NF - neighbor lost his house

[adolson]

Pics of my neighbor's house, taken from my kitchen window (except the last one, taken from my upstairs window):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took the fire department a whole 4, maybe 5 minutes to arrive from the first sign of smoke. I was impressed. Yet, that was not enough to save the house whatsoever. They fought it for about 5 hours or so. Police tape sectioned off the portion of the street beside my house and a cop was posted all night.

 

It sure sucks for that family. I am not aware of an official cause as of yet, but I'm really curious considering how things went down... There's glass all the way across the street to the side of my house. The fire marshal is coming to investigate today, and will probably talk to me.

[bassman87]

Hope everyones okay and had good insurance. sucks that it happened so close to the holiday season also.

[lew]

Check your smoke detectors folks, you don't have alot of time to get out once the fire gets going, specially when it happens in the middle of the night.

 

Hope everyone made it out safely.

[Roy]

So I presume that no one was injured?

[Billy Bob]

If no one was injured, then that's all that counts....insurance will replace "things" but no one can replace a life.

 

As most but not all fires....STUPID acts are usually involved....

 

ESPECIALLY during the Christmas Season....THINK and don't take chances with wiring, candles (the #1 fire cause) and fires in the fireplace or wood burning stove...over the 30 years as a volunteer fire fighter I have seen so MANY fires that should of been prevented.

 

PLACE IT SAFE and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Bob

[ecmilley]

sounds like everyone is ok? houses can be rebuilt people no so much

terrible to be happening this time of year

[johnnyb]

So sad to see someone's home destroyed...glad that everyone is ok from the sounds of it

[Joey]

Wow, that is brutal Dana. Thanks for sharing the pictures and this is a reminder, plese be careful people and as Lew said, check smoke detectors every few months.

 

Hope everyone is okay. Keep us updated please!

[Leecher]

That really sucks big time especially being so close to the holiday season.

Leechman

[adolson]

Yes, all three people got out fine (edit: news says minor injuries for the wife, from the blast), and I think they got their pet(s) out too.

 

Cruiser is still parked in the middle of the street, and the cops will be around later to get our account of the explosion and following events.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Dana

[lew]

the cops will be around later to get our account of the explosion

 

Dana, was there an actual explosion before the fire or could you have heard the noise of the windows blowing out ??

 

Alot of pressure builds up inside a house while a fire is burning, specially this time of year when the building is closed up tight against the cold weather. Once the pressure is high enough, it'll blow out the windows and sometimes that can be pretty loud.

 

Coppers will probably ask the same question.

[adolson]

Dana, was there an actual explosion before the fire or could you have heard the noise of the windows blowing out ??

 

Alot of pressure builds up inside a house while a fire is burning, specially this time of year when the building is closed up tight against the cold weather. Once the pressure is high enough, it'll blow out the windows and sometimes that can be pretty loud.

 

Coppers will probably ask the same question.

 

I tried typing up a reply three or four times.. I can't get the wording to how I want it, as I don't want to go into much more detail in public.

 

As for your specific question, I don't know - and that's not for me to figure out, thankfully. I know what I heard and what I saw, and how it fits together is up to someone else to piece together.

[mercman]

Always a shame to see and hear of this kind of thing so close to Christmas.Thank god all are safe.

[fishing n autograph]

Most often, during a suspicious fire, the cruiser there is there to protect the "crime" scene until the fire marshall releases the scene

[fishing n autograph]

Glad everyone got out okay....let's hope for a Christmas miracle...

[Billy Bob]

Most often, during a suspicious fire, the cruiser there is there to protect the "crime" scene until the fire marshall releases the scene

We learned the hard way (once) that during a suspicious fire we now leave a hose in the house and wrapped it around the fire hydrant to secure the fire scene to the FIRE DEPARTMENT in case we need to go back in there for investigation. This is enough to legally say we are not turning the property over to the owner.

[smally21]

quite a burner. an older home becomes free burining in minutes - especially with a few windows out. and officers dont need SCBAs i guess.

[Billy Bob]

quite a burner. an older home becomes free burining in minutes - especially with a few windows out. and officers dont need SCBAs i guess.

 

Exterior Fire Fighters are not required to wear SCBA's and they are needed for interior fire fighters...you have to remember there are only so many SCBA's to go around at a fire scene. Also exterior fire fighters are just important even though they are not qualified to wear SCBA's and fight from the inside of the fire.

[smally21]

not gonna get into this with you Billy Bob. you can't even see the guy through the smoke -show that pic to WSIB. might be alright if you get a fire once a year but how long you going to live doing that 3 times a week?

