NFPA Journal - November/December 2019 - 70

Firewatch
fire progressed, including tanker trucks
from several companies after the loss of
the water supply. The fire was brought
under control at 1:16 a.m. and crews
then began overhaul and additional
search efforts, which eventually located
the remains of the victim amid debris.
Crews cleared the scene at 5:45 a.m.
Investigators determined that the
fire originated in a family room when
an ember or flame from a woodstove
ignited multiple types of combustible
material.
The house was a single-story wood
structure and occupied a ground floor
area of 1,584 square feet (147 square
meters).
Crews were unable to determine if
the house was protected by automatic
detection equipment. The house and its
contents, together valued at $215,000,
were a total loss.

INDIANA
Electrical problem suspected in
house fire kills two children
An early morning house fire the day
before Christmas claimed the lives
of two children, who were reportedly
on the second floor of the two-family
residence.
Firefighters dispatched to the scene
at 3:38 a.m. arrived to find the structure already fully involved with fire.
As crews readied hoses for fire attack,
they were informed by police officers
that the two minors were still inside,
according to news reports.
Firefighters were able to make entry
after attacking the fire for approximately five minutes, but were initially
delayed by the collapse of the front
porch. Crews located and removed the
victims, who were already deceased,
amidst intense fire conditions once
they were able to reach the second
floor.
News reports indicated two adults
and three other children were able
to evacuate the residence and were
treated for injuries at a local hospital.

Two firefighters suffered injuries in the
porch collapse.
Investigators determined that the fire
began in the downstairs kitchen area
with the ignition of cabinets and may
have had an electrical origin. Firefighters
indicated they found no evidence that the
house was protected by smoke alarms.
The house was a wood structure with
a ground floor area of 900 square feet
(74 square meters).
The house and contents, collectively
valued at $50,000, were a total loss.

MICHIGAN
Resident with mobility disability dies
in house fire
A female occupant with a mobility disability died in a late-night house fire
that was ignited by electrical arcing in
a crawl space.
The fire department was dispatched
at 9:45 p.m. after the occupant called
a relative to report the fire, who then
called 911.
Arriving crews reported heavy fire
and smoke showing from a window at
one side of the single-story structure.
Initial size-up also found pressurized
smoke emitting from eaves around the
entire perimeter of the roof line and
heavy smoke from the opposite side of
the structure.
Incident command was informed
by a neighbor that the resident of the
house had a mobility disability and was
possibly home. Crews pulled a hose for
initial knockdown through the exterior
side window, then entered the house
through the rear to search for the resident and continue fire attack from
inside. Additional firefighters were
assigned to assist with interior search
and extinguishment activities as they
arrived on scene.
Approximately three minutes after
entry, crews located the victim, who
was already deceased, in a family room
near the front of the house. Crews
safeguarded the victim's body while
completing initial knockdown and

overhaul operations. Fire suppression
was hampered by large stacks of debris
throughout the residence.
Crews continued with salvage and
overhaul activities after the victim's
remains were recovered and removed
by medical authorities.
Investigators indicated that the fire
had been fueled by an accumulation of
combustible materials inside the residence. They also determined that the
house, which occupied a ground floor
area of 1,000 square feet (93 square
meters), was equipped with smoke
alarms. The house, valued at $46,000,
and its contents, valued at $15,000,
were a total loss.

GEORGIA
No smoke alarms in fatal house fire
caused by smoking materials
An early morning house fire that
claimed the life of an elderly man was
caused by smoking materials, according
to fire investigators.
Firefighters were dispatched at 4:33
a.m. and reached the scene within five
minutes of the alarm, where they found
fire and smoke showing from a single-family home.
Crews stretched a handline to the
front entrance and forced open the
door to begin the fire attack. Incident
command made assignments for primary search and rapid intervention
teams. After making entry, the search
team found the occupant in a front
corner of the house and transported
him outside to medical staff, who transported him to the hospital.
Inside the structure, crews were
able to confine the fire to the room of
origin, but there was smoke and heat
damage throughout the remainder of
the residence.
After completing extinguishment,
crews set up positive pressure ventilation and conducted a secondary search
of the home. Crews made a final check
for hot spots before clearing the scene
for entry by fire investigators, who

FIREWATCH is a compilation of fire incidents involving a variety of occupancies and fire types. The intent of Firewatch is to illustrate the range of fire scenarios encountered by the fire service, present the challenges contained in those incidents, recount how the fire service addressed those challenges, and record the effectiveness of fire
protection systems, where such systems exist. The incidents are identified by NFPA's Research Group from fire reports submitted to NFPA by responding fire departments.
Some of the fire incidents that appear in Firewatch are augmented with details provided by media accounts.

70 | NFPA JOURNAL * N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

NFPA Journal - November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2019