OCT. 1: CASS COUNTY, IN – A mid-morning fire destroyed a bed-and-breakfast inn. The owner and as groundskeeper noticed smoke coming from the second floor. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had spread to the third floor and attic. No one was inside at the time.
OCT. 3: NEW ORLEANS, LA – A tanker-truck driver was killed when the truck exploded and ignited a three-alarm fire at a gas station and convenience store. When firefighters arrived at 2:30 A.M., the cab of the truck was fully engulfed. The truck exploded when flames spread to the tanker. Investigators said the driver lost control of the rig after striking an SUV and hit a sign.
OCT. 6: NEW YORK CITY – Two young brothers, ages 6 and 11, died in a fire in their two-story home in Queens. Firefighters responding to the 7 P.M. fire found the heavy fire on the first and second floors. Three firefighters and a civilian were injured.
OCT. 13: WALDORF, MD – An early-morning arson fire damaged a gun range and store. Investigators determined the two-alarm fire was deliberately set during a burglary. Damage to the building and contents was estimated at $1 million.
OCT. 21: MERRIFIELD, VA – Fairfax County units responded to a fire involving a single-family house at 8:50 P.M. Firefighters encountered smoke coming from the attic and roof of the one-story home upon arrival. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and extinguished the fire in approximately 10 minutes. Two adults and three children were displaced. There were no injuries. Damage was estimated at $50,000. Investigators said the fire was accidental, caused by wiring in a recessed light in the kitchen.
OCT. 27: LAS VEGAS, NV – A man was seriously burned after a flash fire and explosion in an electronics shop in the industrial area of the city. Fire dispatchers received numerous 9-1-1 calls about an explosion and fire in a row of businesses at 10:35 A.M. On arrival, firefighters did not find any fire, but slight smoke was showing from the interior of the one-story, concrete-block building that was subdivided into eight units. There was also evidence of an explosion, as a garage door was bowed out and the windows were blown out. Firefighters made entry and found a man with serious burns. An investigation revealed that the man was trying to remove the brass valve on top of a small aluminum medical oxygen bottle when the oxygen inside the bottle was ignited by a spark from a hammer.
NOV. 4: WOODLAWN, VA – Fairfax County firefighters were dispatched at 10:27 P.M to a commercial building fire. First-arriving units encountered a single-story strip shopping center with smoke showing from the front and rear. Due to the volume of fire and size of the structure, a second alarm was struck. Firefighters stretched several hoselines into the structure to extinguish the fire, as there were no automatic sprinklers in that area of the store. Firefighters brought the fire under control in 30 minutes. Damage was estimated at $1,250,000 to the structure and contents. Investigators determined that the fire was accidental and started in a cardboard compactor’s control panel.
NOV. 7: PHELAN, CA – Just before 6 P.M., San Bernardino County Fire received a report of a traffic collision. Dispatch received multiple 9-1-1 calls advising that there were numerous injuries and occupants trapped. The first-in company reported four vehicles with major damage blocking the roadway. Paramedics performed a triage of the scene and determined there were eight patients, three of them critically injured. Extrication would also be required for one victim. Three more paramedic ambulances were requested as well as three air ambulances.
Thanks to contributors Jeff Allen, Jay K. Bradish, C.F.M. Hughes Jr., Timothy R. Szymanski.
LOS ANGELES, CA, NOV. 2, 2014 – The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the hills above Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. First-in firefighters found a large, two-story home with a well-advanced roof and attic fire. An additional task force was called for as firefighters went to work ventilating the roof and attacking the fire from the second floor. It took eight companies of firefighters close to 40 minutes to knock down the fire and another two hours for overhaul. During the firefight, a large portion of the ceiling fell on a member of Engine 76 as he was working on the second floor. A second firefighter suffered minor to moderate injuries. Both firefighters were treated and released. Damage was estimated at $250,000 to the structure and $100,000 to contents. The house was undergoing roof repairs, but the cause of the fire was not determined
