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The YouTube videos on this page from Nemmy25 show the progression of a fire on Saturday in the 2200 block of S. Muskego Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Unfortunately the progress was not the type firefighters like to see. Looking at the dry supply lines in the video and the effort to stretch new ones it became clear water was an issue. A story from WITI-TV confirms frozen hydrants were a problem (click here to watch the news report):
According to fire officials at the scene, the fire started in the third floor attic area of the building. When the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived on scene, the first three hydrants they tried to use were frozen.
Firefighters managed to get the fourth hydrant, two blocks away, to work, but that allowed the fire to spread to the second and first floors of the building.
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Also on STATter911 …
- Five frozen fire hydrants hamper Dayton, Kentucky firefighters. Two houses burn. – December 9, 2010
- UPDATE: Raw video from a pair of two-alarm fires in the Nation’s Capital. Plus, other fires & a special event today for the DC Fire & EMS Department. – January 25, 2011
- Helmet-cam video: Milwaukee, WI apartment fire. – April 26, 2012
- Anatomy of a mayday & bailout. Video details house fire that left two Milwaukee firefighters injured. – July 4, 2011
Comments
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I can understand about the frozen hydrants issue but is it their policy to use ground ladders before utiizing the aerial ladder or tower ladder, looks like they both ladder trucks had easy access to the roof with no wires to be found
Anybody want to weigh in on the wisdom of venting the second floor windows when they did?
Joe,
I'm not on Milwaukee but if you check out urbanfirefighter.com, one of the issues has how Milwaukee does roof work and why.
I'm curious as to why the ladder company didn't immediatley put the main to the roof and start working to ventilate. Maybe they were ordered to perform other tasks, such as search or throwing ground ladders. Just curious.
Fire attack wise looked like they kicked ass onece they got water. I saw the tower ladder going up and thought ladder pipe in the window… But not. Good job K Crowbar I am with you on popping the 2nd floor window with no smoke on the 2nd flood. Maybe a wound up probie at work K Strike da Box! K
Seems a little strange for a big city FD with good ladder truck placement not to raise the ladder immediately on a working incident. I don't know their SOP's and I wasn't there so can't say for sure their reasons. I am only use too what is done in my neck of the woods. Not having water doesn't help and did anyone hear the PO on the 3rd video attempting to prime his pump for an extended period. Maybe his pump was frozen also.
Sorry 4th video.
1st three hydrants tapped were frozen or inoperable.Seems as though crews did a nice job playing catch-up.
Milwaukee Fire uses the "Milwaukee Set"(2 roof ladders spaced 4'-5' apart) to vertically vent steeply peaked roofs.The easiest and quickest way to complete this set-up is by using ground ladders for primary access.Extensive in-house testing has shown having a single member cutting/pulling (usually awkwardly)from the tip of the bucket or aerial yields a less than adequate sized hole in an excessive amount of time.
For being a department that 'bullies" their neighboring suburban departments. This is hideous.
I understand the issue of frozen hydrants however, you think they would have an SOG on how to find a working hydrant (IE:Incoming engines from all directions find an independant water source)….
If you have search & rescue opp's on the second floor, shouldnt those windows both be taken out and have ground ladders? There are plenty of guys standing around, throw a ladder.
How Milwaukee venilate's a peaked roof is their own way and they do it well!
The speed all the firefighters are moving at is slow, however the weather conditions excuse such lack of urgency
If this was had been the suburbs,the building of origin and all exposures would now be nothing but vacant lots.