Rapid Fire Spread at Private Dwelling Fires

Continuing Education
Course
Rapid Fire Spread at
Private Dwelling Fires
BY JERRY KNAPP
TRAINING THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 136 YEARS
To earn continuing education credits, you must successfully complete the course examination.
The cost for this CE exam is $25.00. For group rates, call (973) 251-5055.
Rapid Fire Spread at
­Private Dwelling Fires
Educational Objectives
On completion of this course, students will
1.Learn why firefighters take house fires for granted
3.Review the construction principles of modular construction
2.Discover the principles of residential fire envelopment
4.Learn the tactical actions to employ in fast-moving
house fires
BY JERRY KNAPP
T
he house fire is the most common
1
type of working fire for most U.S. fire departments. Firefighters too often take them
for granted and don’t recognize the risk house fires
present and the important ways in which they have
changed in recent years. The traditional strategy
and tactics are usually really simple: Conduct a
thorough size-up with a 360° walk-around, develop
and execute a search/rescue operation, quickly get
a line through the front door to the seat of the fire
or to protect the means of egress, and ventilate as
needed. However, standard strategy and tactics do
not take into account new home construction materials and methods.
The combination of new building methods and materials for
the single-family dwelling has created a new and dangerous
dimension: extremely rapid fire spread. In these cases, the fire
quickly envelops the home along several paths at the same time.
This article examines the causes of residential fire envelopment,
suggests some tactics to counter this dangerous new threat, and
presents lessons learned from case histories and a recent fastmoving residential fire.
RESIDENTIAL FIRE ENVELOPMENT
In May 2013 at 0145 hours, the West Haverstraw (NY)
Fire Department (WHFD) was dispatched to a mulch fire (as
reported by the homeowner) in front of a home in a suburban neighborhood. At 0147 hours, the police officer on
scene reported, “The entire front of the house is involved.” A
WHFD officer arrived on scene at 0148 hours and reported a
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(1) When the first
WHFD officer
arrived, the fire
appeared to be
mainly exterior,
but it had already
extended to the
eaves/soffit on the
A/B and B/C corners. [Photos courtesy of the West
Haverstraw (NY)
Fire Department
unless otherwise
noted.]
fully involved house fire (photo 1). Within three minutes, this
mulch fire had spread so rapidly that when the first apparatus
arrived at 0149 hours, the fire had already established flow
paths that would soon allow it to envelop the entire building.
When the first apparatus (quint) arrived, the fire was so extensive that it ranged from ground level (the shrubs and grass
on the front lawn), up the entire front surface, to the eave
line. Fire was aggressively pushing out of all the doors and
windows on all floors. The roof rapidly collapsed, and the
attic was burning and showing at the eave line, which was
fully involved with fire that was silhouetted against the night
sky (photo 2). Winds increased the exposure problem on the
Bravo side (photo 3).
The first engine arrived approximately two minutes later
(photo 4), established a supply line from a hydrant, and
flowed its master stream soon after this photo was taken.
● Rapid fire
The good news of
2
the night was that the
police officer on scene
reported (when questioned) that everyone
was out of the house,
and he pointed to the
family standing on the
side of the road. The father asked if we could
get his dog from the
back yard. A wind from
the east was sending
4
brands across the neighborhood, and
the radiant heat was very severe on
the Bravo and Delta exposures.
The investigation revealed that the
likely ignition source of the landscaping mulch in the front of the house
was a carelessly discarded cigarette.
Another factor in the ignition of
the mulch was that the house faced
due south. This orientation (and no
shade trees) had the area under direct
sunshine most of the day, drying the
mulch to tinder dry conditions. A
recent spell of very dry weather and a lack of rain completed
the mix of dangerous conditions.
EXTERIOR FIRE ENVELOPMENT
The mulch burned vigorously and easily ignited the vinyl
siding, threatening the Bravo exposure (photo 5). Occupants
first reported a mulch fire that quickly extended to the siding. This is what the police officer saw when he reported the
front of the house was on fire. As the fire burned the siding,
it preheated the unburned vinyl above it, accelerating the fire
spread up the front of the house. The burning vinyl added
to the flammable gases in the smoke that entered the attic
through the soffits.
As fire moved up the vinyl siding on the front of the house,
the next modern house fire construction/material feature to
add to this incident came into play: large vinyl-covered soffits
(photos 6-7). The huge volume of fire racing up the front of
the house quickly burned through these thin pieces of vinyl.
