Wednesday, June 19, 2002
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Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
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No injuries in Peachtree City condo fire despite brutal heat and personnel shortage
Fire severely damaged a Tinsley Mill condominium in Peachtree City Thursday afternoon. There were no reported injuries, although firefighters had to contend with a summer air temperature of 91 degrees and too little help. Owner John Jones of 14 Northlake Drive was at work in Vinings, according to neighbors who saw smoke erupting from the wooden structure and called in the alarm. Records show dispatch at 1:31, the first apparatus arriving at 1:34. Peachtree City Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Peki Prince said heavy black smoke was billowing from the structure when first units arrived. As the fire burned through the roof, "it self-vented," Prince said, "and then it lit up." Assistant Chief Ed Eiswerth said later that involvement was so heavy, it seemed initially doubtful that the unit could be saved. "We had to page out three times to get enough people, plus we paged out the Explorers," he said. "Some off-duty people came, and one Explorer." Smoke crossed through the attic common to number 14 and the one next door, but firefighters were able to limit damage in the other unit to water and smoke. Tarps were deployed extensively to minimize damage to furnishings. "It was a real good stop," Eiswerth said. "My crews did an outstanding job despite high heat and our personnel limitations." The U.S. Fire Administration, as well as OSHA, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, sets standards for firefighters' safety. The fire agency requires 12 firefighters on the scene in the first five minutes of a fire of this size, the minimal number to secure a water supply, deal with fire suppression, and initiate search and rescue. Only seven first responders were in place in the first five minutes of Thursday's fire. If a person had been reported inside the structure, a search would have been made, Eiswerth said, but suppression of the fire could have been compromised. Within 10 minutes, a fire of this size should have a total of 21 qualified fire and rescue workers in place, per the federal fire agency. Eiswerth said he "emptied three stations to cover the call" immediately and firefighters arrived from jobs as far away as Atlanta over the course of the next two hours. A total of 23 personnel responded to this workday blaze, some of whom were EMTs not yet fully qualified as firefighters. Only five volunteer firefighters now work in Peachtree City. OSHA requires a team to stand by outside the building in case others become entrapped while searching or fighting fire within. The agency also mandates a staffed rehab area to treat firefighters for the effects of fatigue and the high heat index. Those regulations further strained personnel resources Thursday. "We've been very lucky," said Eiswerth, "but it's just a matter of time before somebody gets hurt or killed because we don't even have the minimum personnel." Cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
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