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UPDATE: Hospital and fire officials have told reporters the firefighter killed is Lt. Vincent Perez. Perez was 48-years-old. The firefighter critically burned is 53-year-old Anthony Valerio.
Perez was a San Francisco firefighter for 25 years. He was born and raised in the Mission District and Bernal Heights, and was known for his courage and sense of humor, firefighters union president Tom O'Connor said.
"He was always the first guy in a fire and the last guy out," O'Connor said. "He lightened up the mood at the firehouse … He was a firefighter's firefighter."
Earlier:
Speaking at San Francisco General Hospital, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White told reporters (see raw video below) that one firefighter has died and another is fighting for his life following a fire reported at 10:44 AM at 133 Berkeley Way. A third injured firefighter is reported in fair condition.
The blaze started on the first floor of the home and spread to at least the second story, (Spokeswoman Mindy) Talmadge said.
Talmadge said firefighters saw a flash while inside the home. Around that time, a firefighter in the home activated an emergency alarm. Dispatch got the alert and notified the incident commander, who tried to reach the firefighter by radio but was unable to, Talmadge said.
Additional crew members were sent in, and they found two firefighters down and "pretty badly burned," Talmadge said.
The third injured firefighter was able to exit the home without help, she said.
The firefighters were hurt during a "flashover," when everything in a room ignites at once because of a sudden influx of oxygen, Talmadge said.
All three injured firefighters were found together. The two most badly hurt were unconscious, and the third was able to walk out on his own, Talmadge said.
The house appears to be two stories from the street, but has two additional stories built into the slope of a hill in the back.
Talmadge said such structures "historically have caused us problems." Firefighters rushing into such buildings often do not realize that they're on the ground floor and or grasp the layout, she said.
Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE: Complete LODD report from San Francisco Fire Department now available, – February 16, 2012
- San Francisco Fire Department releases report into deaths of Lt. Vincent Perez and FF/PM Anthony Valerio. Flashover caused when glass in sliding door shattered. – February 11, 2012
- Cal OSHA fines San Francisco FD for two in, two out & more in fire that killed two firefighters. Chief disputes findings. – December 3, 2011
- Helmet-cam: Fatal house fire in Jacksonville, Florida. – August 16, 2012
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God bless San Fran and the families involved. My heart and prayers go out to them.
As an aside, is there any chance they could hire a spokesperson that has a clue regarding fire behavior? Flashovers do not occur because of a sudden influx of oxygen. That would be a backdraft. I realize she may have been stressed out, but this is her job.
Really, give the spokesperson a break, they lost a member of their family.
@Mark, Flashover is infact caused by an influx of oxygen, its called ventilation.
Tragic day in San Francisco
My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends, family and co-workers of the Injured and LODD Firefighter.
I think the SFFD spokesperson aka PIO stated that the fire intensity could have been affected by a "sudden influx of oxygen". This is absolulty true in the case of a flashover. Flashovers can be accelerated by uncontrolled, uncoordinated, and uncommunicated ventilation. If a roof, window, fan,or natural ventilation opening is allowed into the fire compartment it can rapidly progress to a fast growing, fully developed fire also known as "flashover". Let's not be so critical of the PIO during these difficult times. God bless SFFD, this is a tragedy for all Bay Area Firefighters.
Thoughts and prayers to all from Local 36
Flashovers can in fact be the result of oxygen being entrained in to a room filled with hot smoke (fuel). The ventilation induced flashover reaction is slower and not as energetic as a backdraft but as you see from this incident, it can certainly be deadly.
What a sad day.
Mark, go back and study your Basic Fire Manual.
That audio was gut wrenching. I would change the policy of waiting 5 minutes from the time the MAyday butoon was pushed until command was notified. If someone in the radio room was monitoring the fireground ops channel, they should have put 1 and 1 together when they recieved a mayday button activation and the incident commander was calling that unit repeatedly without a response…communications should have immdeiately notified command of the activation.
I have said my prayers to the SFFD and all its family. Sad Day, sad day indeed.
To Troubled.
The engine company that activated the emergency button was not at the scene yet. It just happened at the same time therefore the audio seems confusing. The commanders did everything right. Sad day, please pray for Tony who is fighting the battle of his life.
You can't learn everything about fire emergencies from the movie "Back Draft"
Guess I will have to. I've been wrong before.
Always been taught that flashovers are the results of temperature while backdrafts are the result of oxygen being introduced.
Thanks for the correction
Mark,
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Well, in that case……………………………….
Oops, almost apologized again, good thing I caught myself.
Dave
Thanks for your coverage of the "Berkeley Way Incident"
I think Mark has learned from your letter.
The address for San Francisco FD Engine 26 is:
80 Digby Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94131
Keep the family, The Dept & everyone involved in your thoughts & prayers. Sad & tragic, again the ultimate sacrifice is made. Thanks Dave for your usual timely information.
god bless them