Soffits are usually covered with perforated sheets of vinyl
so natural convective air currents can ventilate the attic. Air
rises, entering the underside of the soffit; enters the attic; and
moves along the underside of the roof and out of a ridge or
a gable vent, providing natural ventilation for the life of the
home. Essentially, this is a flow path already established for
the fire racing up the exterior of the building and drawing it
into the unprotected attic space.
It is unclear how long the fire was only on the exterior. It
is not known when this rapidly extending vertical exterior
fire entered the structure, but the effect on the fire entering
the attic was clear. Soon after our arrival, the roof collapsed.
Fire had gotten in and spread throughout the attic quickly,
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3
(2) Three minutes and 58 seconds later (after photo 1), it was
clear that the fire had entered
the first floor, as evidenced by
the first-floor window on the
Bravo side and the fully involved
eaves. (3) Winds gusting from
the east (Delta side) increased
the exposure problem and created a significant flying brand
problem. (4) As the first-due
units protected the exposures
and prepared for master stream
operations, the fire had taken
complete posession of the
house.
5
(5) The Bravo exposure. The damage was held in check with the
first hoseline. Before the department applied water, siding and
roof materials were vigorously smoking and ready to light up.
(Photo by author.)
heavily, and thoroughly. The subsequent roof collapse was
actually more of a quick, nondramatic sag.
VINYL SIDING
The hazards of rapid fire spread through vinyl siding were
well documented and supported by various testing agencies
and researched in detail in a paper by Anthony McDowell of
the Henrico County (VA) Division of Fire in 2009. According
to information obtained from the Vinyl Siding Institute, 78
percent of new homes in the northeastern United States in
2008 and 32 percent nationwide are clad in vinyl siding. It
● Rapid fire
•
May 2008. Seven
Loudon County, Virginia,
firefighters were injured
(some suffered serious
burns) in a vinyl-clad
home fire that quickly
went to flashover and collapse.
The complete story on
rapid fire spread caused
by vinyl siding fills volumes. Some resources are
listed at the end of this
(6) This house is the Bravo exposure and is a mirror image of the fire building. Note the large soffits on the
article.
attic over the windows. (Photo by Tom Bierds.) (7) Typical perforated vinyl soffit covers.
McDowell’s paper on
vinyl
siding
contains
also
the
following
information, which
is a widespread problem that the fire service must deal with
should be discussed:
tactically during fireground operations and through code
enforcement.
6
7
FIREGROUND EXPERIENCE
The rapid fire spread seen in the home fires in Acushnet,
Massachusetts (see “Modular Construction: Hazards Within”
in this issue) and West Haverstraw, New York, are not unique,
as the following case histories illustrate.
• February 2007. A grass fire in Raleigh, North Carolina,
spread to a vinyl-clad townhouse complex, destroying 32
townhomes.
• April 2007. Three Fairfax, Virginia, firefighters were
injured during interior operations in a house when vinyl
siding burned up through the soffits, resulting in what
the Fairfax County (VA) Rescue Department determined
to be a carbon monoxide (CO) explosion. Note that CO
ignites at about 1,150°F and is very flammable in high
concentrations.
• April 2007. In Prince William County, Virginia, Firefighter Kyle Wilson was killed while conducting operations in a home where fire fueled by burning vinyl
siding simultaneously entered the structure at multiple
points. A section of the full report, below, summarizes
the events.
Initial-arriving units reported heavy fire on the exterior
of two sides of the single-family house. Crews suspected
that the occupants were still inside the house sleeping
because of the early morning hour. A search for possible victims in the upstairs bedroom was commenced. A
rapid and catastrophic change of fire and smoke conditions occurred in the interior of the house within minutes
of Tower 512’s crew entering the structure. Technician
Kyle Wilson became trapped and was unable to locate
an immediate exit out of the hostile environment. Wilson
and crews radioed Mayday transmissions of the lifethreatening situation. Fire and rescue crews made valiant
and repeated rescue attempts to locate and remove
Wilson during extreme fire, heat, and smoke conditions.
Firefighters were forced from the structure as the house
began to collapse on them and intense fire, heat, and
smoke conditions developed. Wilson succumbed. The
medical examiner reported thermal and inhalation injuries as the causes of death.
