Update from statter911.com:
Word from the Medstar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center
As
we reported earlier, O'Toole and Sorrell both requested that the annual
Bladensburg VFD banquet on Saturday continue as planned. We are told that
Firefighter O'Toole was able to visit the event via Skype.
PGFD Chief Mark Bashoor told The Washington Post's J. Freedom du Lac about the fire:
Strong
winds were gusting out of the west at the time — “up to 40, 45 mph,” said the
chief. They were blowing directly at — and into — the burning basement, which
had a west-facing door.
“As soon as the guys opened the
front door and advanced, it blew from the basement, up the steps and right out
the front door,” Bashoor said. “It was like a blowtorch coming up the steps and
out the door.”
The entire incident — “from the
time they were in the door until they were burned” — took eight seconds, the
chief said.
The
firefighters inside the house “did everything they were trained to do,” he
said, but they were essentially defenseless.
“Without
that wind, the hot air and gases would have been venting out of the rear of the
house,” he said. “The current of air essentially produced a chimney right up
the steps and out the front door.”
Our first concern is and must be
the continued recovery of these young volunteer firefighters. Nothing below is
intended as “second guessing” these firefighters or their brothers on scene at
this fire. Having said that and while we await the official reports, the
initial discussion leads us to believe that this was a “wind driven” fire
event.
Wind driven fires used to be
considered most hazardous in high rise structures and with good reason. Numerous
firefighters in all areas of the country have been injured or killed when a
combination of failed windows and an open apartment door have caused “blow
torch” conditions in the public hallway.
However, this incident as well as previous
incidents in Houston , TX
NIST Study & Report on Houston , TX
Prince William County LODD Report
Presentation Video: http://firecritic.com/files/2010/04/LODD-Report-Video-Section-2.wmv
I recently attended a Haz
Mat Operations level training class taught by Retired Toledo Chiefs Mark
Hertzfeld and Dave Fought. They stressed the importance of knowing what the
weather forecast and conditions are each day you’re going to work (EVERYDAY if
you’re a Volunteer like me)
This is so important not only for Haz Mat but for
firefighting as well. If winds are gusting, you must be very cautious of how
and when ventilation is applied to the fire building. Especially horizontal
ventilation but it must be considered in vertical ventilation as well (as
discussed in this Urban Firefighter Magazine article: (“To Lee or Not to Lee”) http://epaperflip.com/aglaia/viewerUF.aspx?docid=a9792599ba6f4b41877b0b169ec68c8b
Be aware of where the fire
is and what will happen if a window on the windward side fails or is broken
out. A 360 walkaround by the first arriving officer can help accomplish this.
Finally, be aware that
opening a door must be considered as part of ventilation. Smoke, gases and
flame will usually follow the path of least resistance. Be aware of what effect your actions for entry are having on both the fire and the building and be ready to change those tactics quickly if bad things start to happen.
Please continue to keep a good thought for these young firefighters who have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
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Remember, Safety and Aggression are not mutually exclusive...be a student of your craft...be smart and be safe.
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