May 21st Training Burn

Incident Date: May 21st, 2010
Incident Location: 8602 S. Ainsworth Street

Narrative: On Friday, May 21, 2010, the Tacoma Fire Department conducted a training burn at 8602 S. Ainsworth Street.

The property is part of the “From Ashes to Homes” project with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The structure needed to be removed to clear the way for the creation of 11 new homes for hard working low income families. The new neighborhood will include sidewalks, streetlights, and a community area with recreation space.

This all day event was an great opportunity for the Tacoma Fire Department to conduct live fire training in a controlled setting and we were grateful to be able to assist Habitat for Humanity with the development of their very important project.

West Tacoma House Fire

Incident Date: May 21st, 2010
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 2339 N. Narrows Drive
Incident Type: Residential Fire

Narrative: At 11:09 a.m. Friday May 21, 2010, eight companies of Tacoma Firefighters, 4 Engines, 1 Ladder, 1 medic Unit and Command Staff responded to a reported residential garage fire.

First arriving companies found heavy smoke and flames coming from the attached garage portion of the two story house. Firefighters battled the blaze with hand lines and the ladder company preformed vertical ventilation on the roof to stop the fire from traveling a crossed the attic. The fire also significantly damaged one vehicle parked in the driveway.

The fire displaced two occupants and there were no injuries to report. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

North Tacoma House Fire

Incident Date: May 21st, 2010
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 3318 N. 27th Street
Incident Type: Residential House Fire

Narrative: At 10:10 a.m. Friday May 21, 2010, eight companies of Tacoma Firefighters, 4 Engines, 1 Ladder, 1 Medic Unit and Command Staff responded to a reported residential structure fire.

Fire crews found smoke and flames coming from the second floor of the three story residence. Crews attacked the fire with hand lines and contained the fire to an upper bedroom and a portion of the attic area. There were no injuries to report, and the cause of the fire was a child lighting matches.

Damage Estimates: $30,000 to the building and $20,000 to the contents.

Two-Alarm Residential House Fire

Incident Date: May 18, 2010
Issuing Officer: Tory Green
Incident Location: 1730 S. Ainsworth
Incident Type: Residential Structure Fire

Narrative: At 12:33 p.m. Tuesday May 18, 2010, eleven companies of Tacoma Firefighters, 7 Engines, 2 Ladders, 2 Medic Units and Command Staff responded to a reported residential structure fire.

The first arriving company found fire and smoke showing from the main floor of the two story turn of the century house. Crews battled the blaze with hand lines and initiated search and rescue tactics. A second alarm for additional resources was called as the intensity of the fire resulted in a collapsing roof of the primary structure and significant exposure damage to the adjacent house at 1732 S. Ainsworth.

A passing by off duty firefighter and neighbors assisted in getting all of the occupants out of both of the houses. Two of those occupants were transported to local area hospitals.

The Red Cross is assisting with the displaced families and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

West Slope Training Burn

Date: 05/11/2010
Location: 922 Linden Lane

Narrative: On Tuesday May 11, 2010, Tacoma Fire Department participated in a residential training burn at 922 Linden Lane in Tacoma’s West Slope neighborhood.

Approximately 30 firefighters and staff participated in several drills throughout the day. The enormous size (6,000 square feet) and the specific style of the construction of the house gave crews the unique opportunity to practice flat roof ventilation techniques, forcible entry, interior fire attack, “softening” of the buildings security features and to set multiple fires in numerous room configurations.

TFD’s training center staff spent months coordinating the regulatory aspects of the burn and they (along with several fire crews) devoted numerous hours preparing the building for the drill (removing toxic materials, stripping the roof etc).  There were no injuries reported and overall it was a very successful training burn

CERT Teams Prepare For Disaster

Tacoma and Lakewood Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) prepare for disaster.

Tacoma, WA. May 1st 2010 – Volunteers from the Lakewood and Tacoma CERT programs participated in an earthquake drill to practice their training in emergency response at the abandoned Gray Middle School in South Tacoma. The CERTs tested their abilities to conduct rapid building assessment, fire and utility safety, light search and rescue and medical treatment of victims. The old building served as the perfect facility to create a realistic earthquake scenario. Dark and eerie corridors, staged with over 16 live victims that were dressed with accurately depicted injuries, provided a training opportunity similar to what CERTs could expect in a significant seismic event.

In a partnership, Tacoma and Lakewood Emergency Management and Fire Departments coordinated the event to promote awareness for the bordering communities. The professionals conducting the drill aimed to empower neighboring citizens to work together effectively when first responders such as Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Staff are not immediately available. CERT members were also encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. Exercises like these are designed to further develop those skills.

If you are interested in being part of a CERT please contact Ute Weber 253-594-7980 or Lindsey Garrison at 253-597-5955 for the next training course series. Or visit http://www.tacoma.cert-central.org/ for more information.

Arson Awareness Week May 2-8

The theme for this years National Arson Awareness Week (May 2-8), is Community Arson Prevention.  The Tacoma Fire Department would like to remind everyone to take the following precautions to help prevent the crime of Arson.  

• Keep leaves, firewood, overgrown brush and shrubbery, and other combustibles away from buildings.
• Keep doors and windows locked when a building is unoccupied.
• Store all flammable liquids such as paints, gasoline, and aerosols in an approved storage location.
• Also, keep flammable liquids away from heat sources such as furnaces and other types of heaters.
• Report suspicious activity near houses or other buildings and support Neighborhood Watch programs.
• Keep matches and lighters out of the reach and sight of young children.
• If you know or suspect that arson was committed, dial 911.

For additional information regarding this years efforts visit the United States Fire Administration.