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A 1997 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study by Dan Madryzkowski, et al compared
the combustibility of three siding materials: aluminum
siding, T-111 (plywood), and vinyl siding. The results were
interesting. A small focused area of the aluminum siding
melted after 10 minutes of flame contact, at which point
a smoldering fire developed inside the wall, but there
was no vertical flame spread. The T-111 allowed burning
and flame spread 200 seconds after ignition, and it took
an average of 80 seconds to burn to the soffit level. The
NIST report describes the test results for vinyl siding:
‘Less than 90 seconds after ignition, the flames began
to spread upward, and within another 50 seconds, the
flames were in the attic space.’
SHEATHING AND INSULATION
The exterior fire is fueled not only by the siding but also
by the building insulation (foam or fiber board) that is directly under the siding (photo 8). Plastic house wrap may be
under the insulation and, of course, the sheathing of oriented
strand board (OSB) is under that. The OSB contains large
amounts of glue to hold the strands together to form a usable
board. All of these combustible components contribute to
creating a large body of exterior fire.
In photo 8, the yellow arrow indicates the A side of the
house where the fire reportedly started. Note that the intense
exterior fire completely consumed the siding, insulation, and
sheathing. The white arrow on the B side shows where heat
caused the vinyl siding to melt and burn away, exposing the
combustible foam insulation and the burned sheathing. After a
reliable water supply was established, the exposure line quickly extinguished the exterior fire. Photos 9 and 10 depict the
difference in how vinyl and aluminum siding burn in a fire.
VINYL WINDOWS
Windows provide another likely route for fire to enter the
home. Multiple live burn tests conducted at the Rockland
County Fire Training Center in Pomona, New York, compared
the relative fire resistance of wood-frame single-pane windows vs. vinyl-frame double-glazed energy-efficient windows
and sashes. The tests revealed that vinyl window frames,
● Rapid fire
8
9
1310FE_knapp08
10
1310FE_knapp09
(8) The flammable exterior siding, insulation, and sheathing
added to the fire. (Photo by Tom Bierds.) (9) The fire quickly and
intensely progressed out the window and headed directly up to
the eaves/soffits and entered the attic (arrow). (Photo by author.)
(10) At another fire, the home on the right, clad with aluminum
siding, did not sustain even minor damage despite the severe
exposure to radiant and convected heat. The exposure on the
left is 75 to 100 feet away, and the vinyl siding is already melting,
exposing the flammable wood and insulation underneath. (Photo
by Tom Bierds.)
sashes, and glazing failed more quickly and catastrophically
under a fire load than legacy wood-frame/sash windows
(photo 11). The legacy windows failed in small amounts over
time. In a 1997 NIST study by F. Mowrer, “The vinyl frames
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and sashes lost strength, sagged, and distorted under the
imposed heat fluxes, typically within minutes.”
Well-documented research and fireground experience typically show that energy-efficient windows withstand heat and
a fire load much better than legacy windows. This appears to
be true only for aluminum or metal sash and frames. As you
may expect, the vinyl windows fail quickly (photo 11). The
vinyl frames are extruded, which means they are made of
folded sheets, much as the cross-section of the A-roof post on
a car. The vinyl frames and sashes are other modern components that helped this fire’s extremely rapid fire spread.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
A major component of the exceptionally rapid fire spread in
the house in photo 8 was the fact that it was of modular construction. As a reminder, modular homes are brought into the
home site as nearly finished modules and are placed together
and secured to each other and an existing foundation (photo 12).
Modular construction adds its own set of unique and significantly contributing factors to rapid fire spread in homes.
This was first expertly detected, researched, and presented
at Fire Department Instructors Conferences 2012 and 2013 by
Chief Kevin Gallagher of the Acushnet (MA) Fire Department.
He based his information on a fire his department responded
to in 2008 (http://bit.ly/1cXdci9).
Gallagher and his department responded to a fire in a
modular home and became concerned about how rapidly the
fire spread. Researching the causes, he determined that the
ceiling gypsum board is often attached to the ceiling joists
only with thermal setting glue (photos 13-14). There are no
traditional gypsum board nails or screws. After careful research and testing, he determined that the glue softens at approximately 400°F. This obviously causes the ceiling gypsum
board to fall, allowing fire to enter the 20-inch void space
between the first-floor ceiling and the second-floor subfloor.
Obviously, something as benign as a small room-and-contents
fire can lead to failure of this fire barrier, causing rapid fire
spread and total loss of the home.
