Christmas Eve miracles do happen.
Fire companies in Lancaster County were dispatched on Friday evening for a dwelling fire in East Hempfield Township. The caller reported smoke from a large single family home and arriving crews were met by neighbors reporting fire showing from the rear of the approximately 5,000 square foot luxury home.
First arriving Rohrerstown Fire Company engine and truck crews split up to do fire attack and search the dwelling. An 1.75″ handline was stretched to side C where fire was showing out the patio doors and climbing up to the roof line. A second crew entered the front door and began a primary search and to locate the fire. Crews took out the glass in the rear patio doors and entered the large open 2 story family room. They found heavy fire extending up from the basement and climbing the interior walls. The line knocked down the visible fire and visibility improved slightly as the glass was taken out.
Click on the pictures for larger views of the scene.
The second team was searching down the hallway to a bedroom, on the other side of the family room. Visibility in that area was still zero.
Suddenly the captain in front dropped into the basement through a large hole in the floor. He was suspended by his shoulders on electrical wires, the only thing that prevented him from dropping fully into the basement. His partner was directly behind him and instantly transmitted a MAYDAY to Command.
The handline crew on the other side of the wall was now able to see just his head above floor level.
Unable to free himself, he handed off his tool to the other firefighters and they were able to reach and secure him, and then pull him out of the collapsed area. Active fire was directly in front of him, but he was not aware of any burning directly below him. The handline was used into the basement and knocked down the fire there. There is no evidence on the captains gear that he was subjected to any direct flame from below.
He estimates that he was trapped approximately 2-3 minutes before the crews pulled him out. He was being supported between the legs by a very small bundle of burned copper wires that had run between floor joists. Had they not held his weight, he would have fallen through the floor, into the area where the fire had originated. I asked him if he would have “self-extricated” and he was very clear…”I needed help to get out, I had nothing to hold onto or grab.”
As soon as the MAYDAY was declared, County dispatchers cleared the channel of all other units except Command and the trapped firefighter and his rescue team. When the captain was freed, normal radio traffic resumed.
Lessons learned from the event:
The collapse happened in the first few minutes, before the RIT company arrived. The attack teams became the rescuers.
Large luxury homes with high square footage can have as many passageways and areas as commercial occupancies.
The occupants were not home, and the home had no central fire alarm monitoring system. The fire had considerable headway and had burned through the floor before it was discovered.
A preplanned MAYDAY procedure WORKS. As soon as the IC and the dispatcher heard the MAYDAY being transmitted, radio silence was instituted and the IC got instant timely information on the rescue efforts. The interior crews activated the system and it went to work for them. Don’t hesitate to immediately call for aid.
A second handline was moving into the basement and could have protected the trapped firefighter if needed. Always move the backup lines into place.
No fire is routine.
Congrats to Station 6-7 and assisting depaertments on a job well done. Also remember, especially in your first due, that a lot of new construction is being done with materials that burn quicker and hotter than ever before. I couldn’t tell by the pictures but what type floor joists were there? Extra care needs to be taken in larger, newly constructed homes because of expansive spans and the newer less expensive but deadly construction materials. Be safe!
Was a basement check done? And was there outside access to the basement? Sounds like a good response to a mayday.
I was taught along time ago to take out a basement window closest to the visible fire and if fire and smoke pore out? You have a basement fire. This even more so with balloon construction.
If nothing you may not have a basement fire. However just because you have fire on the 1st floor doesnt mean its where it started.
What matters here is the Captain and crew kept their cool called a Mayday and they all went home.
Congrats To The Fine And Quick Action of The Captain And The Members on Location Great Job To All