Issue: Do you know of any
LODDs besides Homewood IL (Investigation
Report F2010-1 IL), where a company officer should have been
inside with their crew, but was not, and was outside performing another
function?
Residential Structure Fires:
·
Floor Collapse in a Single Family Dwelling Fire Claims the
Life of One Fire Fighter and Injures Another – Kentucky; Investigation Report F1997-04;
On February 17, 1997, two male fire fighters (the victim and injured)
were part of a fire company that responded to a single family dwelling fire.
When the fire company arrived at the fire scene, the District Major reported
heavy smoke emitting from the roof area of the dwelling. The victim and injured
pulled two water hoses from their assigned engine and proceeded toward the
dwelling.
After knocking down a ceiling fire, they entered the dwelling through
the front door and both immediately fell through the floor into the basement
area. One fire fighter was seriously injured while the victim died from
asphyxiation.
· One Fire Fighter Dies of Smoke Inhalation,
One Overcome by Smoke While Fighting an Attic Fire - New York: Investigation
Report F1997-16;
On July 4, 1997, one fire fighter died and another
was injured while fighting a residential fire. As the two fire fighters
advanced into the attic of the residence, the heat and smoke became so intense
that fire fighter 1 (victim), on the attack nozzle, stated "I've got to
go." Fire fighter 2 (injured), the back-up fire fighter, asked, "Are
you OK?" Fire fighter 1 responded, "Yeah." Fire fighter 2 moved
forward to control the attack nozzle that had been turned off. However, the
heat and smoke were so intense that he could not advance. As he retreated, he
had trouble with his air supply. After trying emergency procedures, he
unsuccessfully attempted to remove his facepiece, and let out an
undistinguishable sound. This is the last thing he remembered until he regained
consciousness on the second floor. He was hospitalized and the fire fighter who
remained in the attic died of smoke inhalation.
Note: The
officer in this incident was a senior fire fighter assigned as the acting
lieutenant of the engine company.
·
Single-Family Dwelling Fire Claims the Life of a Volunteer Fire Fighter
– Indiana; Investigation Report F1999-02;
On January 9, 1999, a male volunteer fire fighter (the victim)
died of smoke inhalation while performing an interior attack on a fire at a
single-family dwelling. A city
police officer, who was first on-scene, entered the structure to try to
extinguish the blaze with a portable fire extinguisher, and assisted the exit
of family members from the structure. A volunteer engine company composed of a
driver/operator and a fire fighter (the victim), were the first arriving
company to the fire. When the engine company arrived, the driver/operator
reported heavy smoke and fire showing from the northwest corner of the house.
The Chief arrived within minutes of the first engine. The Chief then assisted
the driver/operator in connecting the supply line to a fire hydrant
approximately 150 feet away. At the same time, the victim and the police
officer dragged the 1 3/4- inch hose from the engine to the front porch of the
structure. The victim, wearing full turnout gear, donned a self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) and entered the structure to extinguish the fire.
The Chief, returning from hooking up to the hydrant, noticed that the victim
was not present and went around the exterior of the house to locate him. The
Chief went to the hoseline that was inside the front door of the structure and
pulled on it to get the victim’s attention. He did not feel any resistance on
the line. The Chief then called “Man Down.â€
·
Residential
Structure Fire Claims the Life of One Career Fire Fighter – Alabama; Investigation
Report F200-26;
At approximately
the same time, FF#5 and FF#6 arrived on the scene in Car 14 (air supply van).
They reported to the IC and were instructed to pull a 1¾-inch handline and
enter through the front door of the structure with the victim. They walked into
the structure and immediately dropped to their knees due to heat and lack of
visibility. They made their way into the structure, moving to their left
approximately 10 feet. The victim was on the nozzle and FF#5 and FF#6 served as
backup. Heavy smoke made it impossible to see, so they exited the structure to
get a positive pressure fan (PPV) to aid in ventilation. As they exited, FF#4
was setting up the fan at the front door of the structure. The victim and FF#5
and FF#6 reentered the structure through the front door and made their way to
the right and into the living room. FF#5, FF#6, and the victim were near the
bathroom of the residence when FF#6 heard a loud crack. It is believed that at
this time the victim fell through the bathroom floor into the basement. The
engine operator from Engine 1 went into the basement bedroom, entering from the
garage through the utility room into the downstairs bedroom. The engine
operator from Engine 1, with the help of FF#1 and FF#4, removed the victim from
the structure.
