Fire Safety
by an
Experienced Forensic Fire Investigator and LTU Graduate Student
Roger Harrison CFI, BAS, EET
by an
Experienced Forensic Fire Investigator and LTU Graduate Student
Roger Harrison CFI, BAS, EET
As a
forensic fire investigator with 13 years of work experience, I can confidently
say I have seen a lot of death, destruction, and devastating effects of what a
fire can leave behind in its unforgiving and relentless wake. The objective of
this blog is to reveal and inform the readers the lessons learned in fire safety
from the perspective of someone who has been there up close and personal. My experience ranges from residential/automotive
fire and property loss, commercial fire and property loss, industrial fires and
explosions as well as in house laboratory testing with full scale
reconstruction. Special considerations for this blog will be residential,
commercial, and industrial fires.
The best and
most respected qualifications for a fire investigator are to be a certified
fire investigator (CFI) with the International Association of Arson Investigators. The requirements are: a minimum of 5 years of
experience, training and education. The certification is no walk in the park. Technically, I am considered a “private
sector” fire investigator; this means my experience does not originate from the
fire department, although some private sector investigators are retired public
sector fire fighters or investigators.
My experience comes from working for a forensic engineering firm that
served as one of the nation’s top forensic consulting firms. The cases assigned
were located in many different states across the country and required a
rigorous travel schedule with many nights away from home. In fact, the CEO was the second highest in
overnight stays with the Marriott Hotel chain in the entire U.S. with a little
over 2/3rds of the year in a hotel room.
RESIDENTIAL FIRE LOSS AND LESSONS
LEARNED
First and foremost, the most important item to learn is that the building codes and laws are created by some of the smartest and wisest people in the industry. When examining a fire scene, all fire investigators, engineers, and court rooms use and build their foundation of knowledge on the building codes. These codes are in place for us all (the entire public) to use as a reference to keep us safe. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that the number one cause of residential deaths is from careless smoking. The number one cause of house fires in 2012 is from cooking equipment fires or mostly, unattended stove top cooking that overheats, erupts into flames and then proceeds to spread throughout the structure. Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking related fires. [1]
First and foremost, the most important item to learn is that the building codes and laws are created by some of the smartest and wisest people in the industry. When examining a fire scene, all fire investigators, engineers, and court rooms use and build their foundation of knowledge on the building codes. These codes are in place for us all (the entire public) to use as a reference to keep us safe. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that the number one cause of residential deaths is from careless smoking. The number one cause of house fires in 2012 is from cooking equipment fires or mostly, unattended stove top cooking that overheats, erupts into flames and then proceeds to spread throughout the structure. Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking related fires. [1]
To prevent a disaster in your kitchen like this one…. Do Not Leave Food Cooking Unattended.
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Here is a
top ten list I have developed to help avoid residential fires:
1.
Always have modern up to date smoke/
carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house, including in each bedroom- Code requirements now require smoke
detectors inside all bedrooms. Since many people sleep with their bedroom
doors closed as recommended, if a fire starts in the bedroom, then it will take
a much longer period of time for smoke to penetrate through the door and into
the hallway. You must have smoke detectors in hallways and bedrooms.
2. Never leave food cooking unattended – Many people develop the philosophy that since they
have never had a fire in the past, they draw conclusions such as “I leave my
food unattended often and I have never had a fire!” These people are only one
mistake away from having a kitchen like the one above, and are the most common
people I interview after the fire occurs.
3. Never go to sleep or leave the house with appliances operating- You need only to look no further
than the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on-line to view the many
recalls that are out there on appliances.
Most people are aware of clothes dryer fires, but did you know
dishwasher fires occur often as well? Be
safe, when you leave the home or go to sleep, turn them all off.
4.
Careless Smoking – I have been to many fires where the
careless smoker has died in the fire they caused, this is a sad and unnecessary
occurrence, however, there have been cases when the careless smoker survives
and others die as a result. The pain on
the faces of these people is almost unbearable.
Please don’t smoke, and if you do, be safe. Don’t smoke in a position where you could fall
asleep.
5.
Space Heaters – Placement of space heaters too close
to combustible materials occurs often when people need to stay warm on a cold
winter night. Unfortunately, many people
have lost their lives as a result.
Please read and follow the instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Most heaters have the instructions on the
heater, if not, look them up on-line, it’s all there at your fingertips now.
6.
