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FirefighterSpot.com spotted the video above from a two-alarm house fire on May 31 on North College Avenue in Fresno, California. Two clips are posted from 8989getsome’s channel on YouTube. Marc Benjamin at the Fresno Bee reports it was one of three fires in Fresno in the same hour:
At 8 p.m., they went to a two-alarm house fire at 8252 N. College Ave., near Woodward Park and found a garage fire extending into an attic and other parts of the house.
The fire is believed to have started near a water heater in the garage. Two adults and two children escaped without injuries. An all-terrain vehicle and a passenger vehicle were destroyed.
In a story yesterday, KSEE-TV’s Joe Ybarra reports there were seven structure fires in Fresno in a 48-hour period stretching thin resources even thinner. It’s a challenge for former Stafford County, Virginia Chief Rob Brown who has been on the job in Fresno for just three weeks:
The city is facing a $16 million dollar budget shortfall. Engines have been reduced to three man crews and stations are housing one company instead of two.
“With the loss of companies, we are having to send additional resources as back up sometimes as quick as it needs to be so we have to be very careful,” Chief Brown added.
That takes time, valuable time. Especially when homes and lives are on the line.
“Sustainability is what worries me…in the short term we can make this work,” Chief Brown said.
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Also on STATter911 …
- Helmet-cam & fireground audio: Attached garage fire in Mechanicsville, Maryland. – February 17, 2012
- Helmet-cam video, fireground audio: House fire in St. Mary’s County, MD. – December 13, 2012
- Raw video: House fire in Santa Cruz, California. – June 23, 2012
- Raw video: Two-alarms for home converted to apartments in Fresno, CA. Firefighters rescue teen who ran back inside. – November 19, 2012
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KICK *SS JOB BY THE NEIGHBOR PULLING THE BACKUP LINE
Where is the pump operator for 13 Engine (1st in rig)? Guy ran the line pretty quick but the operator did not charge the line. Hurry for 2 Engine, pretty quick stretch and went to work but then he came walking back. I still would have hit it from the front garage door area for a quick knock down then went in. Strike Da Box! (no hydrants in the area for someone to lay in? K
The bean counters seem to have figured out that you don’t need a fire department. Until you need the fire department. Keep cutting!
Finally a civilian that gets it!! Lets hear it for the green line crews protecting the exposure!!
I understand staffing issues what about laying out from the hydrant. I could not see everything so maybe someone had their own hydrant.
It looked pretty promising around the 3:00 mark. what happened? loss of water?
UNLESS that is a non hydrant area, and it looks to Urban to be, both of the first in Engine Officers need to be Demoted. There is no doubt you are going to a JOB and no hose on the ground. Even if there is a plug in the front yard we always take a secondary water right??
Slow water and also need the big guns to the front of the garage!
It must be a new rule. Three engines in and no one on a hydrant! At least somebody pull a 2.5″ line. Maybe if we knock the fire down early, we can go in and mop it up? No doubt in my mind that you can see the extent of this fire from some distance away. Why does no one lay a line? Is it manpower? One guy can lay a line. If anybody thinks that tank water could put this out, they have a problem.
Yeah, interesting “Fire and Heavy Smoke in the Sky SOP”:
1st in engine: don’t lay in.
2nd in engine: follow them right in.
1st engine doesn’t lay out. 2nd engine doesn’t lay out. 1st handline doesn’t go to the exposure side.
What they need is training from someone who is experienced in firefighting.
I bet they’re good at throwing bandaids though.
I am all for stretching a line into the house to try and hold the garage entry door but that much fire in the garage needs a 2.5″ or portable master stream for a few minutes to check it so that you have something for the interior crew to save.I also wondered why no one laid in on an obvious job. Maybe no hydrants??? Stay Safe Brothers!
Did anyone see from what appears to be a HYD. In the bushes when the first arriving Engine pulled up?
Absolutely. 1 second in and there it is!!
Ha! It only took 33 seconds for the “all knowing” cameraman to go from “they are F#%$@&! slow” to “they’re doing all right now”! Another unworthy critic…
The hydrant is in the lower right of the frame as soon as the video starts – might explain why they didn’t lay out…
Wonder if the play by play guy is a FF?
They did seem kind of slow though.
LOL TOO FUNNY! IN california’s ‘URBAN” area, our plugs are fairly close and most depts in Calif. have them plugs marked on the Computer or district maps and can make the call before they get there.
most, if not all of the plugs my district are close and the engineer can tap into it quickly. There is 500 gallons on board to start an attack. The engineer should be able to hit the plug and get more water in a very short time.
Some prefer to lay in, other not. Every situation is different. Who knows, the hydrant may have been where the bumper stopped.
What can you do. Cut the pay? Cut more trucks? You can only cut so many things until its going to bite you in the a$$… Fresno looks like its getting close.
Six minutes and nobody has the plug?
Relax all you armchair QB’s E13 was being supplied by E2. That’s 1600 gallons of water. The third due gets water supply because of tight arrival times. No first due lays in. They might in the event that the plug is right there, but E2 grabbed the plug and continued to supply E13 as well as the compliment of hose that was pulled from it’s own.
The issue at hand is the staffing, budget cuts, and rig closures. Currently there are 64 on duty serving a population of over 500,000. No two company houses, trucks stand alone. Hopefully Chief Brown can talk some sense into city hall.
Stay safe brothers
1 3/4 to the interior, 2 1/2 to the garage knocking down the main body of fire. Just ran an almost identical fire with only 3 guys, (2 interior, 1 on the 2.5) and it worked out great. Just gotta have a game plan and go to work.
I didn’t watch the whole thing, but exactly Will. You do what you have to do with what you have. This was another example of pulling a 2.5″ to knock the garage portion down while an 1.75 goes inside to check extension. Or the deck gun in the garage.
Yup, “you’re going to push it into the house” blah, blah, blah. Not if you have enough water to overcome the BTU’s you aren’t.
SAD , cuts or not. there is no reason not to lay a line in. For the next 3 to 4 shifts they would be laying out the hosebed picking it up and laying it out again. Just no reason at all 3 Engs. in and no line in the street. Would not had happen where I come from with out some retraining of the crew of the 3 Engs.
lots of folks talking like they done “been there, done that”. Look fellas\ladies no two depts work exactly the same so let me break it down for ya. Fresno city fire engines carry 750 gallons of water not 500. E13 arrived and started fire attack off tank water. E2 arrived pulled exposure lines supplied E13 with their tank. E2 caught the hydrant right next to his rig (which is why you cant see a supply line laid in). 2.5″ was more than enough to supply E13 considering they werent using lines that were larger that 2.5″. Check the time on the video and water was on the fire in about 1:45 seconds from the time the air break sets. I never comment on sites like this but some of the comments made were inaccurate. Now all yall can go back to watching fires instead of fighting them. PEACE!!!
Hate “armchair” you may be too late, retired chief and retiredin SC have joined forces and are headed to fresno in a sprinklered motor home to give you guys a lesson in real firefighting.