Arguably one of the most hazardous jobs on the fireground, overhaul is also one of the least desirable jobs. It’s dirty, time-consuming and dangerous, performed after all the excitement of the firefight is completed. But it’s also central to our professionalism and effectiveness on the fireground. As far back as 1940, Chief Lloyd Layman identified overhaul as one of the five basic tactics of firefighting, along with rescue, exposure protection, confinement and extinguishment (“Fundamentals of Firefighting Tactics,” NFPA publications, 1940).
Civilians rely on us to thoroughly extinguish a blaze and properly assess whether the structure is habitable following a fire. Rekindled fires show lack of thoroughness and follow-through on the job and can become extreme liabilities for a fire department. The goal of every fire officer should be zero rekindles, regardless of the type of fire.
That’s easier said than done, however, because overhaul operations must be balanced against the fire investigator’s desire to have an undisturbed area to investigate, as well as the need to conserve water to prevent further property damage.
In this article, I’ll address some of the safety considerations to keep in mind while performing overhaul, as well as some strategies to ensure you won’t be called back for a rekindle.
Safety Considerations
As previously mentioned, overhaul is an inherently dangerous operation. Some of the dangers include:
- Structural members–floor joists, ceilings, walls and roofs–can be compromised, requiring firefighters’ constant vigilance.
- Chimneys may lose support and fall, causing injury or death to those in the collapse zone.
- Stairways can become compromised, posing fall hazards to those traveling up or down them.
- Piles of debris, standing puddles of water and broken glass litter the floors of the structure, presenting potential trip and slip hazards.
- The atmosphere is often as toxic, if not more so, than during the active burning phases of the fire.
- Visibility is decreased by residual smoke, obscured windows and/or lack of lighting inside the structure, not to mention the additional limited visibility while wearing an SCBA mask.
- Exposed gas and electric utilities, if not disconnected, can become electrocution and/or explosive hazards. Fire officers assigned to interior operations must confirm with the incident commander (IC) that utilities have been cut to protect workers from injury involving natural gas and electrical contact.
- The work area is usually crowded with firefighters using hand or power tools in close proximity to each other.
- Because overhaul operations don’t involve significant fire, firefighters can become complacent, let down their guards and subsequently become victims.
In addition, firefighters have expended considerable energy fighting the fire and are most likely fatigued, which further increases the possibility of injury. Add to this the discomfort of soaking wet and dirty turnouts, insulation materials from pulled ceilings falling down your back, hunger, thirst and temperature extremes (it seems like it’s always either too hot or too cold)–and overhaul becomes a miserable assignment. It’s little wonder anybody enjoys being given the assignment of overhauling the fire. This further emphasizes the importance of rotating fresh crews to the fireground and establishing a designated rehab area early on in the incident.
Note: On incidents where critical events have occurred, such as firefighter or civilian injuries or deaths, the firefighters may not be in the proper frame of mind to concentrate on effective overhaul operations. In such cases, the fire officer and the incident safety officer (ISO) must evaluate personnel, remove those who can’t work safely and closely supervise the others.
Tips for Success
Due to these inherent dangers, it’s imperative that ICs and company officers strictly control the overhaul operation. Tactics to consider include:
- Conduct a risk assessment of the work area prior to assigning firefighters to overhaul. Cordon off areas with life hazards according to the FIRESCOPE Procedures for the Identification and Management of Life Hazard Zones (Firefighter Incident Safety and Accountability Guidelines, ICS 910, www.firescope.org).
- Use portable fans to assist in removing toxic smoke and other fire gases (consider electric fans over gas-powered fans to reduce the introduction of CO gases associated with engine exhaust).
- Where needed, use portable lights to allow for thorough search, overhaul and investigation of the fire.
- Periodically assess the fitness of firefighters assigned to overhaul and assign less capable firefighters to rehab. Frequent progress reports and/or PLN (progress, location and needs) reports to the IC should include the need to rotate in fresh crews for overhaul.
- Assign firefighters to work areas large enough to safely swing axes or other hand tools or operate power equipment. Close supervision and coordination by officers is a must while overhauling in tight quarters where two or more firefighters are working together.