·
Career Fire Fighter Dies After
Single-Family-Residence House Fire - South Carolina; Investigation Report
F2001-27
On June 16, 2001, a 22-year-old male career fire fighter
sustained injuries while fighting a residential house fire that subsequently
resulted in his death. Central Dispatch received notification of a smoke detector
alarm at a single-family residence. After several apparatus had arrived on the
scene, the victim arrived in Tanker 34, donned his gear, and approached the
house. He was met by another fire fighter who told him the fire conditions. The
victim proceeded to the garage area, and shortly thereafter, a partial roof and
garage door collapse occurred, trapping him. A civilian bystander notified the
Incident Commander (IC) that a fire fighter was down. The IC ran to the garage
area and helped pull the victim out from the debris. Emergency medical
personnel moved the victim to the street and began administering first aid. The
victim was flown to a regional hospital where he remained until his death on
July 12, 2001.
·
Career Fire Fighter Dies After Roof
Collapse Following Roof Ventilation – Iowa; Investigation F2002-40;
On
September 14, 2002, a 53-year-old male career fire fighter died after falling
through a roof following roof ventilation operations at a house fire. The
victim, who was not wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), was
observing another fire fighter who was wearing an SCBA while making ventilation
cuts. After making the last cut, the victim, who had been covering his face
with his hands, told his partner that they had to leave immediately. The fire
fighters
retreated
toward the aerial platform, but the victim stopped a few feet from the
platform, saying he could not continue. Seconds later, the area of the roof
under the victim failed, and he fell through the roof into the structure and
the fire. Within minutes the interior attack crew found the victim and, with
the help of the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), removed him. He was transported
to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
·
Career Fire Fighter Dies and Two Career
Fire Fighters Injured in a Flashover During a House Fire – Ohio; Investigation
F2003-12;
On March 21, 2003, a 25-year old male career fire fighter (the
victim) was fatally injured in a flashover during a house fire. The victim and
two other fire fighters were on an interior attack crew and had just gone
through the front door of a single family residence. The hose line was
uncharged and the crew was calling for water when a flashover occurred. From the time the victim arrived on
scene until the flashover was approximately four minutes. After the flashover,
fire fighters on the front porch witnessed the victim walk toward the front
door then turn and retreat into the structure. The two other fire fighters on
the interior crew exited through the front door. They were injured and
transported to the hospital where they were treated and released. The victim
was located and removed from the structure within 10 minutes. He was
transported via ambulance to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Note: The victim was
Oscar Armstrong III with the Cincinnati FD; I am sending their internal report.
·
Career Engineer Dies and Fire Fighter
Injured After Falling Through Floor While Conducting a Primary Search at a
Residential Structure Fire – Wisconsin; Investigation Report F2006-26;
On August 13,
2006, a 55-year-old male, career, Engineer (the victim) died and another fire
fighter
was injured after falling through the floor at a residential
structure fire. The victim and fire fighter had arrived in their ambulance and
assisted the first-due engine attach a 5-inch supply line at approximately 1227
hours. The engine company was conducting a fast attack on a suspected basement
fire, while a ladder company conducted horizontal ventilation. The ambulance
crew had advanced to the front of the structure when the Incident Commander
requested them to conduct a primary search. The victim and injured fire fighter
proceeded to conduct a left hand search at approximately 1234 hours. They took
a couple of steps to the left just inside the front door to conduct a quick
sweep. Visibility was near zero with minimal heat conditions. Because of the
smoke conditions, they kneeled, sounded the ceramic tile floor, and took one
crawling step while on their knees. They heard a large crack just before the
floor gave way sending them into the basement. The basement area exploded into
a fireball when the floor collapsed. The victim fell into the room of origin
while the injured fire fighter fell on the other side of a basement door into a
hallway. The injured fire fighter was able to eventually crawl out of a
basement window. The victim was recovered the next day.
· Volunteer Fire Fighter Dies While Lost in Residential Structure Fire-
Alabama; Investigation
Report F2008-24
On October 29,
2008, a 24-year old male volunteer fire fighter (the victim) was fatally
injured while
fighting a
residential structure fire. The victim, one of three fire fighters on scene,
entered the
residential structure by himself through a carport door with a
partially charged 1½-in hose line; he became lost in thick black smoke. The
victim radioed individuals on the fireground to get him out.
Fire fighters were unable to locate the victim after he entered
the structure which became engulfed in flames. The victim was caught in a
flashover and was unable to escape the fire. Approximately an hour after the
victim entered the structure alone, a police officer looking through the
kitchen window noticed the victim’s hand resting on a kitchen counter; the
victim was nine feet from the carport door he had entered. The victim was
removed from the structure and pronounced dead at the scene by emergency
medical services.
·
Volunteer
Fire Fighter Caught in a Rapid Fire Event During Unprotected Search, Dies After
Facepiece Lens Melts – Maryland; Investigation Report F2011-02;
On January 19, 2011, at approximately 1855 hours, a
43-year-old volunteer fire fighter died after being caught in a rapid fire
progression. The victim and another fire fighter were conducting a search of a
third-floor apartment above the fire, which had started on the first floor.
