Not Every House is Created Equal

By Brian Zaitz

We have all seen the 6,000-square-foot single family home; it is beautiful with vaulted ceilings, stone veneer, and an open floor plan. Likewise, we have also seen the 1,000-square-foot bungalow that features utilitarian design, smaller rooms, and a closed floor plan. Both are considered “bread and butter” single-family residences. However, each features completely different designs and construction methods and will react in different manners under fire conditions. It is critical to study both so as to make appropriate and safe tactical fireground decisions on our most common working fire situation.

 

Legacy Homes

I term these legacy homes; they are the 800- to 1,200-square-foot homes from 30 years ago that still exist in almost every area of the country (Photo 1). These homes are functional and feature an eat-in kitchen and living area on one side and bedrooms on the other. They are broken up with walls to provide major separation and distinction of the living spaces.

(1) Photos by author.

 

Although these structures are typically of stronger construction with dimensional lumber and solid floor joists, they have their pitfalls to the fire service such as predefined flow paths with minimal room for the expansion and movement of combustion gases. Combine this with small rooms and a highly divided structure and it is a recipe for a volatile fire event. Likewise, the small room size and limited access can make hoseline and firefighter movement limited at best.

These homes also feature another hazard to firefighters—the fearful remodel and update. Many of these homes have been remodeled, updated, and added on to create a more desirable living space (Photo 2). These changes may or may not have been done to code and, at least, create additional void spaces for fire travel. Always be cautious of room additions and conversions such as the garage to the play room or sunroom to the bedroom.

(2)

 

The 360° size-up cannot be understated on these houses; this can usually be easily done because the home is small enough to quickly make the lap around the structure. With the small home size fire flow, requirements are lighter, and these homes can usually be handled with a well-placed 1¾-inch handline at a length of 200 feet. Traditional direct attack is common on these homes with a one- and two-room involvement. It is key to have disciplined, practiced hose tactics for these structures with strong communications so everyone on the line is working together to get the nozzle in place. There is no stronger tactic than a well-placed nozzle. Similarly, these homes can usually be searched in quick fashion in coordination with fire attack.

           

Today’s Homes

Today’s homes are bigger, lighter, and more open than the homes of 30 years ago. Terms such as bonus room, water closet, and master suite are all common terms with these modern homes. These structures vary in size from 2,200 to 10,000 square feet and beyond (Photo 3).

(3)

 

They feature amenities unheard of 30 years ago such as main floor master bedrooms, large spanning kitchens, and open floor plans with minimal room divisions. These design elements all are there to create a flow within the home and ease with entertaining. In addition, these homes are built with lightweight materials such as truss roofs, prefabricated floor joists, and cellulose insulation. This combination of construction and design has created a recipe for disaster if proper planning and understanding of the structure are not known prior to fire conditions.

We all know the dangers of truss roofs; they are not built for a fire load and do not handle heat well at all. Fires in these trusses must be dealt with cautiously, and attack points must be established for quick egress of the crews when the roof begins to fail. Prefabricated floor joists are a relatively new feature to the construction industry, allowing for the longer span of floors needed in today’s larger homes. Again, these materials are very strong under normal stress loads but fail quickly under fire conditions. Basement fires in these structures must again be attacked with caution with quick identification of the fire room and attack once again from a position of quick egress.

Cellulose insulation is the quick, inexpensive means that many are turning to improve comfort and efficiency in the home. This insulation can be installed by the homeowner and provides incredible improvement in energy efficiency to the home. Once again, the problem here lies with a fire in this space; cellulose insulation is notorious for tunneling of fire and trapping fire. Any fire in this insulation requires that ALL insulation be removed. This seems extreme but it is the only tried-and-true method to confirm total extinguishment.

As stated above, today’s homes are wide open. This creates problems; the wall spans are larger, making oriented search, hoseline movement, and ventilation more of an obstacle. The ability to correctly perform a search in these structures requires a good working knowledge of the thermal imaging camera and communications between the officer and the crew. Although many would think that open spaces would assist with hoseline movement, it, in fact, hinders it because these open spaces quickly fill up with couches, lamps, tables, and other designer pieces. It is easy for the hose to get caught, kinked, or blocked not by a wall but furniture. It is more critical than ever to have disciplined hose tactics when working in these structures. Ventilation is difficult; the open spaces are able to hold smoke and toxic gases more easily. It is key to determine a flow path for ventilation and monitor the atmosphere to ensure its success.

With the larger size, the 360° size-up may be difficult and impossible depending on actual size and layout of the lot. Always try and see as many and as much of these structures from the exterior prior to entry. In addition, the fire flow required is much larger dependent of fire conditions; these homes may require larger hoselines such as 2½-inch lines for interior attack. In addition, the use of smooth bore nozzles on interior handlines allows for deeper penetration and reaches farther into these large, mansion-like structures. In addition, these homes are excellent candidates for transitional attack. Although this is controversial to some, the knockdown of fire from the exterior will cool the fire, take it back a stage in fire development, and allow for crews to make entry into a tenable atmosphere and efficiently and effectively extinguish the fire and conduct search and rescue operations. Again, the tactical decision on attack mode is based on fire involvement, known occupant location, structural profile, and available on-scene assets.

 

Necessary Actions

All homes are not created equal, and it’s more than just size that makes them different. It is imperative that we fully preplan these structures, understand construction methods, identify key hazards, and take appropriate safe actions on the fireground. Through proper preparation and training, we will enhance our fireground operations. Simple drills such as pulling a handline and traversing a narrow hallway; practicing true, right-handed search operations; and staying current on construction trends will make us safer, more effective, and more efficient firefighters.

 

Brian Zaitz is a 13-year fire service veteran assigned as the captain-training officer with the Metro West (MO) Fire Protection District. Zaitz has a master’s of science in human resource development, a bachelor’s of science in fire science management, and an associates of science in paramedic technology. He is an instructor at the St. Louis County (MO) Fire Academy as well as safety officer with the FEMA USAR team Missouri Task Force I. Zaitz has several certifications including accreditation as chief training officer.

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