On Feb. 3, a caller to 911 said, “The whole sky is filling with smoke.”
The smoke was indeed a house on fire in the area of 90th Avenue West and 196th Street Southwest, but Edmonds firefighters were already there, participating in a controlled, live-fire training.
The home was slated for demolition and met criteria for use as a hands-on opportunity to train in a realistic environment.
For several days prior to Saturday’s house burn, firefighters practiced:
• Forcible entry with minimal damage.
• Search-and-rescue techniques for injured or trapped residents or firefighters (using artificial, non-toxic smoke to obscure vision).
• Bail-out techniques in the event of structural collapse (firefighter survival).
• Ventilation strategies to remove heat and toxic gasses from a structure. Methods include cutting holes in the roof or walls and placing a large fan to replace the smoke with clean air.
Once the house was ablaze, firefighters:
• Studied different patterns, nozzle pressures and hose sizes to determine the most efficient combination to extinguish fires.
• Predicted fire behavior by watching its growth and movement.
• Interpreted images on thermal imaging cameras.
• Evaluated the effectiveness of firefighter protective equipment, including their self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Practiced escape techniques for trapped firefighters.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
