Possible Backdraft Occurs While Crews Are Inside A Working House Fire

[bigrig77 95]

Training officers watch the whole thing cause you will see some great smoke changes. Also what happens with lightly staffed companies.

Ok I just saw this video and had to share it with the community. I saw it and sat back in shear amazement. Not at the backdraft or smoke explosion, but at the things the guys are doing on scene. I know we beat each other up a lot on here but this happened in Chicago so it is outside our area. The fire starts of with some light smoke. As you watch take note of the time passing, not real time but the time that is passing on scene. People are wondering around. A Chief is on the roof, No SCBA no gloves, with a saw. Now notice what the guy on the roof is doing and what he should be doing. what is happening with the flames now? Ya that's not good. After some water is sprayed at the flame, something happens. Take note of the time on the player, then watch peoples actions and how the move. Scary. there is more but i will leave that for other people to see and comment on. Needless to say this is a shining example of how you do not want to act and look on a fire scene.

[DR104 141]

6:19 BUCKLE YOUR CHIN STRAP!!!!!

[ny10570 745]

All the edits make a real timeline tough, but WTF?! That was cluster on so many levels.

[FFPCogs 863]

I'm really not a fan of Monday morning quarterbacking but my impression based on what I could see in the video is that this fire started around the flue and spread through the attic area of that front room, so that's where the attack should have began initially. Conditions in that room didn't appear to be too bad when that first line made entry, and that is where an attack should have been made by opening the ceiling starting around the chimney and working outwards. Also it appeared that no line was stretched to the 2nd floor to open up and check for extension and hold the fire's advance in that direction. I will agree that manpower may have been an issue, but IMHO a lack of aggressiveness and no immediate horizontal ventilation by those on scene played a big part in this fire's spread.

Cogs

ps. Deep six the PPV as well.

Edited February 22, 2012 by FFPCogs

[antiquefirelt 994]

Just a point of clarification, this wasn't Chicago, IL, but New Chicago, IN, the difference is pretty clear! While things are often far more difficult with short staffed FD's, this is not representative of how many (most I hope) of them would have handled this fire.

[TEN30 5]

I love the guy checking out the hydrant while smoking a cigarette. That sums up the operations of the whole video...undisciplined. It starts at the top - the chief not doing what he's supposed to be doing(IC), and trickles down to this disinterested fellow connecting to the hydrant in a rather casual manner. (I hope he didn't burn his jeans with the ashes) There seems to be no sense of urgency throughout the video, no matter how edited it may be. Thankfully all are apparently still alive. Hopefully many will reconsider their firefighting future.

[bigrig77 95]

I'm really not a fan of Monday morning quarterbacking

ps. Deep six the PPV as well.

Cogs, I really don't see this as Monday Morning Quarterbacking. If we were talking about vertical versus horizontal ventilation or rig placement i would agree. But these are glaring mistakes that a good chief should not be doing. The IC is not on the roof of the structure, might get a good elevated view from up there but not where you wanna be. I also thought that a attack from below the ceiling would have worked much better and safer as would some horizontal ventilation. Shoving your head in the vent hole trying to breach the ceiling is not gonna help anyone. And i will never understand the PPV. Never seems to work out well. If you jump to about the 5:50ish mark you will see that you got some good fire going and only two 1 3/4 handline in operation.

Fire scenes are hell and never go as smoothly as you want, always a little wrench waiting to jump into something. I also thought it was a good video cause it shows a short staffed crew working. A lot of times we see video's of good fires, lots of lessons to be learned (smoke change, ladder placement, etc) but the crew working has 30 guys. We in Westchester run with 2 or 3 guys on a rig. It in a strange sort of way represents how we work here. Starting off behind the 8 ball.

As a final thought, when the chief orders everyone out and sounds the air horns for the evacuation, don't that mean the doors to the house are "locked" to re-entry? He thinks it is unsafe and no one should be inside but a little later he is just sending guys back in. 7:35 put your mask on when you go in.

[BIGRED1 71]

All the edits make a real timeline tough, but WTF?! That was cluster on so many levels.

Well just do the time stuff in your head. Figure how long it takes to do things and then input it into the fire time line. It was flat out scary. No urgency to put the fire out. Just kinda milling about yard breathing for no real reason. No real size up per say, lots of tunnel vision. Chief can't see the whole picture if your on the roof cutting things. Guy with that cig on the hydrant is priceless. The "hey guys look how big it's getting" stares from then front lawn crew is priceless. Now at (5:56) wouldn't any other real crew get some big water and try and make a attack or protect the exposures?

(8:37) Priceless

(9:25) if only I had something to pull this with, hmmm

[x129K 1,393]

That guy in the while helmet has ABSOLUTELY no business being on a fire scene....he made me so mad I wanted to punch my computer..LOL

[conman 40]

Um good job keeping an eye on everything cough cough. Nice to see they made use of the quint that was on scene. And did anyone happen to notice the chimney? So many issues here. They are very very lucky that no one got seriously hurt during this fire

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I especially love the description "Crews quickly advanced a hose line" Really? You think so?

By all rights this should be a video of a line of duty death. These guys just got really, really lucky.

