NFPA Journal - January/February 2014 - (Page 63)

of the west wing, and the subsequent ventilation of fire, smoke, and gases, fire crews were eventually able to access the attic and extinguish the fire that was travelling through that space. Extinguishment efforts gained momentum on all three floors. It was determined that overhaul operations would continue into the night, and crews were rotated on three-hour shifts throughout the night and into the next day. The incident was declared under control at 10 a.m. on May 15-nearly 18 hours after the alarm was received from Organic Valley. The fire had involved 116 firefighters and emergency medical personnel, along with 31 pieces of apparatus, from 10 different communities. Not by PV alone: An analysis of the Organic Valley fire I traveled to La Farge in early June to investigate the Organic Valley fire. Even before I left for Wisconsin, I began listing some of the questions I hoped to answer while I was there. The role of the PV arrays was certainly near the top of my list, since they were featured prominently in the photographs of the fire and its aftermath. Once I was actually on the scene, though, and as I conducted interviews and learned more about the incident, the more it became apparent that the PV panels were just one aspect of the challenges faced by responders back in May. I interviewed Chief Stittleburg and other members of the fire department, and I talked with investigators for the fire department and with Organic Valley's insurance company. Everyone was concerned about the PV panels, since they kept firefighters off the roof and contributed to its collapse and the subsequent energizing of the metal roof panels. But they also had questions about the building's lightweight construction elements; even though the roof was designed to carry the weight of the PV arrays, they had questions about the amount of time it took those lightweight elements to fail, leading to collapse. Fire travel was also a big concern; the fire had reportedly started inside the end wall of the west wing and had moved vertically and horizontally inside the walls, beyond the reach of sprinklers, to eventually involve the entire wing. That pattern of travel raised questions about the combustibility of the cotton-denim insulation, as well as questions around the presence, and effectiveness, of fire blocking elements inside the walls. It was apparent that a variety of "green" or "sustainable" building methods, materials, and systems had contributed to a large, dangerous fire. LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION The use of lightweight-type construction in all kinds of buildings today is common-the use of "engineered" lumber and metal structural members is marketed as more environmentally friendly (as well as less expensive) than dimensional lumber, and they can be found in many types of occupancies. Left unprotected, these lightweight elements can fail much faster than dimensional lumber when exposed to fire, increasing the risk of death or injury to firefighters and building occupants. The Organic Valley roof trusses were constructed in this lightweight method, and their eventual collapse caused the sprinkler piping in the attic to break, resulting in a large draw on the water supply during the fire suppression efforts. The fire service has known about the potential hazards posed by engineered structural members and lightweight construction features for many years. Even so, firefighters need to be aware of the collapse potential when such structural members are involved in or exposed to fire. Knowledge of building construction features through prefire planning and building tours and inspections allows firefighters and fire officers to craft their strategy and tactics to allow for rapid fire spread and potential early collapse of lightweight constructed buildings. just in the products it sells. Its website includes a detailed sustainability report noting the cooperative's use of wind and solar-generated energy sources, and that 32 percent of the diesel fuel used by its local fleet is bio-based or straight vegetable oil, with a goal of 60 percent by 2015. The same goes for its La Farge headquarters. The co-op's website lists the building's numerous "green" features, from energy-saving technologies to building materials low in volatile organic compounds, which can affect air quality. A variety of renewable and recycled materials were used in the Organic Valley building construction, including its insulation, which was manufactured from post-consumer recycled denim and treated with a nontoxic mold and mildew inhibitor. While the cotton-fiber material provides an insulating value similar to that of conventional fiberglass insulations, which are noncombustible, it is also combustible under certain conditions. At Organic Valley, the cotton insulation played an important role in the fire's travel through concealed wall and ceiling spaces. Product literature indicates that the insulation material has a "Class A fire rating"-more specifically, the literature cites a top "Class 1" rating for flame spread by the ASTM E84 test, and a top "Class 1" rating in the UL 723 smoke test, though these tests in fact only use ratings of Class A, B, or C. It is also possible that these tests may not be the right ones to apply to this particular material. The product literature does not specify whether the insulation material has been treated with flame retardant. The use of natural fiber insulating materials is becoming more common as a means of meeting "green building" requirements. The fire service needs to be aware when this type of insulation is used within a building, because potential fire travel in vertical and horizontal spaces will have to be accounted for. NATURAL FIBER INSULATION OR BUILDING COMPONENTS Organic PV SYSTEMS Relatively new in the Valley prides itself in a commitment to environmental sustainability, and not building construction field, PV systems are today being installed in, on, and JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 NFPA JOURNAL 63

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2014

NFPA Journal - January/February 2014
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
In Compliance
First Responder
Research
Wildfire Watch
Outreach
Firewatch
#Are You Prepared?
Life and Death at Memorial
Barrier Smarts
Perfect Storm
Conference & Expo Preview
Section Spotlight
Product Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - January/February 2014