[12:06:28 TD] THE FIRE WAS IN APT. ##248; [13:23:59 TD] RED CROSS NOTIFIED
While responding to box 381, advised by FA that FPD was stating there was a fire in the building. FA also received calls from occupants stating the same. Advised FA to start a RIT company as a precaution. On arrival saw heavy black smoke coming a 2nd floor artment unit on the C side of the building and people evacuating. C2 called it a working fire and assumed command. Due to the time of day, the amount of cars and residents present, the life safety hazard and the size of the building, struck a 2nd alarm on arrival.
Initialset up command on A side until all 1st in companies were given initial assignments. C3 arrived on scene and was assigned as interior command. IC relocated to C side and command post was established. E1 tied into second floor stairway 2 standpipe with high rise pack using 2 75′ lengths of 2″ hose. El company found heavy smoke in east end hallway and used thermal imager to locate apartment fire. After checking door E1 crew made entry and found heavy fire to the right side of opened door (kitchen area). Reported to IC that El was short in hose length and that additional hose would be needed to advance into unit. E1 Knocked down visible fire with a high indirect attack and checked for hot spots while Rl did primary search. C4 arrived on scene and was assigned safety officer. C1 on scene as well.
E1 then went outside to exchange empty bottles and rehab. Returned to fire apartment to assist with overhaul and ventilating area. El used multi-gas meters to monitor area and assisted electricians with shutting down power to affected areas. El then assisted person with retrieving her medications in her 4th floor apartment before packing up high rise pack on the fire floor. E1 then assisted E7 with packing LDH before clearing scene.
Upon arrival Tl positioned on C side (Rt 9 side) Aerial positioned to fire apartment. T1 crew assisted E1 with advancing hose line to fire apartment. Evacuated several residents from fire floor. Tower driver dressed hydrant in front of building. After changing SCBA bottles reentered fire floor to search several apartments with no findings. Assisted with venting and checking apartments with multigas meter and hydrogen meter. Vented apartments when needed.
Upon arrival, R1 reported to command and received orders to proceed to the 2nd floor and conduct a primary search of the fire apartment and surrounding apartments. R1 assisted E1 with moving the 1st line out of the stairwell and to the fire apartment. After gaining entry. Rl conducted a primary search of the fire apartment, which was negative. R1 searched the apartments on either side of the fire apartment which were also negative. While switching out bottles, Rl was flagged down by an occupant on a 4th floor balcony who stated she was trapped and unable to evacuate. R1 crew proceeded to the 4th floor and evacuated several occupants via the 1612 Worcester Rd stairs, which were clear of smoke. Rl worked with C4 and other companies to ventilate and monitor several floors and apartments. R1 continued with this assignment until all companies were released.
E5 crew assigned by IC to help extend initial attack line into the fire room. Crew used 1 length of 75′, 2″ high rise pack with nozzle to extend line. E1 nozzle was used as a gate. Crew was assigned to check for extension above fire room on 3rd floor and 4th floor. No extension found using bathroom wall for plumbing chase. E5 was assigned with C4,L3,E2, for ventilation 2nd floor up to 6th floor. Metering and ventilating hall and rooms. Crew rehabbed, released by command.
Upon arrival, E7 established the water supply using the hydrant at Country Club Lane
and Gates St. E7 dropped aprox. 700 feet of 4″ supply line and tied E7 into the standpipe at stairwell #2 using 100′ of 4″ hose. E7 was then tasked with opening the roof hatch at the top of stairwell #2 for ventilation. E7 was then used in a floor by floor ventilation procedure with other companies.
On arrival L3 met with command and instructed to reach the top floor and ventilate. Reached the top floor with E-7 crew and opened the door to the roof. L-3 crew then took out 2 sky lights for ventilation purposes. L-3 crew then worked with other crews under the command of Deputy Sullivan in ventilating various floors and the metering apartments for co.
Upon arrival E3 reported to Command for assignment. E3 tasked with stretching a second line to the fire room. Using E3’s high rise pack, tied in to standpipe #1 on the second floor and advanced the hose line to the fire room. Fire out on our arrival. Interior Command instructed E3 crew to rehab and swap bottles. Upon completion, reported to Command for reassignment. E3 tasked with establishing shore power for vent fans. Power sourced locally from an apartment and L3’s generator. Assigned with E7 crew to go floor by floor and de-smoke the hallways with C2 and C4. Cleared by Command.