The 20-inch space is similar to a cockloft, and the fire
problems are the same. However, this void is between the
floors. This space/void is created as a result of the construction method: stacking the second-floor module on top of the
first floor (photo 12). Clearly, this is another contributing
factor to the unusually rapid fire spread we saw at this house
fire. The danger of fire entering the cockloft is well known
and, based on recent experience, we should anticipate similar
hazards at modular home fires.
Captain Bill Gustin of the Miami-Dade (FL) Fire-Rescue Department effectively compares fire spread in modular homes
and legacy construction as follows:
I compare the fire spread in the space between the
first-floor ceiling and the second-floor deck this way: In
older homes, the floors are supported by ‘dimensional’
lumber, usually 2×10 inch. The first-floor ceiling is attached directly to the underside of the floor joists, thus
dividing the ceiling space into ‘bays’—that is, the space
between the floor joists, floor above, and ceiling be-
● Rapid fire
low. Bays are inherent fire stops that limit the horizontal
spread of fire. That is hardly the case in lightweight and
modular construction where the space between the
floor and the ceiling is wide open with nothing to stop
fire that enters or originates in the space from rapidly
taking possession of the entire home and any of our
members who may be inside.
TACTICAL ACTIONS
These fires have taught us several important tactical lessons fire departments may be able to appropriately apply in
these fast-moving house fires.
• Houses that have the aforementioned and other “fire
friendly” construction characteristics that promote exceptionally rapid fire spread may require new and different
tactics. During size-up and when formulating your search
and rescue, ventilation, and fire attack plan, remember
that a building with these dangerous characteristics will
likely light up very quickly. Fire can envelop the building
through several routes, trapping firefighters.
• Be conservative in deploying members for interior operations; they may be quickly surrounded by fire from
various routes, both internal and external. Multiple hose
streams (interior and exterior) will be needed to control
the fire. If you do not have enough personnel on the
scene to accomplish this, consider defensive operations
before placing members in the path of a fast-moving fire.
Recall that this fire is advancing in several directions at
once—all contributing to the hazard: a heavy exterior
fire enveloping and quickly becoming multiple interior
fires creating a huge threat to interior firefighters. In
homes, the fire may be coming in the first floor (and up
the open stairwell), in open or failed (by fire) doors/windows, in second-floor windows, and down from the fully
involved attic.
•For fires that begin outside the building (mulch, siding, or decks), one firefighter can start the fire attack
from the outside—cutting off one of the main bodies
of fire—in relative safety. This line can be stretched
simultaneously with the conventional (in the front
door line) if staffing permits. This line operated by
12
11
13
(11) Heavy fire inside the test facility melts and burns the energyefficient, double-pane vinyl frame and sash window (on the right)
before the wooden-frame, single-pane window (on the left).
(Photo by author.)
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(12) A second-floor module is added to complete the living area.
(Photo by author.) (13) Polyurethane foam structural adhesive
shown from above the first-floor ceiling in the void between the
floors/modules. Note the parallel chord finger joint trusses supporting the second-floor subfloor. [Photo courtesy of Chief Kevin
Gallagher, Acushnet (MA) Fire & Rescue.]
● Rapid fire
14
15
16
(14) The glue holding the gypsum board to the first-floor ceiling failed in this New York fire. (Photo by author.) (15) A flex duct that
contains wires. (Photos by Brian Dennehy.) (16) Wires from a flex duct that have burned away, creating a significant entrapment threat
to firefighters.
one firefighter can serve multiple purposes: exposure
protection and quickly extinguish the heavy and fastmoving exterior fire.
• At the West Haverstraw fire, the first priority of the firefighters on the first-in apparatus (quint) was to stretch a
1¾-inch line to protect severely threatened exposures. In
this case, the quint concept worked exceptionally well.
Although sound arguments can be made for specific cities
and personnel situations that truck companies should focus
only on truck company work and their rig should not even
have a pump or hose, water from the quint undoubtedly
saved the exposure and additional property loss. In this case,
the additional minutes and firefighters it would have taken
for the engine to hit the hydrant, drop a supply line, and
stretch the exposure line would certainly have enabled the
fire to extend to the exposures and possibly farther. As the
small 300-gallon tank on the quint ran dry, the engine company was able to get a water supply to the quint and provide
sustained water to the handline to continue to protect the
exposure while the truck set up to operate its master streams.
What made this move possible was having adequate personnel so that the truck company split—two on the hoseline and
two for setting up the tower ladder.
