NFPA Journal - July/August 2017 - 72

Firewatch
smoke inhalation injuries that were
described as severe. The fatally injured
victim succumbed to smoke inhalation
injuries.
Investigators reported that although
the apartment was equipped with
hard-wired smoke alarms with battery
backup, they failed to operate due
to a shut-off or disconnection of the
hardwire.
Damage to the building, a brick
structure valued at $400,000, was
estimated at $10,000. There was an
additional $5,000 in damage to the
apartment's contents.

MARYLAND
Dropped cigarette ignites fatal
apartment fire
A fire that claimed the life of an elderly
woman and destroyed a multi-family
apartment building began when the
victim dropped a lit cigarette onto
an upholstered sofa in proximity to a
home oxygen delivery system.

The fire department was alerted to
the fire by a 911 call at 1:02 a.m. and
crews reached the scene four minutes
later. Upon arrival, crews reported
heavy smoke conditions and occupants
in need of rescue and evacuation from
the building, a three-story, multi-unit
structure. Crews entered the building
and found a resident on the thirdfloor landing with burns to her body.
She was evacuated and provided with
advanced life support before being
transported to a burn center.
Crews advanced handlines to the
third floor to begin attacking the fire
in the apartment of origin. When the
fire extended to the attic and began
to spread laterally, incident command
requested a second alarm and gave an
order to evacuate the entire building.
Four ladder pipes and one monitor pipe
were placed in service for fire attack.
As the fire progressed, incident command established a collapse zone and
issued a special request for two more

engines. Two trucks responded from a
mutual aid company to provide additional assistance.
Once the fire was under control,
incident command initiated rehab
operations. One firefighter was transported to a local burn center with burn
and smoke inhalation injuries.
Following the fire, investigators
spoke with a neighbor who reported
going to the victim's apartment after
hearing her smoke alarm sound and
finding her in a chair, covered in
flames. The neighbor reported that he
extinguished as much of the fire on the
victim and nearby oxygen equipment as
he could before removing her from the
apartment and calling 911.
The victim told firefighters that she
dropped a cigarette and was immediately
engulfed by fire. She succumbed to burn
and inhalation injuries in the hospital.
The building was a brick construction with a ground-floor area of 10,000
square feet (929 square meters).

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2017
