Saw a nasty fire today

[Jspafford]

Was at work around 4:30 and someone came in and said the Restaurant across the street was on fire. I'm thinking, yeah ok. I was just out there and nothing.

So I walk out the door and smoke was just billiowing out of the round exhaust fan up on the roof. Then I heard the sirens. The building pretty much burned to the ground. There were 3 different fire companies that responded. They had to use foam to fight it because of the grease.

This all happened across a 4 lane highway from the place I work, in fact, I had just eaten lunch at the place a couple hours earlier.

Here is the link

http://10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/04/10/stans.html?sid=102

If you view the picture slideshow you can see some of the campers in line where I work, all the employees of my company were standing out in the driveway next to the ambulance that backed in, also in the pic.

I have about 10 minutes recorded on my cell phone.

It was eerie, as I was watching the fire burn and the place fill up with smoke I could still look in the front window and see the ceiling fan lights glistening.

Definatly something to remember.

 

[samsonitesamsonite]

Justin, we use foam on most fires, it just helps put it out quicker. I hope everyone was alright.

 

[Jspafford]

Justin, we use foam on most fires, it just helps put it out quicker. I hope everyone was alright.

I know there is a method to what firefighters do, and it takes time, but it took them at least 15 minutes from the time they got there until the time they started shooting foam on it from 3 ladder trucks.

Maybe they were working it from the inside, I dunno, but it seemed to take them forever to get started.

No one was injured.

 

[Jorley]

I know there is a method to what firefighters do, and it takes time, but it took them at least 15 minutes from the time they got there until the time they started shooting foam on it from 3 ladder trucks.

Maybe they were working it from the inside, I dunno, but it seemed to take them forever to get started.

No one was injured.

I know what you mean. I was an electronic tech in the navy and one of my other jobs was damage control. I went to 2 fire fighting schools and the Navy fights fires very aggressively. When you're sitting on fuel tanks and magazines you tend to do that. When I see a fire on the news, the firemen are standing back pouring water on it. I know they are doing what they were trained to do and the fires are diferent from the ones I fought, but my training is saying " Get in there and put it out".

I'm not putting down fire fighters it just different ways of fighting different fires.

 

[hihoslvr]

Just wanted stick my two cents in: I'm not a firefighter, but to me it makes more sense to hold back and assess the situation, and end up having to rebuild the building. Since Sept. 11, I don't blame firefighters for not wanting to rush in, but if it was my house... "get in there and save my porn collection!"

 

[97BlackBetty]

I know what you mean. I was an electronic tech in the navy and one of my other jobs was damage control. I went to 2 fire fighting schools and the Navy fights fires very aggressively. When you're sitting on fuel tanks and magazines you tend to do that. When I see a fire on the news, the firemen are standing back pouring water on it. I know they are doing what they were trained to do and the fires are diferent from the ones I fought, but my training is saying " Get in there and put it out".

I'm not putting down fire fighters it just different ways of fighting different fires.

It sure is funny how much differently we fight fires aboard ships than what they do on the hard. Although we fight fires a lot differently aboard a commercial ship than a naval vessel. I mean lets be honest, a naval vessel has several thousand people who are "trained" to fight a fire. On a commercial vessel we have maybe 30. And of those 30, 8 have actually been to a fire school, the rest have been told how to combat a fire by the 8 who went to training.

One major advantage that we have on a ship though, is due to our limited fire fighting resources and man power, all spaces have permanent extinguishing devices. So if all else fails, exit the space and break the glass and pull the release chord for the bottles. And pray like hell that the fire goes out.

Food for though though, most shipboard fires involve liquid, solid, and electrical fuels all in the same space. Almost all spaces are ventilated, and all spaces are adjacent to another space on at least 4 sides. So you have to kill all power and ventilation to any space. Cool the walls or bulkheads of each space, ensure that your ship is still operating, and extinguish the freakin fire. Man do I miss fire fighting school. Who would have thought that you can extinguish 600 gallons of diesel fuel with water. Or the hundred gallons of propane that the instructer is dumping on the floor while your combatting 10 burning pallets. And then dealing with people running out of air. Oh it was so much fun, only 3 years till I get to go back!

 

[Jorley]

I was on a DDG (guided missle destroyer,474 ft long, 47 ft wide) 150- 200 crew(don't remember exactly, been a long time ago). All crew had basic fire fighting and some would get more. We had 3 fire fighting groups, one for each watch.
Yeah, fire fighing school was a trip. The instructor says "we're going into this engine room mock up full of burning fuel oil with hoses and put it out." It's funny how I can't remember the # of crew, but I still remember the training. We had to surround the compartment on fire, one investigator to each side.