- If smoldering objects must be thrown from upper floor windows, the officer in charge of overhaul operations must request permission from the IC or Division Officer. Only after an assessment of the request (and any alternative solutions are considered) by the ISO should this request be granted. Designate a life-hazard zone below the window and restrict access to the area where falling debris will strike. Careful coordination between the interior fire officer and the ISO will ensure a safe environment.
- All firefighters must wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including full structural turnouts and SCBA (on air). As a company officer, you must rigidly enforce this rule because it’s frequently overlooked.
- Monitor the atmosphere whenever members are inside the structure, but remember that not every fire gas present will be detected. As we all learned in our probationary year on the job, the overhaul phase can be the most hazardous to our respiratory systems, as unburned products of combustion smolder and drift through the atmosphere.
If we allow civilians back in their homes after a fire has occurred, we must ensure they won’t become victims of a rekindled fire. Extensive overhaul is vital, as lives and property are at stake if we fail to properly extinguish the fire. We may have little, if any, impact on how a fire originally starts, but we have full control over the fire’s ability to rekindle. Ensuring the presence of adequate numbers of properly functioning smoke detectors and CO monitors is also an important factor in determining if civilians can re-inhabit the dwelling. In some instances (such as high-wind events, densely piled stock or high life-hazard areas), you may need to post a fire watch to prevent loss from a rekindled fire.
Overhaul Tactics
When initiating overhaul operations, consider fire behavior and the most likely directions of heat travel in the involved areas. Observe the structure and how it’s constructed. Look for chases, ductwork and soffits that may channel fire into other areas of the building. Areas adjacent to the actual burned portion of a structure must be opened up until unburned structural members are observed.
Firefighters must rely on their senses when conducting overhaul operations:
- Sight: Look for the burned and unburned areas of a building or its contents. Smoke that continues to emit from enclosed spaces is a good indicator of hidden fire and requires we open those spaces for close observation. Discolorations on studs, joists or rafters indicate smoke from fire involvement and require further investigation. Thermal imaging will aid in revealing areas of temperature extremes and concealed fire.
- Sound: Crackling or hissing sounds can lead to hidden fire. Of course, running power tools and gasoline-powered fans will hinder your ability to hear these telltale clues.
- Touch: Touch the back of your hand to walls, ceilings and floor members to determine whether these areas reveal excessive heat hidden behind them.
Some burned objects necessitate extensive overhaul by the mere nature of their construction. Overstuffed chairs, sofas and mattresses are notorious for hiding fires that tend to spring back to life long after firefighters have left the scene. When dealing with these items, first remove them from the building and disassemble them to ensure total extinguishment. Tip: Fabric treatments applied to chairs and sofas are often designed to repel water and may not allow water to penetrate and extinguish hidden fires, necessitating dismantling the item.
The use of extinguishing agents, such as Class A and B foams, has proven beneficial in reducing the occurrence of rekindled fires and should be used when appropriate.
As overhaul is being accomplished, perform a final and thorough search for victims (even after the primary and secondary searches reveal negative findings). It’s not unheard of for firefighters to come across fire victims in closets or underneath beds or furniture long after the fire has been extinguished. Family pets are often victims of smoke inhalation and may be revived if extracted from the area and resuscitative measures are promptly initiated.
Conclusion
It may be tempting to cut corners during overhaul so your crew can more quickly be available to respond to subsequent calls for service. Considering the time and expense it will take to respond to a rekindled fire, and the time required to document and explain why the fire reoccurred, it’s much wiser to perform thorough and complete overhaul on every fire.
Rekindles expose firefighters and civilians to the same hazards as the original fire did, except now firefighters may have to fight hostile fires in previously compromised structures–something that’s even more dangerous. In addition, the public hardly looks kindly on rekindles; in fact, they most likely conclude you don’t know how to do your job. Generally speaking, it’s the responsibility of the last fire officer in charge on scene to ensure overhaul has been completed before releasing remaining units from the scene. A fire officer’s reputation can be saved and respect earned by taking those extra minutes to perform the job well.
Key Definitions
Overhaul: Operations including activities undertaken after the main body of the fire is knocked down and the fire is under control to ensure the fire is completely extinguished before the fire department leaves the scene.
Rekindle: A blaze that re-ignites after the fire department has declared the fire extinguished and has left the scene.
