Town House Fire: Self-Rescue

Situation:

Today you are riding E410. The engine is cooking dinner today and is out at Giant when you receive a call for Fire Alarm in a Town House on Madison Lane. Luckily you are near the meats, so you ask the guy behind the counter to put the cart in the refrigerator letting them know you will be right back. You make your way out to the rig, and don your bunker pants, and coat.

Upon pulling up in front of the house the driver pulls up to the back of T410, who has just arrived on scene, leaving room for the truck driver to pull ladders from the back of the truck. The officer reports a 2 story, end unit, town home, lightweight construction, fire showing from 2nd floor, A side, D quadrant window. Your officer cannot take a lap and asks for a report of C side from the 3rd engine. Getting out of the engine you see light fire from the window. It is confirmed by a neighbor that no one is home. The officer yells to grab a 200’ attack line and get it to the front door. After staging the line and donning your mask, the truck forces the front door and you make entry.

The first floor conditions are not bad, a little smoke. The officer directs you to the stair where you ascend to the 2nd floor where you are met by the truck officer who tells your officer the fire is in the last room on the left. Pulling the hose line you make it down the hall, but the hose is coming up short. Smoke conditions are heavy and it is getting hotter. Your officer tells you to stay put for a second while he goes back to see what is the problem. Seconds later you a crack and pop. Before you can react, parts of the burned through trusses from the attic collapse on top of you.


Objective:

Remove debris from on top of you, get-up, call for Mayday, clear additional debris to completely extricate yourself, and then egress the structure.

Timeline:

Conditions in the home are worsening due to continued fire damage. Smoke and heat levels are rising, making it increasingly difficult to navigate.

Self-rescue should be done as quickly as possible, to avoid death. It is not known exactly how long the before the rest of the building becomes unstable, but it is obvious that every second counts.