B-17 Flying Fortress & Goodyear Blimp Crashes: Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF)

Two aircraft crash incidents happened with one involving a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber crash on On Monday, June 13, 2011 and another incident involving a Goodyear Blimp that crashed on Sunday, June 12, 2011.

The Flying Fortress bomber crashed and burned in a cornfield southwest of Chicago, but seven crew members and volunteers walked away without serious injury.

The Goodyear Blimp burst into flames and plunged to the earth in a weekend crash in the vicinity of the Reichelsheim airport near Frankfurt Germany.

B-17 Flying Fortress Crash:

The B-17, christened the Liberty Belle, took off from the Aurora Municipal Airport at 9:30 a.m. and made an emergency crash landing in Oswego, 44 miles outside Chicago, after the pilot reported an engine fire, said Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty Kunkle. The plane ploughed into a cornfield — but the seven people on board, including the two pilots, were able to escape without serious injury.

Goodyear Blimp Crash:

The pilot, Michael Nerandzic, 53, was killed but three passengers managed to jump to safety when the airship caught fire as it was coming in to land at the Reichelsheim aerodrome near Friedberg.

When the airship was just two metres from the floor, Mr Nerandzic told his passengers, all journalists, to jump to the ground while he tried to land safely.

But once the three had leapt clear, the sudden loss of weight caused the blimp to soar skywards and burst into flames before crashing to the earth in a chilling echo of the Hindenburg disaster.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This isa blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Aircraft, Twin-Engine Beech, Crashes Outside Opa-Locka Airport, Florida (May 2, 2011)

A twin-engine cargo Beech aircraft crashes after losing control into a house right after takeoff from the Opa-Locka Airport, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

In Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) there are many hazards at the crash site of an aircraft and the surrounding crash site area. On all the responses on ARFF incidents firefighters ensure that they are safe on approach into the scene and watch how the fire ground may develop as well as keeping eyes open to watch fellow fire fighter’s back. By doing so fire fighters are safe to do the job at hand.

The silver-colored plane was a 1957 Beechcraft, tail number N18R, crashed through trees, fencing, into two cars, and ending up on it's side, on the side of a house that suffered fire damage and smoke damage near Northwest 157th Street and 38th Way of Miami Gardens, Florida. The aircraft incident call came into Miami-Dade Fire Rescue at 8:10 a.m.. The pilot was reported being killed in the crash.

Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and doused the fierce flames with water and foam. The fire did spread to the side of the home, but firefighters managed to put out the fire before it engulfed the entire home. It took 30 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units to bring the flames under control.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NBTS) will be investigating the crash, and it may take NTSB investigators up to a year to figure out the actual cause of the aircraftcrash.

Video Of The Aircraft Incident:

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This isa blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Brooklyn NY: A Fatal 5 Alarm Blaze

On February 19, 2011 at around 6:30 pm, that evening, a five-alarm fire response was rung out for a fire at an apartment building located in Flatbush of Brooklyn, New York at 346 East 29th Street. Nearly 200 firefighters responded to the scene to battle the blaze.

A "Defensive Mode" of fighting the fire was conducted upon arrival of NYFD fire fighting crews because conditions were just too intense on the inside the apartment building.

"Conditions changed rapidly. The fire intensified, the windows failed. Due to the heavy wind, it blew the fire in, on the members on the upper floors...a blowtorch effect. It actually chased them down the hallway," said New York City Fire Department Deputy Chief Stephen Moro.

"This was bad because of the wind," stated Fire Chief Edward Kilduff, "We had to evacuate very quickly because basically the fire chased us right down the hall and down the stairs

Strong winds fanned the flames which took 200 firefighters more than nine hours to contain.

Fire officials say 60 firefighters were treated for injuries along with 11 building residents.

A wind-whipped blaze tore like a "blow torch" through a Brooklyn apartment building, killing a retired school guidance counselor who was discovered on the top floor of apartment building several hours after the fire was extinguished. The victim, Mary Feagin, 64, was described by residents as a wonderful neighbor who had lived in the building for roughly 30 years. "She cared for everybody in the apartment, in the building. She cared for everybody in the building, for everybody's well-being. She was just a wonderful, wonderful woman," said one of the apartment tenants stated. The city medical examiner stated the cause of death is pending further testing and investigation.

A dispatching error delayed the response of a second engine company to Saturdays deadly 5 alarm fire in Brooklyn, the FDNY is launching an internal probe into the matter.

A front door to the forth-floor apartment where the fire began was left open, feed the vicious flames. The open door helped fuel the blaze causing the fire to “blowtorch” throughout the building.

Uniform Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy says the staff cuts caused delays in getting water on the Saturday night blaze in Brooklyn.

The FDNY says that an open apartment door helped fuel the blaze, and it stoked by heavey winds.

The firefighters union said the response to the fire was hampered by new city rules that put four firefighters instead of five on some trucks.

New York City officials denied that clam.

The New York City Fire Department says the 5 alarm fire spread so quickly because someone left the door open in the apartment where it stated with strong winds fanned the flames the fatal night.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but NYFD Deputy Chief Moro said it did not appear to be suspicious.