Positioning of this line was critical because it needed to get
close enough to the exposure to ensure complete distribution
of water on the exposure to prevent it from lighting up. There
was, however, a huge amount of radiant and convected heat
coming off the fire building. The nozzleman crouching down
between the cars in the driveway used them as a shield from
the intense heat, allowing him to be in an effective position
to apply the limited water on the exposure.
Never position yourself or your members where you must
depend on a limited or an unreliable water supply. In our case,
we could have withdrawn at any moment and would have had
a safe, clear, and unobstructed path to complete safety.
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The calculated risk/benefit paid off, saving the exposure.
Additionally, this position allowed the nozzleman to get
water on the exposed cars, saving them from major damage.
Blistered paint, melted plastic trim, and cracked windshields
could not be prevented.
• A fast-moving fire needs quick, decisive action. Use the
water you have to deliver a decisive blow to the fire.
Saving it in your tank or flowing nondecisive amounts of
water in weak, ineffective, and limited reach streams will
not increase the probability of success. This has been the
battle cry of Gustin for years. In a recent conversation,
he emphatically summed it up:
We have got to deliver water in amounts that make a
difference in the fight to protect exposures or extinguish
the fire, no matter what kind of fire it is. We don’t want
to aggravate it or prolong the fight; we want to kill it,
and kill it now, before it can destroy more property or
threaten lives of firefighters and civilians. There is almost
a paranoia in the fire service about running out of booster
tank water before the fire is out. There are firefighters who are more comfortable with fire spreading to an
exposure than running out of water; consequently, they
do not apply sufficient flow to keep the exposure from
igniting. When operating off tank water, you have only
two options: First, put out the fire if you have sufficient
water. Second, if you do not have sufficient water to put
out the fire, use it to protect exposures. Structure fires are not Class B fires; they don’t have
to be extinguished completely to keep from reigniting. Three hundred gallons of water, if properly applied,
can reduce a fire’s intensity, keeping it from spreading to
exposures until an engine establishes a continuous water
supply. Don’t forget that it takes a whole heck of a lot less
water to keep something from igniting and keep exposed
surfaces moist with intermittent application of water than
to extinguish it once it ignites. There is no option three;
saving water in the booster tank is not an option. The first handline was directed at the most severe expo-
● Rapid fire
been a major tactical taboo, and rightfully so. Opposing
sure (Bravo), which was being impacted by both radiant and
streams pushing products of combustion onto interior
convective heat as well as flying brands delivered by wind.
firefighters is never a good thing. However, with vinyl
The solid line flowing 180 gallons per minute delivered decisiding causing intense and fast-moving fires on the outsive amounts of cooling water on the exposure. There were
side of a home, it is imperative that the fire be controlled
no thoughts of water conservation. We had the bullet and
quickly. Obviously, the key is to train our members to
used it—all of it. The strong stream reached the roof, eave
use that stream only on the exterior fire if members are
line, and soffits and was able to wash down the entire side
working inside, and there must be excellent communicaof the worst exposure. We knew we had about a minute and
tion between these lines and command.
a half of water to gain control of the exposure, and we used
• Exterior fire causes electric service lines to fall. Early
that resource for that mission knowing two engines were
in the operation, the service line from the pole to the
en route to sustain and finish the job. The important lesson
house sparked a few times and then rapidly came down.
learned here is to use and sometimes totally use up the reThe heavy body of fire outside the building caused this,
sources you have to buy time until the permanent fix (reliable
creating a major hazard for firefighters.
water supply) is established.
• Flexible HVAC ducts. This is another firefighter killer in
• Strategic changes to fire suppression. The goal of any fire
modern house fires that we often oversuppression plan or operation is to get
look. The flexible ductwork is nothing
ahead of the fire and cut it off or to get
17
more than a plastic tube, possibly insulata hoseline to the seat of the fire and
ed/double wall, its shape maintained by a
extinguish it. If a large body of fire is
spiral/helix of wires (photos 15-16). When
on the exterior of the building, it is
the ceiling comes down and fire in the
nearly impossible to extinguish it from
void space has burned away the plastic
the inside with a traditional “aggressive
covering, there is a myriad of helix curled
interior fire attack.”
