Firewatch In Virginia, a natural gas leak was blamed for an explosion and fire at a retail complex that injured five people. AP IMAGES SPRINKLER SAVE A fire in a college dormitory, which began when a clothing iron ignited clothes on a bedroom floor, was extinguished by a sprinkler that activated in the room of origin. Retail VIRGINIA Gas leak blamed for explosion and fire at retail complex that injures five Five people were injured in an explosion and fire in a building housing five retail establishments. Investigators identified a natural gas leak as the cause. The fire department was dispatched at 8:30 a.m. following multiple calls to 911. Arriving crews found that a strip mall was well-involved with fire and that multiple victims were on the ground. Incident command assigned crews from an engine company to pull hoses and begin fire attack while medical crews began patient triage and treatment. Access to the nearest hydrant was hampered by a debris field and hose had to be laid to a hydrant approximately 100 yards away. A second alarm was called, as was mass casualty incident response. The incident was subsequently upgraded to a third alarm due to the extensive fire suppression operations and the need to conduct an extensive search of the debris field and structure. Multiple large fire streams were deployed to control the fire. Search and fire suppression operations were conducted simultaneously because it was unclear whether all occupants were out of the building. One portion of the building was deemed unsafe for entry and a tactical and rescue team was called to the scene to evaluate the need for shoring operations. After evaluation, the building was determined to be unsafe for shoring operations. Police at the scene verified that all employees were accounted for. Thermal imaging cameras on an aerial apparatus indicated no one else was inside the structure. Medical crews transported two injured persons to the hospital by FIREWATCH is a compilation of fire incidents involving a variety of occupancies and fire types. The intent of Firewatch is to illustrate the range of fire scenarios encountered by the fire service, present the challenges contained in those incidents, recount how the fire service addressed those challenges, and record the effectiveness of fire protection systems, where such systems exist. The incidents are identified by NFPA's Research Group from fire reports submitted to NFPA by responding fire departments. Some of the fire incidents that appear in Firewatch are augmented with details provided by media accounts. 82 | NFPA JOURNAL * SUMMER 2022