 

[97BlackBetty]

HAHAHA investigators? Hell the master and the lead guy into the burning compartment are the investigators. All of the first year cadets are coming back from fire fighting over spring break and putting up their pictures, it really brings back the memories fresh. Granted I was only there a year ago so I shouldnt have forgotten to much.

 

[Jorley]

The #1 and #2 hose teams went into the burning compartment, the investigators just made sure the fire didn't catch the paint and such on the walls of the compartments next to it on fire.

 

[Will]

I was on a DDG (guided missle destroyer,474 ft long, 47 ft wide) 150- 200 crew(don't remember exactly, been a long time ago).

That seemed low so I googled it. About 350 crew.

I think it's easy to take your time putting out the Steak and Shake. When you are going for a swim or will be riding the shock wave of an explosion large enough to blow a new Grand Canyon there certainly some motivation to be firm with that fire.

The only think I've ever used a fire extinguisher for was too cool some beer.

 

[mjonesjr]

Just wanted stick my two cents in: I'm not a firefighter, but to me it makes more sense to hold back and assess the situation, and end up having to rebuild the building. Since Sept. 11, I don't blame firefighters for not wanting to rush in, but if it was my house... "get in there and save my porn collection!"

the training methods since 9/11 have changed to be more cautious. More and more fire departments are training to fight a fire from the outside.

What I like about the fire department I am on is that we are REALLY aggressive fighting fires, especially structure fires. Making entry into a structure fire is part of the job.

Until you make entry into a fire (if you are brave enough to), you will not understand what it is like to "dance with the devil". Fires are living breathing things. I can honestly say that I would prefer to make an interior attack on a structure fire than to have sex with the most beautiful woman in the world.


BTW: Foam is the standard for all structure fires now days. CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System) is all but becoming a standard on all new fire apparatus. Foam allows for faster control of the fire.

 

[silveranger93]

I run with a volunteer fire company. Basically the theory now is that if there is no urgent reason to make entry into a fully involved building (usually occupants), then there is no reason to risk a guy's life because you can't save that building anyway. Now its a different story if it's not fully involved.

CAFS is great stuff, but if you don't have enough training with it, it can be more of a nuisance than anything. I've seen companies get a fire under control and out and leave just to have it flare up later. There is a lot more clean up work with foam because at the same time it puts the fire out, it also tends to hold the heat in more than water. So if the demo work isn't done fully after a fire you can pretty much guarantee a flare-up.

 

[Jorley]

the training methods since 9/11 have changed to be more cautious. More and more fire departments are training to fight a fire from the outside.

What I like about the fire department I am on is that we are REALLY aggressive fighting fires, especially structure fires. Making entry into a structure fire is part of the job.

Until you make entry into a fire (if you are brave enough to), you will not understand what it is like to "dance with the devil". Fires are living breathing things. I can honestly say that I would prefer to make an interior attack on a structure fire than to have sex with the most beautiful woman in the world.


BTW: Foam is the standard for all structure fires now days. CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System) is all but becoming a standard on all new fire apparatus. Foam allows for faster control of the fire.

It is a rush fighting a fire "face to face". I found that your training just takes over and you have to go after the fire. I've always thought of fire as alive. It breathes, eats and reproduces. You can never turn your back on it or take it for granted.
We used AFFF(Aqueous Film Forming Foam) in the Navy. It is biodegradable and they told us you could even eat it. I would have to be pretty hungary to try.

 

[mjonesjr]

It is a rush fighting a fire "face to face". I found that your training just takes over and you have to go after the fire. I've always thought of fire as alive. It breathes, eats and reproduces. You can never turn your back on it or take it for granted.
We used AFFF(Aqueous Film Forming Foam) in the Navy. It is biodegradable and they told us you could even eat it. I would have to be pretty hungary to try.

Each and every time I make entry there is a short moment where I am in amazement at the fire. It is a beautiful and deadly living being. When training hits, it is like a kick in the arse back to reality.

I get the lucky task of being interior attack officer.

We have neck mics that are tied to our radios and voice activated. We have 2 channels, 1 is on a repeater to central alarm, and another channel that is a talk about channel. I have to keep my radio on talk about channel because of how i talk to the fire. I will start by sweet talking it, and by the time it is under control, i am cursing it like a drunken sailor. Command and other exterior crews find me humorous.