wires that drop to trap and kill firefightIt is important to consider that there
ers. Obviously, some type of wire cutters
now are two main bodies of fire: interior
must be in every firefighter’s pocket so
and exterior. The exterior fire, because
(17) When firefighters reunited the
they can get out of this deadly trap. Wires
it is on a vertical surface, preheats the
family dog with its family members,
from the electrical system, HVAC controls,
fuel above the flaming siding generating
the latter went from crying on the
computers, smart house systems, audio(pyrolyzing) flammable gases to intenstreet corner to celebrating a happy
reunion.
visual systems, and other sources may
sify the fire. It also preheats fuel not yet
compound this deadly problem.
involved, making it easier to ignite. The
• Roof collapse. In a modular home, the roof rafters are ofexterior fire has layers of fuel that contribute to the fire: vinyl
ten hinged. Shipped folded down to reduce the height of
siding and trim, flammable insulation (foam or fiber board),
the load on the tractor trailer, the roof panels are hinged
and flammable sheathing (plywood or OSB). All contribute
up on site. There is no ridge pole for structural support.
to a large body of fire outside the structure that is providing
Expect early roof collapse. The damage to the roof, total
a flow path up to the eaves or soffits that provide little or no
destruction by fire, and subsequent collapse were noted
resistance to the vertical spread. If you don’t stop this fire
in both the Massachusetts and New York fires. They
before it reaches the attic, there will be exceptionally high, if
appear to be common results of fast-moving fires. This
not complete, property loss.
is another reason to be conservative when considering
You must stop this large body of exterior fire before fireinterior operations in these types of homes.
fighters are committed to the interior for any operations. This
• Residential sprinklers. Note that residential sprinklers
exterior fire is like an octopus that is wrapped around the
will not control the exterior fire on the siding, deck, or
building and has many ways to get inside. Further endanother exterior fire or the fire that has extended into the
gering firefighters is that if the roof structure is lightweight
void between floors. These fast-moving and well-estab(trusses, I-joist, for example), it will not withstand a thermal
lished fires may overwhelm the flow from residential
assault very long, and a collapse will occur, trapping memsprinkler heads.
bers inside. The well-involved attic fire can and will extend
• The importance of being nice, as advocated by Chief
downward rapidly when gypsum board ceilings are pulled or
(Ret.) Alan Brunacini. This family just lost everything it
fail. Heavy fire in the attic dropping down causing a flashowns and a lifetime of memories and has had a lifeover on the second floor is all too common a fatal scenario
changing experience it will never forget. As the fire was
for firefighters, especially if they do not have a hoseline to
brought under control, firefighters had time to search
defend themselves.
for the family pet. The dog was rescued from under the
As Steve Kerber, PE, director of the Firefighter Safety Research
shed in the rear of the house (photo 17). It was more of a
Institute, said in his FDIC presentation, “If the fire starts on the
trench rescue. We had to dig him out of the gravel under
outside, the fire attack should start on the outside.”
the shed. In his panic to run from the house, he wedged
• Interior and exterior opposing streams. For years, the
himself in so tight that he became stuck.
simultaneous use of exterior and interior streams has
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● Rapid fire
•••
Across our country, fires at modern houses are threatening firefighters’ lives with new hazards that can complete a
deadly failure chain on the fireground. We must consider new
strategy and tactics for these new house models that foster
fire development.
The flammability of vinyl siding is not a new revelation
for firefighters. We have all seen it melt on exposures and
burn furiously on involved buildings. What is new is the
combined effect of vinyl siding, flammable insulation, lightweight/modular construction techniques, and combustible
sheathing causing rapid fire spread and large volumes of
fire on the exterior of houses. This massive and fast-moving
exterior fire has the combined effect of creating multiple
flow paths for fire to envelop the home and kill firefighters
inside who are using traditional interior attack strategies
and tactics. ●
References
“The Wall of Fire: Training Firefighters to Survive Fires in Vinyl-Clad
Houses,” Anthony McDowell, Henrico County Division of Fire, Richmond,
Virginia. Sept. 2009. Course.
Fire Protection Study: Pine Knoll Townhome Fire, Lisa Bossert, 2007.
Madrzykowski, Dan, et al. “Durable Agents for Exposure Protection,” National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NISTIR 6030; 1997.
Mowrer, F. “Window Breakage Induced by Exterior Fires,” NIST GCR-98751; 1997, p 15.
“Career Firefighter Dies in Wind-Driven Fire.” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 2008.