Conditions at the time of entry for the search crew indicated that the fire was
under control. The fire had already breached the second-floor apartment through
a sliding glass door in the rear of the structure but was oxygen-limited.
Another crew was initiating a civilian rescue from the second-floor apartment
above the fire when a rapid fire build-up occurred on the second floor. The
fire and smoke traveled up the common stairwell, igniting the third-floor
apartment and trapping the victim. The victim radioed multiple Mayday calls,
but crews were unable to reach him before his facepiece melted from the
extensive heat produced by the rapid fire progression. The other fire fighter
who was with the victim was searching a bedroom and his exit was cut off by the
rapid fire progression. He was forced to bail out a bedroom window and was
injured by the fall. Rescue efforts were initiated, the victim was located, and
removed from the third-floor apartment. The victim died from exposure to the
products of combustion.
·
Career Fire
Fighter Dies during Fire-Fighting Operations at a Multi-family Residential
Structure Fire – Massachusetts; Investigation Report F2011-31
On December 23, 2011, a 42-year-old male career fire fighter
died during fire-fighting operations on the 2nd floor of a three-story
apartment building. The victim was assigned to Engine 5 (E5) with a lieutenant
and driver/pump operator. E5 was the first-due engine company at this fire. The
Incident Commander ordered E5 to take a 1¾†hoseline and attack the fire in a
2nd floor apartment. The lieutenant stretched the line to the landing of the
2nd floor but did not realize there were two apartments on the 2nd floor. Due
to heavy smoke conditions, he went to Apartment 4 instead of the fire apartment
(Apartment 3). Apartment 4 was locked, so
so he went to get the ladder company, which was operating on the 3rd
floor. At this time, the lieutenant lost contact with the victim. The Incident
Commander (Car 2) went to the 2nd floor landing, contacted the lieutenant from
E5, advised him the fire was in Apartment 3, and the door was open. The
lieutenant then entered the fire apartment, attempted to knock down the fire, and
the apartment flashed. The lieutenant, with his helmet on fire, was pulled out
of the apartment by members of Engine 3 and Ladder 1. At this time, the
location of the victim was unknown. The lieutenant returned to the fire
apartment with a thermal imaging camera (TIC) but the image was featureless due
to the amount of heat and fire in the apartment. Several fire fighters stated
they heard a personal alert safety system (PASS) alarm sounding but were unable
to determine the location. The officer of the fourth-due engine company (Engine
7) entered the fire apartment, located the victim, and removed the victim with
the help of two other fire fighters. Despite receiving cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and advanced life support (ALS) outside the structure, in
the ambulance, and in the local hospital’s emergency department (ED), the
victim died. The death certificate and the autopsy listed the immediate cause
of death as “probable cardiac dysrhythmia while fighting
fire†with a contributory cause of “hypertensive cardiovascular disease.â€
·
Volunteer
Fire Fighter Found Unresponsive With His Facepiece Off Dies Eight Days Later –
Maryland; Investigation Report F2013-13;
On April 24, 2013, a 24-year-old male volunteer fire fighter
sustained injuries at a residential structure fire and died eight days later at
a metropolitan trauma center. At 0109 hours, Special Unit 418 (SU418) responded
with two fire fighters from the first-due volunteer fire station. SU418 was the
first unit on scene receiving reports of occupants trapped in the building from
police and occupants screaming that a man was trapped on the second floor. The
two fire fighters donned their personal protective equipment and made entry.
Engine 56 (E56) arrived with a captain and 3 fire fighters. The captain assumed
command, conducted a size-up, and struck a 2nd alarm due to heavy fire in the
rear of the structure. Truck 404 arrived and was instructed to start rescue and
ventilation operations. E56’s crew stretched a 1 ¾-inch hoseline to the front
door and met one of the fire fighters (the victim) from SU418. The SU418 fire
fighter stated that there was an occupant trapped somewhere on the second
floor. E56’s nozzleman noticed the 1st floor hallway access was severely
limited, due to the hoarding of objects along the walls and on the floor, so
they took the stairs to the second floor landing where it was very hot and
smoky. When E56 and SU418 reached the 2nd floor, the nozzleman opened the
nozzle in short bursts (penciling) to cool down the 2nd floor. The nozzleman
radioed Command to get the 2nd floor ventilated. Hearing a personal alert
safety system (PASS) alarm, the nozzleman called out to the SU418 crew with no
response, and then called a “Mayday.†E56’s backup man went around the
nozzleman towards the sound of the PASS alarm. After pushing the door open to a
bedroom located on the “B/C†corner of the house, he crawled into the bedroom
and found a fire fighter standing and pointing to a second fire fighter on the
floor behind the door. The downed fire fighter was found with his gloves,
helmet, hood, and facepiece removed. With the help of the nozzleman, they got
the unresponsive fire fighter down the stairs and onto the front porch. The
downed fire fighter was put on a backboard and taken to Medic 56. Paramedics
were able to re-establish a pulse and respiration. The fire fighter was
transported to a local hospital and then transferred to a metropolitan trauma
center. Unfortunately, the fire fighter passed away from his injuries eight
days later.
