Investigators rule primary search efforts were uncoordinated and crews inaccurately interpreted fire conditions at house blaze 

By Dave Statter
WUSA9
STATter 911

LORTON, Va. — Assistant Chief David Rohr says they want to make sure this "never happens again." A report, prepared by the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, concludes that mistakes were made during a fire where a Lorton woman died. Chief Rohr and others provided copies of the report to 9NEWS NOW.

Debra Chiles, 49, was on the phone with 911 while firefighters were pulling up to her home at 9207 Cardinal Forest Lane just after 1:00 a.m. on May 23. The firefighters were told that Chiles was in a third floor bathroom, but she wasn't found for more than 40 minutes.

The report says that the "primary search efforts were uncoordinated" and that "crews inaccurately interpreted the fire conditions." Assistant Chief Rohr believes a better job could have done in command and communications.

The fire began in the kitchen on the first floor of the three-story townhouse. According to the report, the first rescue crew determined "the conditions were too hazardous and the rescue crew withdrew." The report says the officer of that company "believed that further entry ahead of the (hose) line was not a viable option."

Instead, that crew went to adjoining townhouses to conduct a search and to "ascertain a floor layout." But fire investigators determined that there was "relatively low heat above the first floor."

The report, written by a committee led by Deputy Chief John Burke, says that searches for Debra Chiles by other crews were "ineffective":

"The victim who died at this fire was found in a relatively small bathroom on the third floor. Despite statements from several personnel that they searched the bathroom — both physically and with thermal imagers. The victim was not located for over 40 minutes. The victim was located jut inside the bathroom. There were no obstructions or obstacles to hinder locating her."

"A black mark on our department." That's the assessment of R. Michael Mohler, president of Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics, IAFF Local 2068. Captain Mohler says the union has been pushing the department to do a better job in training. Mohler believes that the department's focus in such high profile areas as collapse rescue, hazmat and EMS has shortchanged training in fighting fires.

Assistant Chief Rohr doesn't agree with the union president, but says a better job will be done in training, to focus on the areas identified in the report.

Mohler says he has also heard from some of his members who believe their actions were not accurately portrayed in the report.