Typical Hampton Roads construction

[JohnVBFD]

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6814987

This configuration is fairly typical of the Hampton Roads region.

Close together, built up to two or three floors with little to no firewall between.

[dday05]

From viewing the video for a few minutes looks like everyone involved did a nice job. From what it appeared the other unit wasn't to far from going up.Looks like just the siding melted off. Did it go any farther then that?

[RFDACM02]

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6814987

This configuration is fairly typical of the Hampton Roads region.

Close together, built up to two or three floors with little to no firewall between.

No firewalls? I thought once you have more than two it becomes "apartments" requiring greater code compliance. Any multi-units of this type in our area choose to separate at the third unit to skirt more expensive compliance with multi-family (3+).
This does seem to be a huge trend in residential construction. I've seen it up and down the East Coast. The only difference is the number of total units.

[MG3610]

There appears to be fire walls or fire separations between each unit in the video. Was the fire spread due to exposure to the soffits from one unit to another?

[JohnVBFD]

dday: No further fire spread past the involved units.

RFDA and MG36: There are fire seperations that do not have the fire rating of a pure firewall that apartment complex's in this region have. The fire seperations are in many of the newer townhommes being built. Many of the older townhommes do not have any.

photo from vbfd.com:

[verno55]

looks like they did a great job containing the fire!!!

[hwoods]

Where are the rest of the Apparatus??........... Strange......

[JohnVBFD]

Where are the rest of the Apparatus??........... Strange......

The way that area is, the hydrant layout, Eng 19 (telesqurt) and the ladder either 21 or 9, are the two you see. The two next in engines are around the corners on the hydrants, pumping the 5" to the master streams.

All the handlines would have come off either 19 or the ladder ( I think I just threw up in my mouth )

[hwoods]

OK, Copy that. I guess I'm putting too much dependence on our way of doing things. That Fire would have been a Second Alarm for us, which means a minimum of 8 Engines, 4 Trucks, 2 Squads, EMS and Support Units, and a LOT of Chiefs......... And at least 70 People.