Improper Use of Extension Cords – This is a problem everyone has, even
the wisest, experienced, and highest educated still use extension cords
improperly. The most common fires I have observed during the summer months are
people trying to operate a window air conditioner with an extension cord that
is too small and too long. Additionally,
during the winter, operating space heaters in a similar manner. These types of appliances are high powered
(current consuming) appliances. They
will require at least an 8-10 gauge extension cord. These cords are very large in diameter and
expensive. Your life, however, is priceless.
7.
Candle Use – If I had my way I would eliminate
candles completely. They are often used
and left unattended. I have seen almost
every possible way a candle fire has started and nearly 100% of the time the
person was either sleeping or not attending the lit candle properly. On a lighter note, if a person burns many
candles they can cause an effect known as ghosting. This leaves a sooty residue on all cooler
surfaces throughout the house such as toilet tanks, bath tub, and exterior
walls. Candle soot is very difficult to
clean.
8.
Proper Storage and use of flammable
liquids – In the
same way gun owners should lock their weapons and store them in a locked safe
to prevent children from playing with them, parents should look after gasoline
and all flammable liquids in the same way as well. Most flammable liquids have flammable vapors
that are heavier than air. This means
the flammable vapors will stay low to the floor and expand horizontally. If there is an ignition source nearby such as
a water heater then those flammable vapors can be ignited and then flash back
to the liquid where an even larger fire occurs.
9.
Be caring and respectful to people as
much as you can – One
statistic that can never be determined is exactly how many fires occurred out
of a person’s anger, jealousy, vindictiveness, or from revenge with malice in
their heart. This is not a statement to
defend this behavior, however, many fires have occurred and many people have
died out of perpetual anger for each other for one reason or another. It’s easy to make people angry. In fact, some
people find it humorous. Show love,
kindness and respect as much as possible.
Sometimes it can be difficult, but it is very rewarding and you will
find it to be much safer.
10. Education, Education, Education – In 2013 there is really no excuse not to know the answer to
any fire safety question you might have.
There are thousands of web sites, books, and agencies such as the CPSC,
or the NFPA. The local building codes
were written by our best and brightest so we can all have a richer, fuller, and
safer lifestyle. Some of the best and
most informative information I have received has been from the local building
departments (inspectors, engineers, etc.) or at the local fire marshal’s
office. Admittedly, some of the codes can be confusing and call for an accurate
interpretation. I traveled all over the
country and every location has required me to utilize these departments to
acquire information. The local municipalities have always been accommodating and
very helpful.
In summary,
many fires occur in the U.S. every year.
There is never a 100% guarantee that you won’t have a fire. You may, however, reduce your risk
substantially by increasing your knowledge of how fires start and learning the
correct methods to prevent them. Stay safe!
Commercial Fires
The Rhode Island Night Club Fire
Many of the aforementioned top ten listed categories still apply to the commercial sector. For this blog and the available time I will focus on one specific fire to discuss and to apply our lessons learned. Without question The Station Night Club Fire in Rhode Island was the most tragic and worst case I have ever been assigned to work on. On February 20, 2003 The Station Night Club Fire was the fourth largest fatal fire in the history of the U.S. One hundred people died in this fire while attending a rock concert by the band Great White.
Many of the aforementioned top ten listed categories still apply to the commercial sector. For this blog and the available time I will focus on one specific fire to discuss and to apply our lessons learned. Without question The Station Night Club Fire in Rhode Island was the most tragic and worst case I have ever been assigned to work on. On February 20, 2003 The Station Night Club Fire was the fourth largest fatal fire in the history of the U.S. One hundred people died in this fire while attending a rock concert by the band Great White.
A converted family restaurant type structure
with a glass atrium, The Station Night club was a popular location among West Warwick,
Rhode Island’s young people.
The
structure consisted of three main areas; the dance floor and stage with a
drummer’s cove, a wraparound bar area and lounge, and the kitchen and rest room
facilities in the rear of the structure. On the night of February 20th
the building was packed with people in anticipation of enjoying the Great White
concert. The fire started almost immediately
when the band opened their concert when a total of three pyrotechnic devices mounted
on the stage started spewing a shower of sparks vertically that had enveloped
the ceiling and walls near the stage area.