Thanks to Captain Bill Gustin, Fire Inspector Fred Viohl,
Building Inspector George Behn, Fire Coordinator John
Kryger, Assistant Chief Tom Bierds, and Driver/Operator
Brian Dennehy for their help with this article.
● JERRY KNAPP is a 37-year veteran firefighter/EMT
with the West Haverstraw (NY) Fire Department; a training officer at the Rockland County Fire Training Center
in Pomona, New York; and an adjunct professor in the
Rockland Community College Fire Technology Program.
He is a battalion chief with the Rockland County Hazardous Materials Team and a former nationally certified
paramedic. He has a degree in fire protection and wrote
the “Fire Attack” chapter in Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II and has authored numerous
articles for fire service trade journals.
Notes
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the program questions, and submit your answers. An immediate grade report will be provided; on receiving a passing grade, your “Certificate of Completion” will be provided immediately for viewing and/or printing. Certificates may be viewed and/or printed anytime in the
future by returning to the site and signing in.
Option Two: Traditional Completion
You may fax or mail your answers with payment to PennWell (see Traditional Completion Information on following page). All information
requested must be provided to process the program for certification and credit. Be sure to complete ALL “Payment,” “Personal Certification
Information,” “Answers,” and “Evaluation” forms. Your exam will be graded within 72 hours of receipt. On successful completion of the posttest
(70% or higher), a “Certificate of Completion” will be mailed to the address provided.
COURSE EXAMINATION
1) Why do most firefighters take house fires’ risk for granted?
a.House fires are easy to extinguish
b.House fires are the most common fires in the U.S.
c.House fires are relatively small fires
d.All of the above
2) Which of the following are considered simple traditional strategies and tactics:
a.360 walk-around
b.Execute search and rescue operations
c.Quickly getting a hoseline through the front door
d.All of the above
3)The combination of new building methods and materials for the
single-family dwelling has created a new and dangerous dimension: extremely rapid fire spread
a.True
b.False
4) What percentage of homes in the United States are clad with
vinyl siding?
a.50%
b.43%
c.32%
d.19%
5)Exterior fires are fueled not only by the siding, but also by:
a.Interior contents
b.Building insulation
c.Wind
d.All of the above
6) Which of the following is a reason oriented strand board
contributes to rapid fire spread?
a.Uses glue to hold the strands together
b.Usually only 1/8” to ¼” thick
c.Utilizes plastic fibers to hold the wood together
d.None of the above
7) Windows provide a likely route for exterior fires to extend into
the interior, regardless of the siding material used
a.True
b.False
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8)Tests conducted by the Rockland County Fire Training Center
discovered that vinyl window frames, sashes and glazing failed
more quickly and catastrophically under a fire load than legacy
wood-frame windows
a.True
b.False
9) Well-documented research and fireground experience typically
show that ___________ windows withstand heat and a fire load
much better than legacy windows
a.Wood-frame
b.Vinyl
c.Leaded glass
d.Energy efficient windows
10)What type of home is constructed as nearly finished sections in
a factory and brought to a home site and connected together?
a.Trailer home
b.Pre-constructed home
c.Modular constructed home
d.All of the above
11)In Modular Construction, the ceiling gypsum board is often
attached to the ceiling joists with what type of fastener?
a.Glue
b.Staples
c.20 penny nails
d.Vinyl straps
12)The glue used to hold gypsum panels to joists in Modular
Construction softens at approximately what temperature?
a.1,000°
b.350°
c.400°
d.200°
13)What is a typical size void space between floors in a Modular
Construction home?
a.10
b.20
c.15
d.24
inches
inches
inches
inches
Continuing Education
Rapid Fire Spread at Private Dwelling Fires
14)The void space between floors in Modular Construction should
be considered what?
a.Not a contributor to fire spread
b.Unoccupied
c.A cockloft
d.All of the above
a.Three
b.Two
c.One
d.Four
15)Houses that have the aforementioned and other “fire friendly”
construction characteristics that promoted exceptionally rapid
fire spread may require new and different tactics
a.True
b.False
18)The goal of any fire suppression plan or operation is to get
ahead of the fire and cut it off or to get hoseline to the seat of
the fire and extinguish it
a.True
b.False
16)If an incident commander does not have the resources to place
multiple hoselines into operation at new construction fires, what
should he consider?
a.Switching to defensive operations
b.Searching the fire floor only
c.Not initiating a search
d.All of the above
17)For fires that begin outside the building, how many firefighters
could start the fire attack from the outside?
