By FireRescue1 Staff
Close calls, rescue attempts and vehicle explosions topped the list of dramatic fireground footage from 2010.
Some of the videos provide invaluable lessons that can be used for training, while others highlight the devastation of fire and the bravery displayed by firefighters who faced the flames.
Here are the top 10 firefighting videos of the past year:
1. Head-first bailout in NJ captured on helmet cam
In a dramatic close call, helmet cam footage provided an example of how rapidly deteriorating conditions can lead to chaos on the fireground.
2. Firefighter caught in van blast
Video of a van explosion blasting a firefighter from the Evansville, Ind., Fire Department in the face made news headlines across the country and generated discussion on FlashoverTV. Several firefighters decried the failure to wear an SCBA face piece.
3. Helmet cam captures SC truck fire close call
A similar incident in which two firefighters in Croft, S.C., were caught in a magnesium explosion at a vehicle fire showed the value of PPE, as their fire chief cited face masks and other gear as a primary reason serious injuries were avoided.
4. Dramatic footage shows ladder rescue attempt
Two victims dangling from a ledge at an apartment fire fall down onto firefighters in this video from Poland, which illustrates the hazards that falling victims pose on the fireground.
5. Fireball consumes Calif. neighborhood
A huge gas pipeline explosion killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in San Bruno, Calif., and spawned the massive fireball that shot dozens of feet into the air seen in this video.
6. Firefighters attempt rescues on burning balcony in Mass.
A video posted to YouTube shows tense moments as firefighters face flames pouring from windows as well as blasts from hose lines as they attempt to make rescues high atop an aerial ladder and balcony.
7. 9-alarm fire is Boston’s biggest in 25 years
A 9-alarm industrial fire that was called the largest to hit Boston in decades drew about 170 firefighters and can be seen in this footage posted. The fire prompted the city to crack down on unsafe buildings.
8. Flames surround volunteers caught in Russia wildfire
A group of volunteers attempting to help locals protect their homes from a wildfire ended up getting caught in the epicenter, and showed some signs of panic when they appeared temporarily lost in this video.
9. Boston firefighters take down PPE thief
Raw footage shot on a cell phone shows Boston firefighters subduing a man who allegedly stole a helmet from them. Police say the man ultimately surrendered a firefighter’s helmet from his backpack.
10. Firefighters rescue man from burning high-rise scaffolding in China
Firefighters in Shanghai use an aerial truck to rescue a man from the scaffolding of a 28-story burning building in this video. The footage also turned heads on Facebook as FireRescue1 fans showed interest in the apparatus’ automatic elevator that firefighters used to smoothly move up and down the ladder.