E2 arrived on scene parking on corner of Rt. 9 and Country Club ln. E2 moved the LDH running up Country Club Ln. to side of road as it was impeding traffic. E2 was then assigned as RIT. Once fire was knocked down E2 was assigned to C4 where we metered floors 4 & 6 in stairwell 1 and ventilated units by opening windows and sliders. E2 did this until cleared of fire scene.
FS3, Al and A2 on scene for EMS and to assist with rehab. FF. Casale and FF. Bryan evaluated upon request by their officers. No injuries or transport.
C1 assumed command. After all crews were rehabbed, assigned C4 and C2 3 companies each to ventilate and meter the east and west hallways on each floor, as well as apartment units. Crews worked with property maintenance to gain access to apartments to meter.
Fire was contained to initial unit, no extension. property management and maintenance on scene. Power to unit and adjacent units turned off by power company. Red cross called to scene by C1 to assist displaced tenants.
FP2 amd FP3 on scene to conduct interviews of tenants and fire investigation. Initial cause determined to be a cooking fire accidentally started by tenant. Tenant was trying to cook on front burner and turned on rear burner by accident, which caused a pot full of cooking oil to ignite. All companies cleared by IC after apparatus put in back in ready conditions and all crews rehabbed.
05/04/2022 20:46:17 Jose Lopez
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Arson Narrative:
Investigators: FPl Deputy Chief James Ahearn, FP2 Captain Will Gingras, FP3 Inspector Roberto
Lopez, DAF Dana Haagensen (All off duty, DAF notified by fire radio traffic, FP’s called by phone)
Weather: Approx. 70 degrees Fahrenheit, light and variable winds, sunny, no lightening reported in area
Site Designations:
A-Side – Facing south towards Gates Street
B-Side – Facing west
C-Side – Facing north towards Worcester Road (Route 9) D-Side – Facing east towards Country Club Lane
Witnesses: Captain Joseph Ahearn (1st in fire company), Minor resident/occupant of Unit 248, Sylvia Rivera (resident of Unit 248), Tatiana Velez (relative of residents of Unit 248)
Witness Interviews:
Captain Ahearn stated that – smoke was coming out at the balcony of the fire unit upon arrival; smoke was pushing out the hallway door of the fire unit upon entry into the second-floor D-Side hallway; the top of the fire unit hallway door was actively blistering from heat; and upon entry into the fire unit, fire was concentrated to the right side of the doorway
Sylvia (through interpretation by Tatiana) stated that – she had left cooking oil in a pot at the left rear range-top burner; the last time she used the cooking oil was the day before; and she was not home at the time of the fire
Tatiana stated that – the Minor resident/occupant of unit 248 was her brother; while she and Sylvia were taking the family dog to the vet, her brother called her mom’s cell phone and stated there was fire everywhere in the apartment; she called 911 to report the fire
Minor resident/occupant stated that – he was heating water to cook pasta on the stove/range; he was in the bathroom and smelled smoke, the first he was aware there was a fire; upon entering the kitchen area observed the contents in the pot on the left rear burner were smoking; he attemped to shut off the stove/range upon seeing the smoke; the contents in the pot on the left rear burner caught fire
Scene Investigation: No fire damage on the building exterior. Smoke damage on the building exterior was limited to above the windows and sliding door of Unit 248. Fire damage in the building interior was observed only in the kitchen area of Unit 248, and was consistent with a fire originating on the top of the stove/range. Smoke and heat damage was observed throughout Unit 248. The controls for the stove/range were damaged such that visual observation of the pre-fire control positions were not possible. Pots were observed on both the left front and left rear range-top burners. Personal belongings were observed throughout Unit 248.
Discussion:
Due to the damage to the stove/range controls, the team did not have the resources at the scene to determine if there was a failure of the stove/range controls leading to the heating of the cooking oil in the pot above its ignition temperature, or, human error contributed to such. Therefore, using the principles of NFPA 921, the fire cause can only be narrowed to the heating of cooking oil on the stove/range above its ignition temperature, and the cause of that heating undetermined.
Conclusions:
Area of Origin – Left rear burner of stove/range in Unit 248
Fire Cause – Heating of cooking oil on the stove/range above its ignition temperature Classification
(MFIRS/NFIRS) Unintentional
Report By: DAF Dana Haagensen
Reviewed By:
05/06/2022 09:08:54 Wilfred Gingras