bunny rabbit on it. The messed up thing is that I only put one ear on the rabbit. Willie, with the sick mind that he has, thinks it was actually something else. I just don’t see how he thought I would put that on his cake! I mean really, what kind of person does he think I am?

Now, on to the videos!

Here is a house fire (or a row of houses on fire maybe) on Fox Street in Gillingham (which is in Kent…somewhere in the UK)

This fire occured outside of Seattle. This was teh second fire in this house and it was still being rebuilt/remodeled after the first fire. Fire destroyed a home early Friday morning in Lynnwood, the second time the house was gutted by fire in less than a year.Snohomish Co. Fire District #1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said crews were called to the home in the 14700 block of Manor Way about 5:20 a.m. and the house was already engulfed in

http://lynnwood.komonews.com/news/911/fire-destroys-home-second-time/650443

Here is a house fire in Bicknell, Indiana

This fire is in Pattaya near Bangkok, Thailand

House fire in Norwich, Connecticut (next two videos)

Chicago, Illinois – Firefighters working on the roof at 18th Place.

Charleston, South Carolina – House fire on Rutledge Avenue (3 videos)

Cleveland, Ohio – Fire at East 57th Street

New Orleans, Louisiana – House fire on Harvest Valley Street

Kanata, Ottawa, Canada – House fire started by lightning

Garland, Texas – House fire on Hampshire Street

Vancouver, BC – 3 cars on fire

Shreveport, Louisiana – House fire

Houston, Texas – House fire on Sherman Street (2 videos)

Early Video: Anaheim Firefighters Arrive to Well Involved House Fire

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I am not sure when this fire occurred. I looked at the local news in Anaheim and didn’t see anything. It could be a video from earlier this year.

The video captures units arriving, the supply line being laid and then hooked up, and firefighters scrambling to get water on the fire. The person taking the video does a great job of capturing firefighters at work. The firefighters do a great job of getting a knockdown on the fire.

During the 4:00 mark you can see sparks fly presumably from the service line to the house. It is difficult to tell if the exposure has caught fire, but with that amount of fire and the wind, I would imagine it sustained some damage.

This is why we train in getting lines hooked up and on the ground for quick fire attack when we arrive on scene!

Early Video: Rural Firefighting at a Double Fatal House Fire

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Warning: this video below might be a little hard to watch for urban firefighters. This house fire is in the rural setting…

I watched and kinda gasped as the video ran. However, you have to put it into perspective. These guys are rural firefighters, most likely volunteers, and probably were not at the station when the call came in. As you can see, some firefighters showed up by POV, and some apparatus showed up with only 1 firefighter in it.

That is not uncommon in some rural areas.

The two things that really stuck out in my head that I would not have done in either rural or urban firefighting is forgetting at least 1 hand tool and I would have had a little more pep in my step.

There are so many things that urban firefighters have to their disposal that rural firefighters do not….manpower, quicker responses, quicker en route times, potentially more experience, and fire hydrants among other things.

It took around 3 and a half minutes for firefighters to make entry after the first firefighter got out of the engine. That would be unacceptable in my department…what about yours?

Consider the time it took firefighters to get to the station, response time, and time on scene before making entry and extinguishment. Do you think your department might have had a chance at getting to the victims while they were still viable victims?

The fire occured at 424 Horseshoe Bend Road in Logansport, KY.

Dave Statter also has the video posted here

More information on the fire at the Banner-Republican

I Caught a Job…The Fire Critic AND IronFiremen.com on Scene!

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You heard it right! I caught a job today and Willie Wines Jr. was on the scene as well.

Willie was in command and I was riding the seat on the first in engine. I was paying back Lt. Bradford for a day he worked for me, and Captain Martin decided to give his medics a break and ride the medic unit.

Captain Willie Wines Jr. in command. Photo by Mike Overacker

A perfect storm!

Check out Captain Wines post on the fire here!

Pictures from the fire here + videos and here

Hell, I didn’t even have to give a size-up! Captain Wines took care of that and struck a 2nd alarm in the same breath.

I was riding Engine 3 on C-shift and we brought a hydrant in with us. We pulled in right behind Ladder 5. They forced entry and we made our way in to put some wet stuff on the red stuff.

