Ch. 12 - Fighting Fires At Lumber Yards

Question 1

The potential for a _______________ is present at an old lumberyard.

Answer 1

Conflagration.

Question 2

The flame front can propagate itself by both ___________ and ____________.

Answer 2

Convection and radiation.

Question 3

How is the access to an older lumberyard?

Answer 3

Difficult to impossible.

Question 4

If you are going to commit vehicles to the compound, how should they be placed?

Answer 4

For a single placement. Spot apparatus in the best location and then dump water.

Question 5

What is more of a concern in a fire in a building-supply superstore, as compared to a lumberyard?

Answer 5

Life safety, since customers are allowed to roam throughout the store.

Question 6

What kind of construction is the front office building of a lumberyard?

Answer 6

Ordinary construction.

Question 7

What is common for roof assemblies in lumberyards?

Answer 7

Bowstring trusses aren’t uncommon and plywood or purlins over the rafters, with wood shake or asphalt shingles, will top off the roof assembly.

Question 8

What can be expected in well involves fires in lumberyards?

Answer 8

Partial collapse.

Question 9

What kind of floors can be expected in building-supply superstores and the main offices of most older lumberyards?

Answer 9

Concrete slab.

Question 10

What are the principal concerns with the main offices of older lumberyards?

Answer 10

The fire loads inside and the voids created by the facades.

Question 11

What is a certainty in a well advanced fire in a lumberyard?

Answer 11

Collapse. Worst case scenario, a sizable fire in a lumberyard will result in a conflagration.

Question 12

What can be said about relief units and rehab at lumberyard fires?

Answer 12

Get relief units in early and set up rehab no more than thirty minutes into the incident.

Question 13

What is the old axiom to remember for traditional lumberyard or indoor superstore fires?

Answer 13

Confine, control and extinguish. The first three to five minutes of the fire fight will set the tone for the rest of the incident.

Question 14

What is the rule I’d thumb for manpower at lumberyard fires?

Answer 14

Triple the resources that you initially think might be needed.

Question 15

How fast can an advanced fire move in an outdoor lumberyard?

Answer 15

Several feet per minute.

Question 16

What two things should the officer assigned to the initial attack be thinking about?

Answer 16

The direction of the attack and the amount of water needed.

Question 17

What size hose should you pull at a lumberyard fire?

Answer 17

Large and able to flow a minimum of 250 to 300 gpm. You will only get one chance to stop the fire before it gets out of control. Pull a large line and knock the heck out of it.

Question 18

What can be said about search in a lumberyard fire?

Answer 18

It will normally be a secondary assignment and will be similar to a defend in place strategy.

Question 19

How is search different in a home-supply warehouse fire than a lumberyard fire?

Answer 19

Significant search operations are required.

Question 20

When will steel-bar joists fail?

Answer 20

In five minutes at approximately 800 degrees F.

Question 21

What kind of collapse should be anticipated in lumberyard fires?

Answer 21

Sectional collapses. Usually not a general failure of the roof system.

Question 22

Where should backup lines be placed in lumberyard fires?

Answer 22

If fire is in the outdoor portion of an older lumberyard, backup lines will be an afterthought. If fire is in the main building, don’t place too close to the working crews - just close enough to guarantee their quick retreat, if necessary. The size and position will be similar to the deployment in vacant commercial occupancies or industrial emergencies.

Question 23

What can be said about a backup line in an indoor superstore?

Answer 23

Don’t even think about fighting a fire without a backup line. The backup officer may want to increase the size of his crew to position a firefighter every fifty feet along the line.