STATter 911: Panel to review MD fire. Two FFs remain hospitalized. New pictures, raw video of scene and interviews with chief and incident commander.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Panel to review MD fire. Two FFs remain hospitalized. New pictures, raw video of scene and interviews with chief and incident commander.

(For more fire & EMS news from STATter 911, click here)

Watch raw video of the fire by MCFRS's Carlos Alfaro

Watch Part 1 of Chief Tom Carr's press conference

Watch Part 2 of Chief Tom Carr's press conference

Watch complete interview with the incident commander, Volunteer Division Chief Alan Hinde

Two Montgomery County, MD firefighters remain hospitalized following Saturday's fire that injured a third firefighter and killed a man living in the apartment where the fire began. On Tuesday, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service Chief Tom Carr announced he has formed a regional review panel to investigate all aspects of the fire at the Halpine View Apartments in Rockville.

Chief Carr says it is very clear that Captain Dwayne Dutrow, Firefighter James Heikka and Firefighter Mark Mechlin, came close to losing their lives.

Fifty-year-old Timothy Moran did die in the fire reported just before 1:00 AM. Investigators believe the fire started in Moran's bedroom in apartment 103 of 12,819 Twinbrook Parkway. According to Carr, Moran's burned body was discovered at the opposite end of the apartment from his bedroom. Investigators say Moran was a heavy smoker and believe that is the likely cause of the blaze.

Looking down through where the floor used to be in apartment 203 into apartment 103. All pictures courtesy of Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service.

The three firefighters fell into that burning bedroom from apartment 203, one floor above. Chief Carr described the collapse of the bedroom floor as catastrophic and complete, extending "wall to wall and wall to wall". Carr and investigators believe this is evidence the fire burned for a considerable amount of time before it was discovered and reported.

Chief Tom Carr said the floor collapsed "wall to wall and wall to wall".

The panel, led by Division Chief Mike Love, will try and determine, among other things, if smoke alarms operated in Moran's apartment. Chief Carr said, "We do not know if one sounded, we have no reports that it did".

The initial call to 911 came from the occupant of apartment 203. Chief Carr said the smoke alarm in that apartment sounded only after the call was made.

The smoke alarms are hard wired with no battery back-up. Chief Love could not yet confirm if the alarms were the ionization type or photoelectric. Recent studies indicate ionization alarms are not as good at detecting smoldering fires and are less likely to last as long as photoelectric versions.

The complex did not have a manual-pull alarm system and was not required to have one because each building has fewer than 12 units. Chief Carr said the first firefighters on the scene discovered many residents still in the buildings, with some unaware of the fire raging next door.

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service released its own video taken during Saturday's fire. It shows fire on the top two floors and through the roof of the garden-style apartment building. The video also shows crews treating Firefighter Heikka and then Firefighter Mechlin.

The panel will also look closely at fireground tactics and how crews responded to their trapped colleagues. Chief Carr praised those in charge of the fireground. He also believes the training of the injured firefighters and those coming to their rescue played a major role in the firefighters' survival.

The inch and three-quarter hose line that fell next to FF Mechlin

Chief Carr said at the time of the collapse Firefighter Mechlin was not on the nozzle, but that the hose fell beside him. Mechlin was initially trapped under furniture that had also fallen. Carr said Mechlin was able to use the hose line for protection while attempting to free himself. Firefighter Mechlin was released from the hospital on Monday. Even though he remained in the burning room the longest, his injuries were the least severe of the three firefighters from Engine 723.

A view from apartment 103 looking up at apartment 203. The hanging, large piece of wall-to-wall carpet apparently initially blocked FF Mechlin's view and access to the doorway.

Firefighter Heikka and Captain Dutrow landed closer to the bedroom window. With fire all around them, each fell or jumped through that window to the ground 13-feet below.

Incident commander and Volunteer Division Chief Alan Hinde, set up on Side C of the building, looked up as the "mayday" was called to see, first Heikka, and then Dutrow, fall to the ground. Chief Hinde can be heard on the recording of the fireground audio trying to get a ladder to the window, but there was no time. Hinde described seeing the firefighters emerge from the wall of flame as "surreal" and like a scene out of a movie.

