First Structure Fire!

[Herrin 833]

The wait is over. 7/18/01 at 00:04 hours,tones went out for a report of fire in second story of a home. I had just left the station 45 minutes earlier from a training session on fae. I caught the second truck out and upon arrival,was told by the chief to pull a second line and follow first crew in. This may not mean anything to most of you,but this was alot of responsibility for me,because I'm the newest p.o.c. member of the dept. of seven months and was my first structure fire. The adrenilin was pumping and the gremlin in my stomach was tring to get out to the point I felt sick. After I calmed myself and breathing down I went to work with the help of other FF. What a rush! Just as the excitment of the first one came the second. 7/24/01 at 19:39 hours report of fire in a home and unknown if persons was out. This one hit close to home,because this home was owned by a close friend of several of the ff's on our dept. Owner was not home,thank god,but the home was a total loss. To make things worse the owner did not have insurance on home or contents.

[FHandz17]

3 story condemed old brick hotel in downtown Warrensburg, MO. (Go Mules!!)

Middle of July, 5 A.M., 50 yards from the firehouse, pulled out of the bay stopped the truck and started hitting it with the deck gun. Fire had already taken half the building (arson).

@12 hour fire, mutual aid from 30 miles away.

My first fire, and 4 years later still my best yet.

My first structure fire was on my first day on shift. It was an arson fire at the local state probation office, gutted most of the building

[Fire Eater 07]

2707 Henry Street...Heavy fire from the front of yellow cynderblock house...not the biggest ive had by any means!! But one that will stay with me for a while...that was my first as a paid...vollie...hmmm...i think it was our Chiefs bottom floor of his 2 story townhome
stay safe

[mtnfyre21]

first actual working fire they let me do anything at was 7-10-01
2 story balloon frame heavy fire at arrival
total loss
cause faulty wiring
got to do over haul on several before that but the paid guys usually have it out before the villies get there
2197 10-8
stay safe and have fun'
live life to its fullest because you never know when you will not come home

[SilverCity4]

May, 0245 hours.....8000 square foot steel building..used to be a carpet store. Still had lots of carpet in it, and the makings for a five family garage sale for the next day. I was on the first-in engine with my Captain. It was already 25% involved (arson). We pulled a line to the door, and I remember looking in to a huge room FILLED with fire and smoke and I thought,"Maybe I should reevalute my career decision." Then we opened the line up, and I decided that I had definatly decided upon the RIGHT career.

[rds3604]

August, 0300hrs, The Town House Hotel, Balloon construction. First units encountered heavy fire on the first floor, unable to hold position due to heat, just as they left it flashed over. Total loss, that was ten years ago and I still remember it vividly. It was early, hot, and took over 12 hours to extinguish, 10 years later it's still the best fire I've been on.

[firefighterbiv2335]

I dont remember the day or time...It was in July..i just got off as a probie..2weeks after i was cleared as a interior firefighter i was on my way back to work when the pager went off..."cortlandville fire reported house fire..Carr Hill Rd..per. highway employee heavy smoke from the eves" Lucky for me I was just around the corner from the incident..The engine was already out...there was a crew at the house...i followed them into the sceane. Pulled up and saw the smoke...the adrenaline was thru the roof. Ran to the engine to grab a pack..our cheif was right behind me tellin me to get my *** in there...he didnt have to tell me twice...got on the line...made a good hit..contained it to room of orign. That was my first fire...

[firefightermatt]

Haven't had my first fire yet and wontfor a couple of years (im not of age yet and am still trying to gain onfo on jr ffs and explorers) but i hope it will be as good s the ones posted.

[rescue2bob]

oh man i think i got a pup tent, i was so pumped i could have taken on mike tyson in his prime. I was out of probie school a week, i had already done 2 night tours and one day tour, it was my second day. I had the nozzle (solid stream). We were first due. The building was a three story md with railroad flats, vacant building. Fire was on the second floor. I pulled the line and was running down the street with my donut when the senior man suggested that i go back to the rig for my helmet, man was i embarresed, thank god he was understanding because they waited till I got back(seemed like an hour but was probably 30 seconds). the Captain was waiting at the top of the stairs for me, told me to open the line and knock the fire back into the apartment, which i did, then told me to move up into the doorway which i did, knocking more fire down and into the apt. at that point i swept the floor and was what i thought was ready to do the rest of the job. The captain then told me to "get high" so i DID, i stood up and started to walk right into the apartment with the line going ( complete tunnel vision, i was going to do this if it killed me lol) i think i was pulling the rig down the street i was pulling on the line so hard. the other guys most have been laughing their asses off watching this probie dope trying to do this all by myself, and they let me, ( we now call this a learning experiance ) anyway, before i turned myself into a roman candle the capt crawled up behind me and pulled me down to my knees, of course i had forgotten to pull up my boots, and restrained me from roasting the rest of my big head off. The senior man ( backup ) then took the line with me backing him up and put out the rest of the apartment. Back at the rig,after i got out of the hose bed the senior man took me aside and told me nice job, but remember what i had done wrong and not do them again, and to always be geared up. They just wanted to see if i had the heart, they figured they could teach me the rest, and they were right. After 22 years i still learn something new at almost every fire, some would call that a slow learner lol, but really you never stop learning about fire and what it does.