19)What are now considered the two main bodies of fire?
a.Exterior and advanced
b.Exterior and fire floor
c.Interior and exterior
d.Interior and extension
20)Residential sprinklers will not control the exterior fire on the
siding, deck, or other exterior fire or the fire that has extended
into the void between floors
a.True
b.False
Notes
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Continuing Education
Rapid Fire Spread at Private Dwelling Fires
PROGRAM COMPLETION INFORMATION
If you wish to purchase and complete this activity traditionally (mail or fax) rather than Online, you must provide the information requested
below. Please be sure to select your answers carefully and complete the evaluation information. To receive credit, you must receive a score of
70% or better.
Complete online at: www.FireEngineeringUniversity.com
PERSONAL CERTIFICATION INFORMATION:
Answer Form
Please check the correct box for each question below.
Last Name (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY OR TYPE)
First Name
Profession/Credentials License Number
Street Address
Suite or Apartment Number
City/State Zip Code
1. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
11. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
2. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
12. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
3. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
13. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
4. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
14. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
5. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
15. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
6. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
16. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
7. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
17. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
8. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
18. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
9. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
19. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
10. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
20. ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D
Daytime Telephone Number with Area Code
Course Evaluation
Fax Number with Area Code
Please evaluate this course by responding to the following statements, using a scale of Excellent = 5 to Poor = 1.
E-mail Address
1. To what extent were the course objectives accomplished overall?
5
4
3
2
1
traditional compleTION INFORMATION:
2. Please rate your personal mastery of the course objectives.
5
4
3
2
1
Mail or fax completed answer sheet to
Fire Engineering University, Attn: Carroll Hull,
1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa OK 74112
Fax: (918) 831-9804
3. How would you rate the objectives and educational methods?
5
4
3
2
1
4. How do you rate the author’s grasp of the topic?
5
4
3
2
1
PAYMENT & CREDIT INFORMATION
5. Please rate the instructor’s effectiveness.
5
4
3
2
1
Examination Fee: $25.00
6. Was the overall administration of the course effective?
5
4
3
2
1
Credit Hours: 4
Should you have additional questions, please contact Pete
Prochilo (973) 251-5053 (Mon-Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm EST).
7. Do you feel that the references were adequate?
Yes
No
❑ I have enclosed a check or money order.
8. Would you participate in a similar program on a different topic?
Yes
No
❑ I am using a credit card.
9. If any of the continuing education questions were unclear or ambiguous, please list them.
My Credit Card information is provided below.
❑ American Express ❑ Visa ❑ MC ______________________________________________________________
❑ Discover
Please provide the following (please print clearly):
10. Was there any subject matter you found confusing? Please describe.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Exact Name on Credit Card
11. What additional continuing education topics would you like to see?
Credit Card # Expiration Date
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Signature
PLEASE PHOTOCOPY ANSWER SHEET FOR ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS.
AUTHOR DISCLAIMER
The author(s) of this course has/have no commercial ties with the sponsors or the providers of the unrestricted educational
grant for this course.
INSTRUCTIONS
All questions should have only one answer. Grading of this examination is done manually. Participants will receive
confirmation of passing by receipt of a verification form.
COURSE CREDITS/COST
All participants scoring at least 70% on the examination will receive a verification form verifying 4 CE credits.
Participants are urged to contact their state or local authority for continuing education requirements.
SPONSOR/PROVIDER
No manufacturer or third party has had any input into the development of course content. All content has been derived
from references listed, and or the opinions of the instructors. Please direct all questions pertaining to PennWell or the
administration of this course to Pete Prochilo, [email protected].
EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER
The opinions of efficacy or perceived value of any products or companies mentioned in this course and expressed
herein are those of the author(s) of the course and do not necessarily reflect those of PennWell.
RECORD KEEPING
PennWell maintains records of your successful completion of any exam. Please go to www.FireEngineeringUniversity.com to
see your continuing education credits report.
Completing a single continuing education course does not provide enough information to give the participant the
feeling that s/he is an expert in the field related to the course topic. It is a combination of many educational courses and
clinical experience that allows the participant to develop skills and expertise.
© 2009 by Fire Engineering University, a division of PennWell.
COURSE EVALUATION and PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
We encourage participant feedback pertaining to all courses. Please be sure to complete the survey included with the course.
Please e-mail all questions to: Pete Prochilo, [email protected].
www.FireEngineeringUniversity.com