Four firefighters were injured when a garage apartment collapsed during a fire in Rome Township, Ohio.
According to a WSAZ report (http://bit.ly/wUXT6M), the fire started early in the morning in a garage apartment. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.
Flames reportedly melted the building’s steel frame, causing it to collapse. One firefighter injured his leg, another his ankle. Two other firefighters were treated for minor injuries at the scene. The firefighters were apparently caught in debris when the front of the building collapsed.
Structural collapse is an ever-present concern on the fireground. For training articles on collapse, consider Structural Collapse Under Fire Conditions, ASSESSING STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE FROM ACTS OF TERROR, Structural Collapse : The Hidden Dangers of Residential Fires, Drill of the Week: Structural Collapse Rescue, Drill of the Week: Structural Collapse Indicators, and Entering Through the Door, Falling Through the Floor: Catastrophic Structural Collapse . Also consider watching the video Floor Systems and Structural Hierarchy.
