All Entries in the "Anatomy of Buildings" Category
Remembrance: Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire and the Worcester Six
Today December 3, 2011 marks the 12th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire that resulted in the line of duty death of six courages brother firefighters. For those of you who remember this event, take the time to reflect and honor the sacrifice made this day; to those of you who have not [...]
Bridging The Gap: Fire Safety and Green Buildings Guide
Bridging The Gap: Fire Safety and Green Buildings Guide A Fire and Safety Building Guide to Green Construction The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) released its fire and building safety guide to green construction called “Bridging the Gap: Fire Safety and Green Buildings.” This guide identifies some of the key areas where rapidly [...]
Los Angeles Firefighters Battle Major Emergency at Townhouses Under construction
Los Angeles Firefighters Battle Major Alarm at Townhouses Under Construction Under-construction building fire forces dozens of evacuations A townhouse complex under construction caught fire on November 10, 2011, in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles (CA). The six-unit, wood-framed complex was in its construction phase, where at least two of the units were fully involved [...]
FDNY: Building Collapse Claims Life Of 1 Of 5 Workers Rescued
A five-story building under construction suddenly came down on Monday afternoon in Brooklyn, New York. Three workers became trapped under the rubble after the top two floors fell onto the third, sending it all crashing to the ground, officials said. Published reports indicate that the likelihood of the weight of the concrete caused the 3rd [...]
Fire Modeling Software from NIST
Fire Modeling Software These fire simulation programs were developed or sponsored by the Fire Research Division at the NIST. The list of programs is divided into two broad categories below: currently-supported software and archival (unsupported) software. In order to get further information or to obtain one of the programs, click on the appropriate name. [...]
Three Alarm Fire: Apartment Complex under Construction ignites
A three-story apartment building that was under construction caught fire on October 27, 2011 in the early evening in Carson, California (LA County). The rapidly advancing fire quickly ran through an apartment building under construction and spread to a nearby mobile home park damaging at least 10 homes and forcing evacuations, according to published reports. There were [...]
Wind Driven Mansion Fire
A million dollar Baltimore County, Maryland home was destroyed Sunday December 13, 2009 by a fire that tore through the 4,700-square-foot structure with such intensity that firefighters were forced to battle the flames from the exterior. Shortly after 21:00 hours, Baltimore County Fire Dispatch alerted crews for Fire Box 50-2 at 12607 Nancy Lee Court in [...]
Engineered Structural Systems- Hazards
CNN recently presented an informative piece on the continuing trends in the design and use of engineered structural systems (ESS) . CNN correspondant Gerri Willis provides an informative and insightful look at something the fire service knows all too well. Here’s some additional information for you; According to the Wood Truss Council of America (WTCA), [...]
Required Reading: Impact of Ventilation on Fire Behavior in Legacy and Contemporary Residential Construction
Another must read for all Company and Command Officers: Impact of ventilation on fire behavior in legacy and contemporary residential construction, by Steve Kerber (2011) UL Report. Take some time to increase your proficiencies and compentencies. Executive Summary Under the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistance to FirefighterGrant Program, Underwriters Laboratories examined fire [...]
FDNY: The 23 Street Collapse October 17,1966 Box 55 598
On October 17th 1966, Manhattan Box 598 was struck at 21:36 hours for the report of a building fire at 7 East 22nd Street, an art dealer in a four story brownstone. On arrival, the heat and smoke was so intense companies could not make entry through the art dealer, and so attempted to make [...]
Fireground Dynamics: Smoke Explosion during Interior Operations
Three Franklin (OH) firefighters were caught in what has been determined to be a smoke explosion at a structure fire involving a restaurant occupancy in what appears to be a building of Type III construction that published reports indicated was built in 1892. Franklin (OH) FD Lt. Kyle Lovelace and firefighters Quincy Pearson and [...]
Remembrance: FDNY and Buffalo(NY) Double LODD from Floor Collapse
Take the time to revisit two Firefighter LODD incidents that both occurred in the month of August in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Excerpts from the NIOSH Reports have been included that are part of the NIOSH FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM (HERE). Both of these incidents involved a double firefighter line-of-duty death (LODD) [...]
F2010-38 NIOSH LODD REPORT: Two career fire fighters die and 19 injured in roof collapse during rubbish fire at an abandoned commercial structure – Illinois
FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports Through the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, NIOSH conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual fire [...]
NIOSH F2009-21 Career fire fighter seriously injured from collapse of bowstring truss roof – California
FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports Through the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, NIOSH conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual fire [...]
Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster (NIST NCSTAR 1A)
Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster (NIST NCSTAR 1A) Author(s): Gann, R. G.; Title: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade [...]
