Bartow County Fire Department

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Bartow County Fire Department

• Old Tenn. Highway Fire

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Single story wood frame (shotgun) construction
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Add on to rear of structure
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Fire started in wall between 2 fireplaces. Fire
rapidly spread in void space to attic
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Response

• Initial dispatch
• Engine 5 (Sgt FF)
• Engine 8 (Sgt FF)
• Engine 15 (1 Vol)
• Battalion 1

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2nd alarm

• Engine 1
• Ladder 1
• Engine 2
• Division Chief 133

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Time line

• Dispatched 1403
• in route 1404
• E5 on scene 1406
• 2nd alarm 1406
• E8 on scene 1409
• Battalion 1 on scene 1414
• E1, L1, Div Chief 133 1416
• Mayday 1419
• All clear 1420

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Time line (continued)

• E2 on scene 1424
• Terminated command 1823
• All units in service 1832

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Initial size up

• Heavy black smoke showing
• E5 only had a view of the A-B corner
• No 360 walk around upon arrival
• 1-1/2 stretched to front door

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Initial attack

• E5 transferred command to E8
• E8 supplied E5 with water
• E8 stretched backup line from E5
• E5 crew entered front door attacked fire in 1st
  room on right inside front door
• E5 crew thought the fire was under control
  called for PPV fan
• E5 set up fan in front door

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Conditions deteriorate

• Fan put in operation
• Battalion 1 assumes command
• Capt. On L1 assigned to Ops
• During walk around Ops notices potential flash
  over conditions and orders fan shut off
  evacuation of structure
• E5 pump operator sounds air horn 3 long blasts

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Flashover

• Attic and room on A-D corner heavily involved
• Before crews could exit room on A-D corner
  flashed over sending heavy fire down the hallway
  engulfing E5 crew in flames
• Mayday called
• RIT arriving personnel directed to A side

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exit

• E5 Sgt finds hose line partner pulls partner
  to front door
• E5 Sgt forces door open (front door slammed shut
  on hose line due to flashover)
• Upon exiting to front porch E5 Sgt realizes his
  partner wasnt with him re-enters to remove him
  

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Results

• Command ordered an immediate switch to a
  defensive mode
• E5 personnel received minor burns only to face
  and upper body and where treaded on scene by EMS
  and BCFD personnel

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Lessons learned

• 360 degree walk around during initial size up
  must be performed
• Use PPV fan with caution
• heart Pine Tung groove construction leads to
  very rapid fire spread
• Training on evacuation signals paid off (attack
  crew did not hear radio transmission from Ops to
  evac but did hear air horn)