Unfortunately, the stage area walls and drummer’s cove were covered with
an egg crate type acoustic foam material that quickly ignited from the sparks
and rapidly spread across the ceiling. Within approximately six minutes the
fire had raced across the ceiling and had filled the building with thick toxic blinding
black smoke that would overtake the victims before they could get out of the
building. The speed and ferocity of the
fire caused an all-out and justified panic by the attendees. Most everyone ran for the entrance to escape
and literally jammed themselves in the front door opening. Consequently, the front door opening became
wedged with bodies and prevented those still inside from exiting the building
from this area.
The fire and
the tragic evacuation attempt of the building were captured on video tape by a
film crew that happened to be in the night club filming a story on night club
safety. The video has been attached to
this blog for review if you should decide to view it. An appropriate “warning” is advised to those who don’t want
to see or hear real time events of people struggling to escape this very tragic
fire. This video shows the fire and how
it started and how 100 people died. Additionally, as the camera
operator escapes the building seconds before the doorway becomes jammed with
bodies, the camera operator continues to film this fire from the exterior of
the building while people are struggling and screaming for help. It is unquestionably the worst video I have
ever viewed, however, if you are a young person that likes to attend night
clubs and gatherings with large groups of people, you should view this video
to not let history repeat itself ever again.
[3] Google Images
Control Click on the link below to view video
(Please see warning listed above before viewing)
Moments after the band Great White started their concert,
both walls along side of the stage and drummer’s cove were quickly ignited and
rapidly burned upward to the ceiling and then raced across the ceiling allowing
only a few minutes of time to evacuate the building.
[3] Google Images
Once the
fire was extinguished by the fire department, the entire roof and most of the structure
was destroyed by the fire. Upon
completion of the criminal investigation of the fire by the local, state, and
federal authorities, the civil investigation began and lasted approximately six
weeks. During that time the remains of
the stage and the drummer’s cove were removed and placed on a flatbed truck to
be transported with a police escort to a special storage facility where it was
reconstructed for a jury presentation.
[3] Google Images
Learning from a Tragedy
· The Night Club did not have a functioning fire suppression (sprinkler)
system. Many experts
have determined that a functioning sprinkler system would have slowed the
progression of the fire and allowed a safe evacuation for most if not all occupants
resulting in zero loss of life. [4]
· Know where most if not all of the Exits are located – A normal human reaction is to exit
out of a building where you entered it.
You should always make a special effort to learn where alternative exits
are located in a structure before an incident occurs. For example, the night
club had an exit located next to the stage that is commonly used by the band
for loading and unloading. Unfortunately, band equipment such as large speakers
and power amps were set up so that the concert attendees were not visually
aware that there was an exit located there.
Consequently, most people as the video shows turned and attempted to
exit out of the door they entered.
· Know the codes and requirements - The codes require every building to post the maximum number of
occupants allowed in the building. If
you are in a crowded building that appears to be over the legal capacity
allowed, you should leave immediately.
The station night club fire was a terrible tragedy. One hundred people lost their lives that were
simply out to have some fun and enjoy a rock concert. This fire is listed as the fourth worst fatal
fire in the history of the United States.
Let’s learn from tragic mistakes so that we may never repeat them again.
[1] http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=952&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Major%20causes%20of%20fire&cookie%5Ftest=1
[2]
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1536&bih=619&tbm=isch&tbnid=iOwJeYRbyPzMMM:&imgrefurl=http:
//www.thedoctorstv.com/main/content/Kitchen_Fire_Safety&docid=N6SJiTTlyQBCyM&imgurl=http
://thedoctorstv.com/files/Image/2085/D2085_13.jpg&w=450&h=300&ei=vUN6_Ica9rQG45IG4BA&z
oom=1&iact=rc&dur=340&sig=104063550712263139561&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=202&start=24
&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:32,s:0,i:188&tx=84&ty=85
[2]
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1536&bih=619&tbm=isch&tbnid=iOwJeYRbyPzMMM:&imgrefurl=http:
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://thedoctorstv.com/files/Image/2085/D2085_13.jpg&w=450&h=300&ei=vUN6_Ica9rQG45IG4BA&z
oom=1&iact=rc&dur=340&sig=104063550712263139561&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=202&start=24
&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:32,s:0,i:188&tx=84&ty=85
[3] Google
Images
https://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1536&bih=619&q=The+night+club+fire&oq=The+night+club+fire&gs_l=img.12...13667.20851.0.23539.19.14.0.5.2.0.81.824.14.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.aG75s_3Z-Tg
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