Case Study: 1502 Johnson Avenue 3/4/2012

Ladder truck T-1 responded first but even though they carry 300 gallons of water, San Luis Obispo City Fire Department's ladder truck crew doesn't ever try to put water quickly on fires. T-1 waits until it's time to go up on the roof and cut roof holes before taking action.

Mike King's Written Narrative (T-1) Claims:

Fully involved building with people interior. Both floors with heavy smoke and flames on Side A, B, and D! And attic vents. Engine 3 attacks fire on Side A from outside.

A non-coordinated interior attack is done on Side B, E-4 was assigned as the R.I.C./F.A.S.T. personnel. The attack puts the fire on the ground floor out in corner A/B. T-1 cuts ventilation holes (vertical on Side B/C corner roof). B/C is opposite from the ground floor fire on in A/B and is as far away from the attic fire on Side D as possible. Fire now accelerates and moves toward new vent hole – No coordinated interior attack. Building declared defensive after all people are out because once roof hole is cut and the fire is accelerated, the structure was now too dangerous.

They then put water on outer walls until roof burned through. Then SLO City FD used the "aerial master stream" (overhead hose on ladder truck T-1) through the burned roof to put the fire out.

Samuel Fox's Narrative (E-3) Claims:

Partially involved structure with heavy smoke and fire showing both floors of Side A and a door on Side B.

This is the door they attacked the fire through.

E-3 crew found "heavy activity" fire on Side D of the attic. Instead of cutting a vent hole near the fire and putting the fire out, SLO City FD cut the hole on the far side away from the Side D fire to pull the fire through the attic to Side B and burn the roof through so they can use the aerial hose on T-1 to put the fire out after destroying the building.

In Conclusion:

Depending on whose narration you believe, the house was on fire both floors Side A (front) and a door on Side B (Fire Capt./PM Fox) OR on fire both floors Side A, B, & D (not the back) as well as attic vents (Fire Capt. King).

They attacked the fire (interior) on Side B, sprayed water on Side A (exterior).

Then they cut large holes in roof corner B/C (vertical ventilation) to pull the fire into the one portion of the structure not yet involved in the fire. [Heavy fire was noted in attic on Side D (Fox)].

Once the vertical ventilation focused the fire on the hole and started to accelerate the fire, all firemen were pulled out and then, when the roof burned through, they used the overhead ladder trucks to put out the fire.

This fire is another example of what is now San Luis Obispo City Fire Department's standard operating procedure for a fast safe burn.

They could have put the fire out and saved most the structure but they chose not to.