Croton 2nd Alarm Fire 10/29/11

[1075thebox 1]

Article and a couple of photos from 2nd Alarm fire in Croton during October snow storm.

Patch

[peterose313 345]

Someone told me the cause was a result of the transformer outside that blew and sent a voltage spike down the line into the basement or something. Can anyone confirm or decline that?

[Remember585 815]

Someone told me the cause was a result of the transformer outside that blew and sent a voltage spike down the line into the basement or something. Can anyone confirm or decline that?

Pete,

The fire remains under investigation.

[peterose313 345]

Ok, then it was just rumor. Thanks for the clarification.

[Remember585 815]

Just wanted to openly thank our Mutual Aid help for being there at this job. I also want to give a "tip of the hat" to our own guys and gals for putting forth an aggressive attack on a stubborn fire. A job well done by everyone on scene.

Unit rundown

Croton FD units: 2081, 2082, E118, E119, E120, TL44, T10, R18

Ossining FD units: 2331, 2334, E98, TL42, U51

Montrose FD units: 2273, E121

Yorktown FD units: E272

Buchanan FD units: 2551, U12

Cortlandt VAC: 88B3

Ossining VAC: 36M1, 74B1

WCDES: Bat 10, C&O Zone 5

And thanks to Millwood FD for covering us and answering what I think was almost a dozen additional calls while we handled this fire.

I know there's some that were asking questions about this fire, so here's some info.

We were operating at a primary line and pole/transformer on fire at South Riverside and Oneida. We were repositioning E120 when the transformer exploded. I asked the crew of E120 to tell the patrons at Umami Cafe (next to Anton's) to stop standing outside to watch this transformer fire. As the guys were cutting across the lot of Anton's they heard some kind of a "bang" and saw black smoke dumping out of the building. At this time, they radioed me and I made my way over and saw it, giving the "10-75." At the time, all of our apparatus with the exception of TL44 were out on incidents. Luckily, the other incidents were in the middle of being given over to Con Ed, so they could respond to this fire. Car 2081 pulled up a minute or so later and assumed Command, and I took the "Operations" role.

The crews of E120 & T10 stretched a 300' preconnect to the B-side door. We took a quick look inside with the TIC, and could see the basement was the origin of this fire, and made a push downstairs. A 2nd line came in and protected the first line into the basement. As the additional companies arrived, crews made a primary of the restaurant and apartments upstairs (both negative), began horizontal ventillation and stretched an additional two lines in from side A.

We coordinated the basement fire attack with guys on the main level who opened up the floor to help the guys in the basement. While this was going on, part of the main level collapsed into the basement, pushing us back and eventually out of it. The fire was being fed by what we think was the gas line to the kitchen appliances, making it a royal PITA to extinguish, but we were successful in keeping it from taking a hold of the entire basement. The fire was in a 125 x 75 two story restaurant on first/apartments on 2nd building, with masonry block walls. The fire followed pipe chases up to the 2nd floor apartment. Crew made a push into here, only to find the floor burnt thru (glad they were sounding the floor as they advanced). They were able to get at it from a neighboring room and from the roof over the front of the restaurant.

Since the guys were taking a beating between the fire and the weather, I suggested to the IC early on to bring in an extra company for relief. This was when Montrose E121 came to work. Later on, when we realized we had been operating about 90 minutes, I then suggested to the IC to make it a full 2nd Alarm for relief, which brought E272 & TL42 in on the box. We were able to use the member from these three units to rotate personnel for relief as needed.

All in all, thanks to the weather and building construction, smoke was very heavy and wasn't lifting much, so the use of the TICs and old school sounding tactics allowed all of us to go home.

Edited November 13, 2011 by Remember585

[Fireman488 57]

"I know there's some that were asking questions about this fire, so here's some info."

Very thorough narrative!! Very professional job!! Good work Chief!!

[BBBMF 158]

The fire building itself would be great for a walk through drill for all firefighters to learn building construction and fire travel. The fire which originated in the basement as stated went directly up the fresh air stack probably past the first floor to the second floor before dropping back down. The heat then transmitted to the steel channel rails and spread towards the front and rear portions of the building. The interior crews did a great job finding the fire running between different floor joints on both sides of the I-beam which ran through the middle of the building. Also as stated, crews did a nice job sounding floors as they proceeded towards the fire on the 2nd floor.

Some things to note about this fire:

1. There was probably more plywood on the walls than on top of the floor joists where it should have been...The section of floor which collapsed into the basement was a mere layer of wainscoting (1/8" veneer wood paneling) covered by tile as was sections of the 2nd floor where the fire had burned threw. The second floor was not tiled at all and just had a wood panelling covering the floor joists. Always know what your crawling over!

2. When checking for fire extention in a building the first place you always want to go are bathrooms. These rooms will have the most and the biggest voids in the building...Try to pop a hole in the floor near a toilet and if you can find the sewage vent pipe start poking around there as well. Don't wait!

3. Getting a guy on the roof of any building where it appears the fire is going towards that direction is always a great move. Give the incident commander a size-up as to what you see and a layout of the roof with openings and shafts if there are any is always great too. Always open existing openings first; skylights, dumbwaiters, etc. If you feel a simple kerf cut is necessary or an inspection hole to get a better look at whats going on underneath you is never a bad idea, just let the IC know your intentions and what you're doing if you decide the inspection hole needs to be expanded. Roof repairs are mundane compared to burning the whole roof off.

A job well done under difficult circumstances...well done chief

[Tanker 10eng 140]

1. There was probably more plywood on the walls than on top of the floor joists where it should have been...The section of floor which collapsed into the basement was a mere layer of wainscoting (1/8" veneer wood paneling) covered by tile as was sections of the 2nd floor where the fire had burned threw. The second floor was not tiled at all and just had a wood panelling covering the floor joists. Always know what your crawling over!

wait ??? your saying that the kitchen floor with all that stainless steel units was supported by a 1/8" wood board and tile ??? come on now, ??? really ??/ ... I do not see how the floor could support a 90 pound waitress... from what I understand the kitchen floor burned through from the heavy fire load and natural gas feed.... but I have seen allot of poor construction out there.. so you never know..

[BBBMF 158]

Billy, Ask Dave about it...He saw it too! There was one section of flooring left in the bsmt which only had a sink on top of it...After hooking a right at the bottom of the stairs you could plainly see it was wainscoting covered with tile. On the 2nd floor, the saw was cutting right through the panel floor around the hallway outside the bathroom. Enjoy!

[Remember585 815]

Went there a few days after the fire and took a walk thru... definitely some wainscoting used as flooring in the kitchen area over the old stairwell which was hidden in the basement by a door. Meant to take some photos but like normal, forgot the camera.

[ny10570 745]

That'd be a good writeup for firefighter close calls.