The vacant structure fire poses a number of dilemmas to the command officer. The fire causes range from unintentional to repeated arsons, leaving the life safety question ambiguous. The buildings are often in states of disrepair that makes them unstable to enter before the application of fire streams. As this week's featured report notes, the vacant structure can be a major threat to the other surrounding structures. All of the factors added together create decision points that challenge common attack strategies.

"My crew was first due to a 2 alarm structure fire with an arson fire in a vacant structure that spread to two exposures (one on each side of the vacant house). After two hours of deck gun operations on a building that also involved two ladder trucks pouring water into the structure, a Chief with the consent of another chief and my engine company officer (who volunteered us) ordered my crew into the building with a handline to "do a quick recon and put out any hot spots upstairs that the monitors didn't get." The ladder nozzles and deck gun were shut down and we went inside with a handline. The other three crew members made it into the staircase. While I was in the middle of the room, the attic floor and beams collapsed onto the second floor crashing down to the first floor where I was standing. The time between us entering the building and the time of the collapse was no longer than 90 seconds. I was knocked to the floor and was trapped under the debris?..."

The mindset to enter a structure and extinguish fire becomes a primal function in a firefighter's psyche. It takes the vigilant firefighter (from probationary graduate to command level officer) to recognize that entry into any structure, particularly the vacant structure, requires an evaluation of the risk versus reward. Once you have read the entire account (CLICK HERE), consider the following:

1. Who calculates the fire flow into vacant structures at your fire scenes?
2. Given the scenario above, what actions could be taken to address "hot spots"?
3. A deck gun flowing 1000gpm for two hours pours how much water into the structure?
4. Converting gallons to pounds: How much does the total amount of water applied by the deck gun in Question #4 weigh?
5. What is the typical load bearing capacity for a two-story, wood frame, residential structure in your jurisdiction? How does this capacity compare to the load applied by the water weight in Question #4?

The vacant structure fire is among the highest fire hazard incidents a department faces. A strong SOP, disciplined fire crews and clear minded commanders are the formula for reducing the hazard.

Have you experienced a near miss during operations at a vacant structure? Submit your report today to www.firefighternearmiss.com so everyone goes home tomorrow.

Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports.