By Joe Pronesti, Chris Tobin, and Alexis Shady
They were the “McMansions” of a bygone era, and their stately existence is still common in most legacy communities: they are the Queen Anne or Victorian home.
Built predominantly from the late 1880s to early 1910s, these residential homes can be absolutely beautiful, but they also provide firefighters with a host of issues not found in today’s typical larger homes (those built in the last 50-75 years).
- Pressler: FIRE IN A QUEEN ANNE
- BREAD AND BUTTER OPERATIONS: THE QUEEN ANNE
- PEAKED-ROOF VENTILATION: CUTTING THROUGH ASPHALT SHINGLES
A working fire will almost certainly get into the many void spaces encountered in these homes, many of which will have more than one upper floor access (servant quarters were commonly built into these homes for a separate access to these workers’ living areas). These homes today also may be divided up into multifamily and even single-room occupancies (SROs). A recent fire in Lawrence, Massachusetts, occurred in one of these structures and a civilian was rescued from a window located in the traditional mark of a Queen Anne, the rounded turret. When you review this fire (scanning the red QR code on the memo), please note the location of the fire and its distance from the rescue. Firefighters need to be hypervigilant for the possible spread of fire in any and all directions.
Vertical ventilation will be difficult because of the steep pitches of the roofs. Many are wrapped in asphalt shingle siding (aka gasoline siding). The depth and size of these homes will also necessitate longer stretches so the use of the typical 200-foot crosslay should be seriously questioned.
These are just some of the hazards firefighters might encounter. Get a good look at these the next time you are out and about.
Download this training bulletin as a PDF (588 KB).
JOSEPH PRONESTI is the chief of the Elyria (OH) Fire Department. He is a graduate of the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Executive Officer program and a lead instructor at the Cuyahoga (OH) County Community College Fire Academy. He is a frequent contributor to fire service publications and sites, including Fire Engineering and FirefigherNation.com.
CHRISTOPHER TOBIN is a firefighter assigned to St. Louis (MO) Fire Department Rescue 2.
ALEXIS SHADY is a firefighter/paramedic with the University City (MO) Fire Department.