Commercial Structure Fires:
·
Restaurant
Fire Claims the Life of Two Career Fire Fighters – Texas; Investigation Report
F2000-13;
On February 14, 2000,
a 44-year-old male and a 30-year-old female, both career fire fighters, died in
a restaurant fire. At 0430 hours, Central Dispatch received a call from a
civilian who reported that fire was emitting through the roof of the
restaurant. Medic 73 was first to arrive on the scene, followed by Engine 76
(Captain, Fire Apparatus Operator (FAO), and two fire fighters (Victim #1 and
Victim #2). Upon arrival, dispatch was notified by the two companies that there
was visible fire emitting through the roof. The Captain on Engine 76 radioed
dispatch reporting that he and his crew were going to complete a .fast attack.
(enter the structure with a 1¾-inch hoseline and knock down the fire with the
water from their engine). Approximately 2 minutes later, Ladder 76 (Captain,
FAO, and one fire fighter) arrived on the scene and the Captain assumed
Incident Command (IC). After making forcible entry, the victims entered with a
1¾-inch hoseline as their Captain finished donning his gear. Shortly after, the
Captain entered the structure, met up with his crew, and then exited the structure
to assist with the advancement of their hoseline. Engine 73 (Captain, FAO, and
two fire fighters) arrived on the scene and one fire fighter entered the
structure with a 1¾-inch hoseline. He stretched the hoseline past the front
counter and around a wall in the dining area. The Captain from Engine 76
reentered the structure and followed a hoseline, which he believed the victims
were on. After meeting up with a fire fighter on the end of the line, the
Captain exited and reentered the structure a second time. As he followed the
line, debris began to fall and there was visible fire throughout the middle
section of the kitchen). Soon after, District 10 (District Chief) arrived,
completed a size-up, and assumed command. Due to the heavy fire he observed, he
requested all companies convert to a defensive attack and evacuate the
structure. At this point the middle roof section (over the kitchen) of the
building had collapsed. An interior evacuation took place, and neither of the
victims exited. The IC sent several fire fighters inside to search for the
victims. The fire fighters located and removed Victim #1 at 0530 hours. He was
then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The fire
fighters located Victim #2 at 0713 hours, and she was pronounced dead at the
scene.
· Two Career Fire Fighters Die in Four-Alarm Fire at Two-Story Brick
Structure – Missouri; Investigation F2002-20;
On
May 3, 2002, a 38-year-old male career fire fighter (Victim #1) died after he
became lost and ran
out of air while searching for a missing 38-year-old
male career fire fighter (Victim #2) at a four-alarm, two-story structure fire.
Victim #2 was identified as missing when he failed to respond to a member
accountability roll call (MARC). Victim #1 reentered the structure to search
for Victim #2 as part of a search-and-rescue team. Shortly thereafter, Victim
#1 became lost and radioed Mayday several times. After extensive searches for
both victims, they were removed from the structure and provided medical
attention on the scene. They were then transported by Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) to a local hospital. Victim #1 was pronounced dead on arrival,
and Victim #2 was pronounced dead the following day.
·
Career Fire Fighter Dies Searching For
Fire In A Restaurant/Lounge – Missouri; Investigation Report F2004-10;
On February 18,
2004, a 40-year-old male career fire fighter (the victim) was fatally injured
in a
commercial
restaurant/lounge structure fire. The victim, providing mutual aid, had been
searching for the seat of the fire with two volunteer fire fighters from
another department, when one of these fire fighters lost the seal on his self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) face piece. The fire fighter immediately abandoned
the nozzle position and retreated out of the closest door. The backup fire fighter
also retreated out of the building when his partner left. In the black smoke
and zero visibility, the fire fighters were unaware that the victim was still inside
the structure. Soon after, the Incident Commander (IC) ordered an emergency
evacuation because of an imminent roof collapse, and an air horn signal was
sounded. Personnel accounting indicated that a missing fire fighter (the
victim) was still inside the building when the roof partially collapsed. After several
search attempts, the victim was found in a face-down position with his mask and
a thermal imaging camera cable entangled in a chair. His face mask was
dislodged and not over his mouth. He was pronounced dead on scene.
...