NFPA Journal - May/June 2012 - (Page 41)

The fire department received a central station water flow alarm at 12:27 p.m. and, as the first engine rolled out the door, firefighters could see a plume of smoke in the sky. While en route, they noted smoke and flames coming from a section of the building on the third floor and immediately struck a second alarm. The fire department began receiving 911 calls at about the same time it received the central station alarm. In the background of a call made from the parking lot, dispatchers could hear the water flow alarm operating. The incident commander decided to fight the fire defensively and tried to keep fire spread in the building to a minimum. Crews placed four master streams using multiple water supply lines between the burning section of the building and the portion that was not yet involved. Because a strong easterly wind was blowing, the incident commander also ordered that windows on the windward side of the building be opened, which successfully helped keep heat and smoke from entering the unburned area of the structure. The operation of the master streams and other hose lines caused a decrease in water pressure, as did the amount of water being supplied to the sprinklers. An engine company supplying the building’s fire department connection reported that a hose was kinking. Crews had to lay additional hose from hydrants farther away from the fire to increase water flow. Investigators learned that on the day of the fire the salvage crew was using a circular saw and a reciprocating saw to separate metal ductwork from a former spray booth. A crew member using the reciprocating saw to cut a duct off at the ceiling said he smelled and saw greenish-yellow, acrid smoke. He made a vertical cut in the duct, peeled back the metal, and emptied a fire extinguisher into the duct in an attempt to extinguish the fire. The crew then used several more portable fire extinguishers before leaving the building as the fire intensified. The spray booth had been used to apply lacquer during the furniture production process, and the investigators determined that sparks from the saw ignited a lacquer build-up. The fire quickly spread along the ceiling to combustible construction through the opening the salvage crew member had made in the ductwork. Although the sprinkler system in the area of origin was overwhelmed by the fire, it did help prevent the blaze from spreading any further. The structure suffered a $3 million loss, while damage to its contents was estimated at $250,000. No one was reported injured. Our thanks to the fire departments that supply the reports on which we base “Firewatch.” MAY/JUNE 2012 NFPA JOURNAL 41 http://www.nohmi.co.jp/english/ http://www.nohmi.co.jp/english/ http://www.pottersignal.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2012

Nfpa Journal - May/june 2012
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzz Words
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Signal Concern
Giant Steps
13^3
Sprinklered Menagerie?
Free Samples
Eye on Health Care
Membership: The Sections
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2012