According to Chief Carr the debris field from the collapse raised the floor level in apartment 103, allowing Captain Dutrow and FF Heikka to crawl or roll out of the window

Chief Love will be joined on the panel by other members of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service and representatives from fire departments in the District of Columbia, Fairfax County and Prince William County.

Watch 9NEWS NOW report from 7:00 PM, Monday

Look at all of the still pictures provided by Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service

See previous coverage from STATter 911, including fireground audio

(For more fire & EMS news from STATter 911, click here)

# posted by Dave Statter @ 8:31 PM

Comments:

From the pics, this room appears to be lightweight wood truss. I have witnessed several room collapses wall to wall with this form of construction. Guidlines must be set when entering these type dwellings.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 9:12 AM

after listening to the audio of the fire I would like to congratulate the IC with a job very well done. His calm demeanour throughout the events are one of many reasons that the firefighters were rescued. Again, well done to all invovled.

Jim

# posted by

Jim Campbell : May 7, 2008 9:30 AM

I instruct in NJ and plan on using the audio and video to show how well this can be done. The IC was better than textbook on the fire and rescue. it is so great to hear someone command a scene and not yell once. And if you listen, there is never a doubt as to who is in command. I wish those injured, a full and speedy recovery and commend all of those who worked this scene. Sure when the panels meet with all the time in the world to scutinize the actions, they will find things that could have been done differently but I hope they also emphasize all the things well done.
Doug Larson
Captain, NBVFC

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 11:22 AM

to the comment regarding the type of construction, I believe it was stated that this building was a 1960's era building, utilizing solid lumber floor joists and not lightweight wood trusses. In one of the pics you can actually see one of the floor joists hanging down which appears to be either 2x6or 2x8. This floor collapse was likely due to an exteded period of free burning in the lower apartment before the fire was discovered.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 2:20 PM

Actually this was NOT a light weight truss construction. It was a 1960s construction. Having done a walkthrough of the scene two days after the incident, I noticed the floor joists were either 2X10 or 2X12s.

Roof joists were signifacntly larger. The underside of the roof and flooring was tounge-and-groove planks.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 2:52 PM

This was not a light weight construction. Having done a walk through of the scene the next day, the floor joists were approximately 2X10 or 2X12. The roof joists were significantly larger.

The underside of the joists were covered by tongue-and-groove planks.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 2:54 PM

Sorry, meant to reply earlier. Thank you to those who did.

Yes, this is 1960s construction. Listen to the interview with Chief Hinde, and I asked him whether he was surprised about the fairly rapid collapse considering this was not lightweight truss.

As was discussed at the press conferecne, the issue of the pre-burn and whether smoke alarms worked is obviously one of the things the panel plans to look at.

Statter

# posted by

Dave Statter : May 7, 2008 2:57 PM

My husband with MCFRS, It was very reassuring to hear what an excellent job the incident commander as well as communications did. Even though some of their own were down they stayed focused and calm. Great Job to all involved. Be Safe!

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 6:15 PM

Interesting that MCFRS did not ask PGFD to be a part of the panel. I thought the two counties worked together on everything. Being as they operate similiar "combined" paid/volunteer systems - I would think PGFD would be a good choice to be on the panel.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 7:09 PM

@previous comment: PG should have participated, but I wanted to comment that it doesn't matter what department is fighting this fire.. a fire is a fire, regardless of being paid or not. Readiness, Response and Resources are most important.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 7, 2008 10:15 PM

I'm sure PG was not invited because that haven't made the same efforts as Montgomery or Fairfax to develop the RID and the RIG.

PG uses the 3rd special service as the RIT with little or no protocol for the exact duties.

# posted by

Anonymous : May 8, 2008 1:44 PM

Were there joist hangers or were the floor joist nailed into the ribbon board?

# posted by

Anonymous : May 8, 2008 4:51 PM

floor joist were set into relief cuts in the inner course of cinder block

# posted by

Anonymous : May 10, 2008 9:34 PM