NFPA Journal - January/February 2018 - 72

Firewatch
Investigators believe that the victim
fell asleep in an adjacent room while
waiting for cooking oil to heat in the
kitchen. They believe that he awakened
after the cooking oil ignited and threw
water on the fire, causing it to spread
rapidly. He was found in the area of fire
origin with burn and smoke inhalation
injuries.
According to fire department reports,
the home was equipped with a single
battery-operated smoke alarm. Crews
indicated that the alarm was not sounding when they entered the structure.
The house was a two-story structure
with a ground-floor area of 1,232 square
feet (114 square meters). The walls and
floor framing were constructed of logs,
with a wooden roof deck covered by
asphalt.
The fire caused $50,000 in damage
to the structure, which was valued at
$112,000, and an additional $20,000 in
damage to the contents, whose value
was estimated at $25,000.

ILLINOIS
Elderly man dies, two firefighters
injured in early morning house fire
An elderly man died in an early morning house fire that originated in an
electrical junction box in the basement.
Firefighters responded to the report
of a structure fire at 5:30 a.m. While en
route, dispatch informed crews that an
elderly resident was possibly trapped
inside the home. Crews reaching the
scene observed fire showing in a side
window on the second floor of a oneand-a-half-story bungalow and fire at
the rear of the house.
Crews initially attempted to access
a corner room at the rear of the house
that a neighbor had identified as the
resident's bedroom, but fire conditions
prevented entry until a hand line was
brought into service. A second crew
attempting to make entry on the opposite side of the house with a hand line
reported fire in the basement, prompting a call for a second alarm.

Incident command formed primary
search and rapid intervention teams,
while directing other crews to control
the basement fire and to pull a line
through the front of the house for fire
attack. When the fire was sufficiently
under control to make entry, the search
team entered the house and found the
occupant in the dining room. Crew
members carried the occupant outside
with assistance from the rapid intervention team. EMS crews assumed care
for the occupant and transported him
to the hospital. The occupant was later
pronounced dead.
Crews continued to attack the
fire and began venting the roof at
the front of the house, then checked
for extension in wall areas when
extinguishment was complete. Two
firefighters suffered injuries at the
scene: one who experienced breathing
difficulties while engaged in overhaul
activities and was taken to the hospital for treatment, and a second who

CERTIFICATIONS THAT
LET THE WORLD
KNOW YOU'RE
COMMITTED.
NFPA® certifications deliver serious value that you'll see in your daily work and speak
volumes to your customers, colleagues, and peers about your commitment to your
profession, and your readiness to do your job at the highest level.

NEW IN 2018
IED WILDF
TIF

T

CER

T
LIS

H
FIED AZA
TI

D
TIFIE WAT
ER

C

RTIFIED ELE
CE

R

CER

72 | NFPA JOURNAL * J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

SED SY
ST
-BA
ER

S DESIGNE
EM

MITIGAT
I
IRE

SPECIALI
S
ON

RECOGN
I
RD

SPECI
A
ON
TI

ECHNICIAN
YT

AL SAF
RIC
ET
CT

Take your career to the next level with certifications
from the world's leading resource for electrical, fire
and life safety knowledge. nfpa.org/certifications
http://www.nfpa.org/certifications http://www.nfpa.org/certifications
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2018