 

and is it hard to imagine an exterior firefighter being required to enter the building - what do you do go back to the truck and finish getting your gear on while your buddy or a victim dies inside? condtions change you switch to interior attack from exterior attack and you are standing there at the door with half your gear on?

 

i beleive NFPA standard is one scba/firefighter to qualify the apparatus as a fire engine/pump

 

sorry just reread - you have firefighters at the scene of a fire not qualified to wear an scba - i had no idea. different rules i suppose. kind of changes the deal for what i said above, wasn't aware there was such a thing as exterior and interior firefighters. not in ontario. or at least not to OFM standards for front line firefighting.

interesting.

 

 

i guess i am getting into it with you. no, no, i won't. not gonna do it no matter what you say.

[lew]

Also exterior fire fighters are just important even though they are not qualified to wear SCBA's and fight from the inside of the fire.

 

Never heard of such a thing

 

What happens if the guys inside need help in a hurry and you've got un-qualified guys outside who cant wear a mask and can't enter the building ??

[adolson]

Whoa, guys. This is a pretty small house, and there were 6 hoses going at one point, that I could see from my window. It was hard to count all the firefighters, but there were at least a dozen at one point, many outside, some inside. They were here very quick to get here too, and I believe (not 100% sure on this) they're volunteers. This is a small town, and I recognized the names on at least three of them (probably went to school with a son or brother of theirs). They were here all day, one or two of them (one who knocked on my door to ask if he could use my power... No, you may not! Who do you think I am, Ontario Hydro!?? ) are out there again today with the marshal and OPP.

 

I have much respect for them, and I was in awe of watching them work tirelessly for probably 6 hours. They controlled and contained the fire, and despite a report I read online, to my knowledge the fire did not spread to trees and telephone poles (something my mom read and panicked about). In fact, the house right next door looks untouched (the roof practically overhangs the other house. Separated by just a sidewalk). My house heated up pretty good, and our power (therefore heat) was out for hours, so it had to be pretty hot outside too.

[Headhunter]

Never heard of such a thing

 

What happens if the guys inside need help in a hurry and you've got un-qualified guys outside who cant wear a mask and can't enter the building ??

They name it Tonawanda Lew!

HH

[Sebastian]

not gonna get into this with you Billy Bob. you can't even see the guy through the smoke -show that pic to WSIB. might be alright if you get a fire once a year but how long you going to live doing that 3 times a week?

 

3 times a week? Less than 1% of a fire departments call volume is an actual fire. Once a year is more of an accurate number.

[misfish]

Sad at anytime of year,but at christmas is the worst.

 

 

Never heard of such a thing

 

What happens if the guys inside need help in a hurry and you've got un-qualified guys outside who cant wear a mask and can't enter the building ??

 

 

I found that kinda wierd aswell Lew. As a vollunteer,all members were trained and qualified to use SCBA's.

[Billy Bob]

not gonna get into this with you Billy Bob. you can't even see the guy through the smoke -show that pic to WSIB. might be alright if you get a fire once a year but how long you going to live doing that 3 times a week?

 

and is it hard to imagine an exterior firefighter being required to enter the building - what do you do go back to the truck and finish getting your gear on while your buddy or a victim dies inside? condtions change you switch to interior attack from exterior attack and you are standing there at the door with half your gear on?

 

i beleive NFPA standard is one scba/firefighter to qualify the apparatus as a fire engine/pump

 

sorry just reread - you have firefighters at the scene of a fire not qualified to wear an scba - i had no idea. different rules i suppose. kind of changes the deal for what i said above, wasn't aware there was such a thing as exterior and interior firefighters. not in ontario. or at least not to OFM standards for front line firefighting.

interesting.

 

 

i guess i am getting into it with you. no, no, i won't. not gonna do it no matter what you say.

 

Are you a professional Fire Fighter ? ? ? ...if so then that explains why your post is so different then mine.

 

I am a volunteer fire fighter and our rules differ from pro's not because we are less qualified but maybe because we have a LOT more man power to select from.

 

Our trucks per department rule doe NOT roll unless there are three green tags (interior fire fighters) on board....and we have 6 trucks plus a heavy rescue truck in our department alone....if it's a working house fire we immediately request mutual aid from neighbouring fire departments. Some are asked to respond to the fire scene while others are asked to man our vacant fire halls just in case another call comes from our territory.

 

So with a minimum of 3 green tags times 6 trucks we have 18 qualified and highly trained interior fire fighters at the scene and if it's a working house fire more help is on the way. Exterior fire fighters are used to help man outside hose...drag hose, connect hose, etc....this frees up our green tags and keeps them fresh for a inside attack if need be.

 

So what do you think....do we have our bases covered.....our company has been doing this for over 100 years and never lost a fire fighter, Thank God...

 

Keep Safe,

Bob