Attacking a Fire

The hallmark of a good fire department is the ability to make an aggressive interior attack. When occupants await rescue and are trapped by fire, it is the aggressive fire department that will save them.

Whenever the topic of interior structural fire attack arises, there is always debate as to which method of fire attack is best. Some departments rely on the direct attack method. Other departments attempt an aggressive interior attack using the indirect or combination method.

Fire attack is a constant source of debate in the fire service. This debate usually focuses on which nozzle, pressure, and pattern are best to attack a fire. At the heart of the discussion are three basic rules that all sides do agree upon.

Rule Number One: Fire attack must be properly supported

Fire attack does not exist in a vacuum. There are a number of important supporting operations that must be performed to allow for a safe and effective fire attack. These operations include size-up, command, water supply, stretching the attack line, stretching the back-up line, and initiating early ventilation. Without these operations, fire attack success will be decreased while the danger to firefighters will vastly increase.

Rule Number Two: There must be adequate flow to knock down the fire

Fire attack is a simple matter of physics. There must be enough water hitting the fire to eliminate the heat that is being produced. If the attack line does not have adequate flow, the fire will continue to burn while water supplies are being depleted. It is absolutely critical that the attack line flows enough water to achieve knockdown quickly. Remember! A lot of water real fast beats a little bit of water over a long period of time!

Rule Number Three: The water must hit the seat of the fire

In order for any amount of water to have any effect, it must reach the seat of the fire. It will not matter how much the attack line is flowing, if the water is wasted, only the water level lights on the engine will go out. This rule requires the attack line to be properly positioned and then repositioned as necessary so that the water is always hitting the fire. Another important consideration here is the penetration ability of the attack stream. There must be adequate flow and pressure available so that the water can penetrate the super heated gases and actually reach the seat of the fire.

These three core rules are beautiful in their simplicity and when considered, much of the fire attack debate becomes academic. This is because there is more than one way to accomplish each rule and the correct method is based on the situation, departmental necessities, and departmental preference. What is important is that firefighters be able to determine which tactics are best for any given situation. These tactics are based on the basic elements of fire attack that include attack pattern, direction, and type.

All information on this page (including the above picture) came from firehouse.com