Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 9:01 am
Know your enemy: Disposable structures
Lightweight wood frame structure fires are among the most dangerous types of incidents for firefighters
By Chief Gary Bowker (Ret.), Fire Rescue1
According to a recent article in Fire Rescue1, today’s residential structure fire is not your daddy’s residential structure fire. Today’s lightweight wood frame structure is burning faster, failing sooner, and often doing so with tragic results, much quicker than traditional wood frame structures built in years past.
In just the past few months we have seen three separate fire incidents in Fargo, N.D, Coatesville, Pa., and Harrisonburg, Va., that have involved large wood frame apartment buildings, which resulted in close calls and firefighters being injured.
Each of these incidents occurred in lightweight wood frame “disposable” structures. As the Ol’ Professor, the late Francis Brannigan taught “The Building is your Enemy, Know your Enemy.” Today the lightweight wood frame structure fire is the enemy. It has evolved into one of the most dangerous types of structure fires you will encounter.
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