NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - 74

Firewatch
An engine company pulled a pre-connect hose for fire attack, and two teams
were assigned primary search of the
first floor and a walk-out basement.
Inside the house, crews found the
victim in a living room chair and a fire
burning in a center office area and the
basement. The rescue team moved the
deceased victim outside while interior
crews extinguished the fire.
Investigators determined that the
nasal cannula had been ignited by
a cigarette while oxygen was still
flowing and that the subsequent fire
burned through the floor and dropped
into the basement.
Newspaper reports indicated that
the resident died as a result of smoke
inhalation. Fire officials expressed frustration that the death could have been
prevented, underscoring the hazards of
smoking while on home oxygen.
The house was equipped with smoke
alarms, but it was unclear whether
they operated during the fire.
The house was a single-story, woodframed structure with stucco siding
and interior walls containing sheet rock
and occupied a ground floor area of
2,400 square feet (223 square meters).
No estimates were available on
dollar losses caused by the fire.

MASSACHUSETTS
Electrical fault sparks fire that
displaces residents
An electrical fault in a ceiling fan was
blamed for an early morning fire in a
multifamily residence.
Firefighters were dispatched to the
fire following a 911 call from one of
the occupants after a smoke alarm in
his unit activated just after midnight.
On arrival, crews reported fire on the
second floor of a two-and-a-half-story
wood-frame structure.
The fire escalated to four alarms
before firefighters were able to knock
it down. News reports indicated that 11
occupants were displaced by the fire,
but none were injured. One firefighter
was reported to have suffered a back
injury at the scene.
Following the fire, news reports indicated that the city was investigating the
property owner for operating an illegal

74 | NFPA JOURNAL * J U L Y /A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

rooming house. Some internal doors
were said to be secured with padlocks,
violating municipal housing rules.
Investigators determined that
the fire was caused by an electrical
short circuit in a ceiling fan in a second-floor bathroom.
The building was composed of five
residential units. According to news
reports, a city inspector indicated
that he did not find the number of
smoke alarms in the building that
were required by municipal codes.
The building did not have sprinkler
protection.
The building occupied a ground
floor area of 3,126 square feet (290
square meters).
The fire caused an estimated
$500,000 in damage to the structure,
valued at $560,000, and an additional
$500,000 in damage to the contents.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Two die in fire ignited by
discarded cigarette
A late-night fire ignited by a discarded
cigarette claimed the lives of a husband
and wife in their manufactured home.
A neighbor saw smoke from the residence and called 911 at 9:25 p.m. Upon
arrival, firefighters described the residence as 60 percent involved with fire.
Firefighters initiated suppression
and rescue operations. Approximately
five minutes after arrival, the two victims were located in a rear bedroom
and transported outside. EMS personnel at the scene determined that both
victims were deceased.
Bystanders informed firefighters
that the husband had initially escaped
the fire through a back door but
returned inside in an effort to save his
wife. The bystanders reportedly tried
to stop him and made unsuccessful
efforts to save both victims.
Investigators determined that the
fire started on a screened porch when
a discarded cigarette ignited furniture
and spread into the residence.
Investigators found no evidence that
the residence was protected by smoke
alarms. They noted that there were no
stairs at an exit where the bodies of
the victims were found.

The manufactured home was constructed with a wood frame and a
metal roof and metal skin walls. It
occupied a ground floor area of 900
square feet (84 square meters).
The home and its contents, together
valued at $45,000, were a total loss.

MICHIGAN
Discarded smoking materials
start fatal fire
An early morning fire that spread into
a home via an outdoor deck claimed
the life of one resident.
Firefighters responded to a 911
call by an occupant awakened by the
sound of the fire and exited the structure. The caller informed dispatch that
the house was filling with smoke and
occupants were evacuating, but an
adult male occupant was possibly still
inside in a basement area.
Crews arrived to find flames emitting through the roof of a single-story
structure. The evacuated occupants
confirmed that an adult male occupant
was still inside. Command issued a
request for a second EMS unit and a
second alarm assignment and crews
prepared to make a rescue attempt at
a rear corner of the house following a
full visual assessment of the perimeter.
Two firefighters pulled a hose to the
rear of the house to support the rescue
attempt, but crews had to abandon the
rescue effort due to heavy fire involvement from the basement to the attic.
Incident command ordered crews to
mount defensive operations.
Firefighters from several companies
assisted in extinguishment efforts and
provided water shuttles due to the
absence of fire hydrants in the area.
The fire was declared under control
52 minutes after the arrival of the
first engine company. Crews found the
body of the male occupant approximately 40 minutes later.
Investigators determined that the
fire started outside near a walkout
basement door, which the victim used
as a smoking area. Discarded smoking
materials were found to have ignited
a plastic container used as a smoking
receptacle. Fire spread to an adjacent wooden deck structure, where it



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2018

Contents
NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - 1
NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - Contents
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