A federal investigation into the blaze that killed two Pennsylvania firefighters last year highlights five factors that led to their deaths.
York firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zach Anthony were dousing hot spots March 22 following a three-alarm blaze at the badly damaged Weaver Piano & Organ building. While they were working, a part of the building collapsed, trapping and killing the two firefighters. Several other firefighters also were injured in the collapse.
A recently released report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health determined five factors that led to the firefighters' deaths, WGAL-TV reports. Those factors included:
- an inactive sprinkler system because the building was being renovated
- the long-burning, deep-seated fire couldn't be reached by outside master streams
- previous partial building collapse
- entering a collapse zone following defensive operations
- inadequate risk vs. gain analysis
The report also recommended that firefighter training include how to navigate collapse hazards and make risk assessments during incidents. It also suggested that sprinkler systems should be operating even when a building is being remolded.