[TCmib379]

Ala,rs kick about 12:30 p.m. on a Tues. afternoon! While on station standby Structure fireOld pisgah Rd. Garage with 2 cars inside! I'm all the way across town. I make it to the station. My father(STO) I pass bringing first due pumper a High pressure fog! I arrive in station My brother(Chief) is pulling the second due out! Water Tender. We're in route, upon arrival heavy smoke and flames showing a home not 15 ft. away from it I pull first line while Chief is hooking up. Now remember 3 FFs on scene. I'm protecting home and knocking down the fire at the same time until my bro comes to my rescue and all atthe same time telling me if you let that house burn i'm kicking your a#$.. Well, while acetylene bottles are popping. My bro is in the midst of everything as he would push the fire out one side I wouldpush them right back!! Through all the heat and flashovers the vinyl siding of the home did'nt even melt!!! After everything sorta slowed down and while performing mop up my Father was sitting on the tailboard of this old weathered fire engine looking at his two sons with the expression like well I did my job as a dad friend and safety officer. To this day I won't forget his expression!!! So MATT69 It's coming and you'll get that feeling when you do The tones will kick wide-*** open.. And to HErrin Good Work

[bgfdchick]

Two days before Christmas 2000, due to "careless disposal of a cigarette."

I was with a good crew on the attack team. The smoke was thick and to the floor. Even though the temp was -10, it was SO hot, and the cieling was falling down all around us. I think the anticipation of going in is more unnerving to me than actually going in! But the guys I was with were so good, it was like another regular drill at the burn tower.

The residents were very thankful that we were able to save part of their Christmas...we contained the fire to one part of the house, and made sure that we preserved what was left of their gifts during overhaul.

I also have to say thanks to our captain's wife...the past four or five years we've had working structure fires on the 23rd or 24th of December...and every time, they've had to cancel her birthday dinner reservations !! And she was always at the station supporting us!

[ 08-08-2001: Message edited by: bgfdchick ]

[hctrouble25]

September 4th 2000 - Labor Day...I was at my parents visiting - they live about 1/6 mile from the firehouse..my mom said what is that noise..I said "the fire siren gotta go!". Turned out to be a pretty large heavily involved house fire...basement was rolling. I went in as back up on the hose line upstairs through the front door...couldn't see a thing..the smoke was so damn thick. We hit a dead end and felt for the basement door..the guy in front of me went to go down the stairs and said his legs went through the stairs so we backed out. Decided to go around the back of the house and go into the basement entrace instead. The guy in front of me didn't realize that the wall he was standing on was about 3 1/2 feet high and he stepped off it and rolled down the driveway...I opted to take the stairs down the side of the house. I get to the basement door and the guy in front of me from another department (their Chief..I didn't know this at the time) said "come on, let's get on this", I froze. He goes "get in here now! This thing is rolling." I was so scared but I went in and picked up the hose line...he couldn't see cause he was in the thick of the smoke so I spent my time yelling "to your right...to your left...on the ceiling....in the next room over on your right" etc. to let him know where the fires were rekindling. We knocked it down together and I was pretty sure I was gonna have to change my pants...but I was so excited too and realized I had made the right choice to become a fire fighter. When we got outside one of the guys that was standing at the basement entrace said to me..."oh my God, there were electrical wires all around you and you were covered in water, and standing in water and blue sparks kept flying past your helmet..." I never knew any of that was going on. This house was so filled with junk that when the fire moved up the walls into the first floor and second floor it took about 15 guys to knock all the furniture out from in front of windows to vent the rooms. The 2 car garage was so packed with stuff from yard sales, etc. that you couldn't walk more than 4 inches into it, and the stuff was from floor to ceiling. Plus the old guy that owned the place kept running inside to try and grab his stuff and we had to have a Trooper stay with him outside...he kept yelling at us that were were ruining his valuables! Yea OK! I will never forget that day...and I got a lot of compliments on how well I did inside....that made me very happy.

[boobarrie]

MY FIRST FIRE WAS A FEW YEARS BACK. IT WAS KIND OF UNIQUE I GUESS...AT THE TIME OF MY FIRST FIRE, I HAD ALREADY BEEN DRIVER/ENGINEER FOR A FEW MONTHS. I HAD JUST FINISHED FIREFIGHTER 1 THE MONTH BEFORE. ABOUT 10:30AM THE PAGER WENT OFF FOR A 1 STY RESIDENTIAL FIRE. I BOOKED IT TO THE FH AND OF COURSE, WAS THE ONLY DRIVER AT THE STATION. MY BEST FRIEND WAS STILL IN SCHOOL FOR FIRE 1 AND THE OTHER MEMBER WAS THE CHIEF. LUCKILY, WHEN WE ARRIVED STATION 2 HAD AN ENGINE PULLING UP AND A FULL CREW. THEY WERE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE AS WE CAME AROUND THE CORNER. THE CHIEF TOLD ME TO PACK UP AND WE STRETCHED A LINE INTO THE BACK DOOR. THE STATION 2 CREW MADE ENTRY TO THE FRONT DOOR, BUT IT WAS A BASEMENT FIRE AND THE BACK DOOR LEAD STRAIGHT TO THE BASEMENT. IT WAS HOTT!! BUT I LOVED IT... FUNNY THING WAS, THE FIRST THING I HEARD AT THE NEXT MEETING WAS HOW THE STATION 2 GUYS WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY A WHITE HELMET (CHIEF) AND A RED HELMET (ENGINEER) WERE TOGETHER ON THE LINE THAT PUT THE FIRE OUT!!!! MAN I WAS SO PROUD TO FIGHT MY FIRST HELL FIRE WITH THE CHIEF.

[Firemt47]

I don't remember the first fire that I was on the first engine out, but the first fire I was at was an arson fire. Pulled alot of hose. Went to tag a hydrant it was bad had to hand jack 2 blocks away. I was on the ambulance that morning and while we were at the structrue fire we hooked an accident 2 dead with body parts laying around. Later that day we had our Firefighter class house burn. Ever fire I go into feels like my first. It is still just as exciting as the first time.