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A Study in Fire Spread

2 comments

A FIRE DESTROYED A 24-UNIT APARTMENT building in West Bend, Wisconsin, Friday afternoon.  The fire began around 4 pm in a top-floor apartment in the 2-story building and quickly got up into the common attic where it ran the course and burned out the entire building. 

west bend a WTMJ

WTMJ-TV

After making sure that all the occupants had gotten out, the FD pulled out and attacked the fire with outside streams while awaiting help from four other departments that were distant from the scene.

WTMJ-TV Ch. 4 Milwaukee had their news helicopter over the scene and documented the fire spread from its origin at one end of the building as it advanced through the entire roof.  The reporter back at the station laments that there is only one ladder and one engine on the scene of such a large fire (get used to it, Pal….Ed.) :

This second video picks up after the assisting departments arrive and begin pumping more water into the fire.  The studio host is still befuddled why there are so few fire engines there and the helicopter reporter wonders about the paucity of hose lines:

WITI-TV Ch. 6 has a 22-image photo gallery HERE.

west bend b WITI

WITI-TV

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Posted by on April 3, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,
  • danieltdennehy

    Judging from what I can see in the videos this was apparently a truss roof which as we all know is prone to early failure….as far as the limited manpower…..not knowing if this is a carreer,volunteer,or combination department there is very little that can be said. It is apparent that the Incident Commander used his head and did what he could with the personel on scene instead of over-extending them with possible tragic results. While the commentators were surprised that it took so long to extinguish,they obviously have little knowledge of the workings of the local fire department….are they to blame? Not at all,they just don't know. Is this a department that has suffered budget cuts? Is this a volunteer dept. with man-power issues at day-time alarms? Two good questions that we just don't have enough information to answer.

  • danieltdennehy

    Judging from what I can see in the videos this was apparently a truss roof which as we all know is prone to early failure….as far as the limited manpower…..not knowing if this is a carreer,volunteer,or combination department there is very little that can be said. It is apparent that the Incident Commander used his head and did what he could with the personel on scene instead of over-extending them with possible tragic results. While the commentators were surprised that it took so long to extinguish,they obviously have little knowledge of the workings of the local fire department….are they to blame? Not at all,they just don't know. Is this a department that has suffered budget cuts? Is this a volunteer dept. with man-power issues at day-time alarms? Two good questions that we just don't have enough information to answer.