FoX News: Brooklyn Blaze Kills 1, Injures More Than 20 Firefighters

NY1: Woman's Body Found In Wake Of Massive Brooklyn Fire

NY Daily News: Five-alarm blaze rips through Brooklyn building; 1 dead, 20 firefighters & 11 residents wounded

NY Post: Five-alarm Brooklyn fire leaves one dead

NY1: UFA: Engine Co. Reductions Hindered Response To Fatal Brooklyn Fire

NY Daily News: Open door turned Brooklyn fire into deadly inferno, fire officials say

The New York Times: Error Delayed Fire Dept. in Fatal Brooklyn Blaze

NY1: FDNY Investigates Delayed Response To Fatal Brooklyn Fire

(AP): New York City firefighters union blames fatal fire on staff shortage

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

What To Do If Your Car Catches Fire?

Getting your vehicle stopped and the engine shut off is a key step in preventing engine fires from becoming uncontrollable.

Now, I've been on many a car/MVA fire incidents and they are not a pretty site as anyone that has been in one knows very well first hand. Just like any fire getting out & away from the fire to safety is the goal and most important part.

The last car fire I responded on was on a white van that upon arrival on the engine company to the scene, on the highway, we could see the vehicle driver was out and had actually got all the belongings & contents out that belong to the bussness he worked for. Unfortontally the van had errupped into a blaze which is usually the case in most car/vehicle fires if extinguishing agent isn't applied quiickly on the on set on the fire.

The following YouTube video is of a fully involved car fire with firefighters responding, arriving, and deploying handline on the scene to battle an automobile fire. This video shows an almost exact firefighting operation that I had took part in the white van fire I had fought but in this video's case its a white station wagon :

We don't focus on vehicle fires all that much as we do structural fires. I came across an article by Josh Max talking about an experience with a car fire himself. Here now is a Guest Blog Post on:

What To Do If Your Car Catches Fire

by Josh Max Correspondent, AOL Autos

(AOL Autos) Vehicle fires are one of the scariest things that can happen on the road – and they happen more often than you think. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says 33 car fires are reported every hour in the U.S., and 18 percent of all reported fires occur on a road or highway and involve a motor vehicle. One person per day died in a car fire incident between 2003 and 2005, and in 2007 there were 258,000 vehicle fires causing 385 deaths, 1,675 injuries and 1.41 billion dollars' worth of damages. Teens and young adults with driver's licenses are most likely to be involved in car fire accidents, according to the National Fire Incident Reporting System, and young males are victims more often than females.

These statistics, while sobering, don't mean you should worry that your vehicle is going to spontaneously combust on your drive home from work. But safe driving and regular maintenance are important to reducing your chances of being involved in one of these incidents.

The Fireball Van
My own experience with car fires happened in high school, when a friend bought a used van. He gassed it up weekly but otherwise didn't open the hood. Even when the vehicle started having problems starting, he ignored any maintenance. At least until other passengers and I noticed a burning smell.

My buddy attributed it to the odometer: The van had over 100,000 miles on it and a bit of foul odor here and there was natural, he reassured us. But when the engine began belching dense smoke, he finally pulled over. We disembarked as the cockpit filled with smoke and in about 15 minutes, the entire van was a fireball. To make matters worse, the fire wasn't covered by insurance.

That's because standard auto insurance usually doesn't cover vehicle fires, says AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair. "The only way a vehicle will be covered if it catches fire is if you have comprehensive coverage," Sinclair told AOL Autos, "If you've got an older vehicle, we tell people that after probably eight or nine years, it makes sense to drop comprehensive coverage because you'll probably be paying out more than what the vehicle is worth."

Insured or not, watching your vehicle burn by the side of the road is an experience you don't want to go through. Here are a few common-sense tips that can help prevent vehicle fires, provided by the National Safety Council:

1. If you smell burning plastic or rubber, pull over safely and investigate. Don't try to make it home before you determine what the trouble is.

2. Get in the habit of having your car tuned up and checked out at least once a year. An inspection should include examining the vehicle for gas or oil leaks. If you suspect a leak, park a newspaper under your vehicle at night and weigh it down with a heavy object; in the morning, check the paper for stains.

3. If a fuse keeps blowing, that's a sign of electrical trouble, the same as in your house. Don't let it keep happening without investigating, as an overloaded wire can be the source of a fire.

Dousing The Flames

Race car driver Tommy Kendall told AOL Autos that the best defense against a car fire is to be prepared. "If you never thought about your car catching fire, now is a good time," he said.

Most fires, Kendall said, are a result of a malfunctioning fuel line or a fuel pipe splitting. "If you smell something burning, shutting off the engine will stop the flow of fuel and may prevent a full-blown fire. It's natural to panic in an emergency, but make sure you get off the road first so you're not a hazard to other drivers, or yourself."

"In a race car, there's an onboard fire suppression unit, little pipes that run around the cockpit filled with Halon (a liquefied, compressed non-toxic gas that stops the spread of fire by chemically disrupting combustion). The rules require it. It sprays this foam -- some of it's a fire extinguisher, some of it sucks the oxygen -- mostly to keep the driver safe first, the car second," Kendall said. "But in my own passenger car, I keep a fire extinguisher in the trunk, and you should, too."

