I’m sure we’re all very glad to see the positive outcome in this story.
It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic example of the structural collapse hazards that firefighters face every day in cities, counties, towns, and villages across the United States.
We know that buildings under construction are especially dangerous. In this case a residence that was, according to eyewitness accounts, “undergoing constant remodeling.”
Given the prevalence of lightweight structural components used in renovations today, we cannot assume that a building from any era is safe from collapse for any predetermined period of time.
Another thing this incident exemplifies is the combined importance of situational awareness, fireground communication and strong incident command. If any of those factors were missing in this case, we would probably be mourning the loss of another fallen comrade.
Kudos to all those involved with preventing a tragedy at this fire; it’s nice to see an example where everything worked the way it’s supposed to.
Stay safe!