So there we were…Willie in command and loving it! Me paired up with Ladder 7 to go in and find the fire (my firefighter was on the hydrant and driver was pumping).

AND…I got the nozzle! Happy Birthday to me!

You have to understand that Willie and I working a job together is not probable. We work different shifts and probably never be stationed together…unfortunately. You never know…it could happen!

You can't wipe that smile off my face! This is me in rehab...after 3 bottles. Photo by Mike Overacker

I got inside with zero visibility, found a staircase straight ahead and headed up the steps. I found a wall the hard way…took a left found some more stairs and then found another wall…again the hard way. I got up to the 2nd floor. The 1st floor had about 14 foot ceilings. The next thing I know there is fire behind me…and a lot of it! I didn’t see any when I went in. I knew there was smoke coming from side Charlie/Delta and the eaves on the roof.

I quickly had to move back down the stairs where the rest of my crew was humping hose and began extinguishing the fire. We found the bulk of the fire in a room behind the stairwell. The fire had already gotten through the second floor to the attic. We made a decent knock on the fire.

Villa Heights Recreation Center Burning. Photo by Roanoke Fire-EMS PIO Tiffany Bradbury

The problem was that the fire in the attic was not easy to get to. There was very little visibility, no access, and 12-14 foot ceilings. While crews were inside trying to get to it, command thought it had gotten too much of a jump and we were working inside too long. We had to pull out.

We made a defensive attack on the attic and once that was knocked down we re-entered and finished the job.

The building was originally a house I believe…over 5000 square feet and built in 1925.

The fire was vacant and boarded up…it was ruled unoccupied after a primary and secondary search!

Since I was the officer on the first in engine I got to do all the reports and the press release.

The bonus…I am pulling a 48!

All that…and we started the day with ARFF training from 9-noon. The fire toned out after lunch around 1:45pm.

Tomorrow I get to do the ARFF training again…oh joy!

Did I mention it was hot as hell out and sunny!

One call so far this shift and it is almost midnight! One hell of a day!

No injuries.

More coverage:

San Francisco Firefighter Dies After Flashover: LODD Video, Audio, and Links

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June 2, 2011 is a tragic day for San Francisco Firefighters. Lt. Vincent Perez was killed battling a blaze in the Diamond Heights area of San Francisco. Firefighter Anthony Valerio is fighting for his life in critical condition.

Firefighters were called to the fire at 133 Berkeley Way at about 10:45 a.m.

San Francisco Lt. Vincent Perez

Lt. Perez, 48, was a 21 year veteran of the fire service. Rest in Peace.

This is the first LODD in San Francisco since 2003.

Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, died trying to extinguish a fire at a four-story home in Diamond Heights. Anthony Valerio, 53, is in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital’s intensive care unit with severe burns. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com

“Our hearts are heavy as we are reminded of the sacrifices firefighters and their families make each day to keep our City safe,” [Mayor]Lee said. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the two injured firefighters and their families for a safe and speedy recovery.” Read more: http://www.sacbee.com

San Francisco Firefighter Anthony Valerio remains in critical condition.

Links:


Early Video: House Fire Well Involved Prior to Firefighters Arriving

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Check out this video of a well involved house fire. The video claims that lightining struck a propane grill.

Whatever it was, it took off very fast or the department was that late to arrive.

Big fire like this needs big water!

I am not sure where the fire occurred, any info is helpful!

image from video

Early Video: House Fire With Exposure Involved…Two House Fires?

3 comments

I couldn’t find any information on this fire. The video states it happened in hartage. Any info is appreciated.

The question is where do you focus your attack when you arrive? The answer should be simple!

What other considerations are there since you have two houses involved?

Do you treat this as two house fires? Two independent operations? What does your department do?

photo taken from video

Video: Firefighters Working in West Edmonton

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I can’t tell what line they are using…but if the water was there I would have pulled a 2 1/2″ line with a solid tip on it…just sayin!

Check out these Edmonton Firefighters doing work.

The fire occured this morning near 106th Avenue and 159th Street.

photo pulled from video