Experts counsel not to attempt to extinguish a raging car fire yourself, but there are circumstances when you can try if you have a fire extinguisher. If there is smoke coming from under your hood but no flames, you can crack the hood slightly and spray at the gap from a few feet away. Do not open the hood all the way as the increased oxygen could quickly turn a tiny fire into a big blaze.

However, if the fire is in the rear of the vehicle near the gas tank, you should get away quickly. Only a professional should attempt to douse fires of this sort.

What To Do

If your car catches fire while you are driving, the most important thing to do is to remain calm. Then follow these steps, which also apply if your car ignites in a parking lot.

1. Signal and move immediately to the right shoulder, or right lane.

2. Get the vehicles stopped and shut off the engine while getting yourself and all passengers out of the vehicle.

3. Get as far away from the vehicle as you can, at least 150 feet, but make sure the area you move to is safe and secure.

4. Dial 911, so the dispatcher can notify the fire department.

5. Warn onlookers and others to keep away, as well. If you have some signaling device, you can also attempt to warn oncoming traffic.

Josh Max is a Manhattan-based journalist who has tested and photographed every manner of 2-and-4-wheeled internal combustion vehicles since 2000. His plain -speaking New York-flavored "I love it/I hate it" reviews have appeared in the NY Daily News (over 1,000 articles) and his feature stories, hard news and first-person yarns have appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Salon.com, Forbes.com and other major media. Max is also a performing musician, producer, arranger, singer and songwriter. www.JoshMax.com / www.TheMaxes.com

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Binghamtom NY: Fatal Apartment Fire, One Person Dead In Blaze

Binghamtom New York: There was a fatal morning apartment fire yesterday that resulted in a tragic loss of life to one of the nine tenants that resided in the building. One person was found dead on the second floor.

Crews were called to an apartment building at 116 Henry St around 11 a.m.. They were able to get the fire under control quickly and most of the damage was contained to the second floor.

"First arriving companies did in fact find smoke showing from the building, made a very aggressive attack inside searching for fire, did find and knock down, I'm sad to say we did have one fatality" said Binghamton Fire Chief Daniel Thomas.

It was reported that the man who died in the fire and was a tenant of the apartment building had initially exited & escaped the burning building but re-entered to help fight the fire.

Once you have exited and escape any burning structural fire you should NEVER re-enter. In the case of this fire we will never know exactly why there was a re-enter by the fire victim, but the tragic result was the loss of his life.

No firefighters were injured in the blaze and surviving tenants were not injured also.

Fire officials believe the fire started in the victim's apartment. Investigators are stll looking into what started the fire.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Massive 4 Alarm Fire at Rahway N.J. Condo Complex

A 4 alarm fire at a large condo complex under construction in Rahway, New Jersey at the intersection of St. Georges Avenue and Stone Street started at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. The massive four-story complex was engulfed in flames. The fire appeared to have consumed the top floor and roof area of the complex.

Calls of the smoke smell were coming in from as far away as Manhattan. No injuries were reported, with the building being vacant at the time of the fire, and surrounding streets were closed as firefighters battled the blaze.

A defensive fire fighting operation was being conducted by firefighters battling the blaze with containing the flames to the structure.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Portable Fire Extinguisher Can Prevent A Fire Tragedy

When a fire starts, it is usually small enough to put out quickly. Having the proper portable fire extinguisher and knowing how and when to use it can be important. When shopping for a portable fire extinguisher for the home, car, vacation cabin, boat, or recreational vehicle here are a few hints on purchasing as well as using a fire extinguisher:

Most fire extinguisher operate this way:

1. Pull the locking pin.
2. Aim at the base of the flames or fire.
3. Squeeze the handle.
4. Sweep back and forth over the burning area.

P.A.S.S. is an acronym to remember on how to place a portable fire extinguishers into operation quickly. The contents of most portable fire extinguishers last less than 30-60 seconds. Aim carefully.

Portable fire extinguishers are meant to fight small fires (no bigger than a trash can.) Fighting to large a fire can be dangerous.

Whenever a fire occurs, get everyone out first and call the local fire department. Then use your extinguisher if the fire is still small enough.

All portable fire extinguishers are not alike. They are marked with letter(s) indicating the type or “Class” of fire they can put out: “Class A” - ordinary fuels such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, plastics; “Class B” - flammable liquids like gasoline, kerosene, oil, paint, kitchen grease; “Class C” – electricity: and “Class D” – metals.

Purchase a multi-purpose extinguisher with an “AB” or “ABC” label for home use.

Purchase only those portable fire extinguishers with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) label. Avoid extinguishers that resemble aerosol cans. These can be dangerous when used.

Check the pressure gauge on your portable fire extinguisher periodically to see if it needs recharging. Look in the phone book for professionals to fill and recharge extinguishers.

Always refill or replace a used portable fire extinguisher immediately. Never put back an empty. An empty extinguisher is dangerous.





(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)