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ProjectBackgoundInformation1.ppsxOn June 21, at 0830 hours, a wind-driven
rain in the City of Columbia Southern was
disrupting commuters across the city with
isolated flooding.
During a live traffic report, the news
reporter saw smoke issuing out of a nearby
garden apartment reporting the fire as the
camera zoomed in on the black turbulent smoke.
At the same time, a caller from the apartment above the fire called 9-1-1 stating that smoke was in her apartment. Multiple 9-1-1 calls began coming in reporting thick black smoke and fire conditions throughout the unit.
Introduction
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(Karidis, n.d.)
References
Background Information
THE CITY OF COLUMBIA SOUTHERN GARDEN APARTMENT FIRE
SOUTH FLORIDA
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Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of your hometown (use the area you live in with the temperature and humidity, as well as the additional information below for your scenario-based case study).
Storm Moving at 20 mph
05:30–8:00 AM Tuesday
Primary Threats
Isolated damaging wind gusts to 50 mph possible
Isolated hail events of .5 inches in diameter possible
Flash flooding possible throughout the area
NOTE: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are possible for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions, to include flash flooding.
Weather Conditions
(Westrock, n.d.)
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The garden apartment complex consists of 210 total units of either two-bedrooms or three-bedrooms in five different structures. The buildings were built in 1963, as two-story low-rise apartments with a flat roof and no attic space. In 1990, an additional floor was added over the existing structure with light weight walls and a gable style light weight wood roof. The building is a wood-frame rectangular structure with steel columns on the first and second floor with steel I beams to support the additional weight of the third-floor. The building measures 240’ (length) x 48’ (width). Each building in the complex had one of the units converted into an area that could be used for storage and a recreation room.
The third-floor units each have an access in the closet with a removable gypsum board or wood hatch cover measuring 2’ x 2’ providing access to the attic area. Several tenants used this space for storage increasing the fire load in the attic. Each unit has three fire separation walls made from gypsum board. Each building is marked with a visible exterior placard indicating light weight roof construction. Each fire wall is terminated just under the wood sheathing of the roof leaving a 2” gap. Due to the renovation, there are multiple voids for fire spread.
Building Conditions/Construction
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At 0832 hours the City of Columbia Southern 9-1-1 Center received a report of smoke in an apartment at 4414 Mayes Street West and dispatched a first-alarm assignment (two engines, one truck, one rescue, and a battalion chief). Within minutes of the first call, additional calls began to come in reporting smoke and fire in apartment 2-B. The first-arriving company arrived shortly thereafter and reported seeing the dense black smoke issuing from the apartment building on Side “A”.
The first due engine companies proceeded to the northeast corner (Side “A” and “D”) of the building and forced open a door. Crews advancing handlines quickly discovered the fire involved several rooms of the apartment. The main body of fire was in the kitchen area. A second alarm was called and then several individual pieces of apparatus were called. Apartment units on Side “B” had minor smoke conditions, with good visibility. Attack crews found heavy to moderate smoke conditions in the hallway in front of apartment 2-B. Smoke was venting through any opening in the structure. Search and rescue operations in the apartment of origin had to be abandoned because of limited visibility and extreme heat complicating search operations causing search and rescue to be unsafe for the firefighters.
Fire Ground Operations
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Battalion Chief arrived on the scene at 0839 hours and observed a heavy volume of fire issuing from a second-floor window. The fire was extending to the window above and to the soffit area of the roof. Command was established on Side “A” of the apartment building. At 0854, a second alarm was dispatched; units were assigned to pull attack lines to the exposures. Exposure “D-1” encountered extreme heat and smoke with no fire. Exposure “B-1” had extreme heat and smoke. Officers on Side “C” of the apartment building reported a heavy concentration of smoke showing from the roof vents. Command noticed heavy fire auto-extending into the apartment above and into the soffit area of the roof. Command misjudged the rate of extension due to unknown voids in the structure and attic and the building’s structural components and changed the fire attack to a defensive mode after three firefighters were burned.
Fire Ground Operations - Continued
SIDE “A”
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Fire investigators conducted an overview of relevant issues involved in the fire from the incipient stage to decay and finally the mitigation. The investigators found the recent trend of using lightweight material and engineered wood caused earlier failure of the structural components and the steel support members increased the spread of fire. The existing building had lightweight wood structural members, and the addition of the third floor used cross-laminated timber and glued laminated timbers with numerous void spaces housing steel columns and beams and lightweight galvanized steel.
The investigators determined that the voids with unprotected combustible surfaces led to a secondary flashover as a result of the increased heat release rate leading to early collapse of the structure.
Investigation Lessons Learned
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The fire started on the second floor of the building in the kitchen area of apartment 2-B. The apartment had inner dimensions of 32’4” x 20’6” x 8’. Access to the apartment was through a lobby, stairs, and hallway. The apartment had a bathroom, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room. The fire was started by a grease fire on the stove from an unattended pan while the occupant was next door visiting. From the estimated time of the fire to flashover was approximately 26 minutes after ignition. From the evidence of melted glass and the charring depths of wood was 2” x 4”. Based on previous test results, this indicates the peak temperature was approximately 1,832 °F.
Investigators concluded the gypsum plaster board on the ceiling and walls did not contribute to the fire during the most intense period. However, as the gypsum plaster boards began to fail, it allowed heated gases and fire to travel throughout the apartment building on the second and third floor. Some areas of the addition used lightweight galvanized steel for interior walls due to a shortage of wood products. Walls between the apartments were insulated with fiber glass with ½” gypsum board. Smoke penetration was noted throughout the structure at joints and in all voids where the gypsum board was interrupted.
Investigation Lessons Learned - Continued
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Tactics used by the City of Columbia Southern were the same as any other structure with priorities of rescue, positioning hose lines, fast attack mode, locating and confining the fire, VES operations, and extinguishment. Problems noted on the garden apartment fire were as follows:
apparatus positioning of first due units,
use of the aerial platform,
distance of the handlines from the pumper to the apartment created stretching delays,
loss of pressure was from friction loss due to the stretch of 1¾-inch hose being 400’,
pre-connect was charged using tank water only (Engine 2 carried 500 gallons),
occupants’ ability to evacuate was delayed due to the shortage of rescue members, and
unfamiliarity of the structure and the building materials of responding firefighting units.
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References
Karidis, C. (n.d.). [Photograph of a burning house]. Unsplash. https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516567832553-66232148f74c?ixlib=rb0.3.5&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&s=f51a9c068281d112e1a95b736918bf10&auto=format&fit=crop&w=889&q=80
Westrock, J. (n.d.). Remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto around the Lake Mills area in Wisconsin [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1527782946758-e8e39bb18d0e?ixlib=rb-0.3.5&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&s=55272f25a9593f00d48edda0a4b80015&auto=format&fit=crop&w=667&q=80