[Newburgher 241]

That guy in the while helmet has ABSOLUTELY no business being on a fire scene....he made me so mad I wanted to punch my computer..LOL

I had the same thought. I hate seeing videos like this, especially when the people involved in the video think everything was great and make no effort to train and improve for their next opportunity to perform. Career and Volunteer: Same fires, dangers and consequences. If you want to be safe and professional, you need to train like your life depends on it!

[sfrd18 360]

I had the same thought. I hate seeing videos like this, especially when the people involved in the video think everything was great and make no effort to train and improve for their next opportunity to perform. Career and Volunteer: Same fires, dangers and consequences. If you want to be safe and professional, you need to train like your life depends on it!

Amen to that!

[peterose313 345]

I happened to come across a few videos of the New Chicago FD on Youtube the other night. Based on comments I saw they are a Volunteer Dept. and manpower is reportedly an issue, at least during the day it is. One video of them had an engine showing up on scene to a fully involved structure fire with its siren blaring and no lights on. I'm no MOS or anything so please do correct me if I'm wrong but they seemed to be a little "off" to say the least.

http://youtu.be/TlU8tL4Roho

[BIGRED1 71]

I happened to come across a few videos of the New Chicago FD on Youtube the other night. Based on comments I saw they are a Volunteer Dept. and manpower is reportedly an issue, at least during the day it is. One video of them had an engine showing up on scene to a fully involved structure fire with its siren blaring and no lights on. I'm no MOS or anything so please do correct me if I'm wrong but they seemed to be a little "off" to say the least.

http://youtu.be/TlU8tL4Roho

Wow great vid. The guy with the garden hose was clutch out there. You see him knocking back that fire? WOW. So ya these guys are all over the place.

• Did everyone get out of the rig masked, up on air? Check.
  
• No clue how to hit the switch to shut off the Q? Check.
  
• Advancing the line to the front with JUST a mask and no pack on? Check
  
• Everyone got a tool so the neighbors think we know what we are doing? Check
  

I found this vid as well.

[ny10570 745]

Every video this guy has posted that I've looked at so far has been a step by step guide of what not to do at a fire. Its amazing more of these aren't LODD videos.

[BIGRED1 71]

Every video this guy has posted that I've looked at so far has been a step by step guide of what not to do at a fire. Its amazing more of these aren't LODD videos.

I have to agree with you. These vids are amazing. The first one was scary but i thought "any given Sunday". everyone has one of those days and we don't all run perfect calls every time. But this is the norm for these guys. Sub par everyday, every run. I have a feeling this is one of those departments where the Chief is 27 years old. How they have not had a LODD yet is amazing.

[x129K 1,393]

Seriously...that White hat left a dude on a roof that obviously had fire under it, BY HIMSELF.....BY HIMFRIGGINSELF!

He would have NEVER known if that FF fell through the roof....

[firebuff860 54]

This guy should join the department. He is at every call about 5 minutes before the FD.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

This guy should join the department. He is at every call about 5 minutes before the FD.

That DOES seem a bit suspicious, doesn't it???

[fire55 3]

I happened to come across a few videos of the New Chicago FD on Youtube the other night. Based on comments I saw they are a Volunteer Dept. and manpower is reportedly an issue, at least during the day it is. One video of them had an engine showing up on scene to a fully involved structure fire with its siren blaring and no lights on. I'm no MOS or anything so please do correct me if I'm wrong but they seemed to be a little "off" to say the least.

http://youtu.be/TlU8tL4Roho

Hey.. At the 5:17 mark on this second video,, Is that the new "packless airmask" on the guy walking around in the middle.. LMAO.. Man,, is that going to be awsome to have no extra weight on our backs..

Edited February 23, 2012 by fire55

[firemoose827 324]

Seriously...that White hat left a dude on a roof that obviously had fire under it, BY HIMSELF.....BY HIMFRIGGINSELF!

He would have NEVER known if that FF fell through the roof....

Im glad someone else noticed that, that was pretty dumb if you ask me, so much for the "teamwork" part of firefighting...

This was a manageable fire when they pulled up, then the chief...(guy with the white hat anyways)...showed up and all hell broke loose.

The guy on hydrant was priceless, wonder if he was even a member of the department??? Or just a well meaning bystander???

Having exterior lines in operation with interior crews??? And OPPOSING handlines at that!

Only two 1 3/4" lines for this fire??? Should have had an 1 3/4" attack with a 2 1/2" backup on first floor, another 1 3/4" on second floor for extension, another line on the exposure to protect it...Guess they ran out of hose...

What about the hose line going through the window, without removing the entire window? Guess they were not worried about the window closing and clamping the line. There was a guy grabbing an axe but we could see if he actually removed the sash the camera went away, hopefully someone did SOMETHING right..

I get so sick of seeing people any where NEAR the fire without air packs let alone officers...

I also get sick of seeing people wear their gear improperly, like not wearing the chin strap on the lids, or wearing the pack but not masking up, or seeing coats flapping open on guys coming OUT of the fire???

What a mess...

Edited February 23, 2012 by firemoose827