MORE OPERATIONS THAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Before we “climb” out of the cellar, where we have been for the past few columns, let’s discuss other fires and emergencies that may occur there.
Gas meter fire. One of the most dreaded emergencies in the cellar is the gas meter fire. 1 know some of you have installations on the outside of the structure like we do here in Waterbury; but for most of my career and in much of older America, these service “centers” were located on the cellar wall closest to the main service from the street.
Shut off the meter if there is a gas leak— most are quarter-turn globe valves. This is also the tactic if it has ignited and taken fire. Do not pul the fire out before you are able to shut down the gas supply. A few hectic times when searching for the seat of a cellar fire in a multiple dwelling, I found the worst to be true—the bank of meters on the front cellar wall was “roaring.”
After calling to the engine company with the fire location, I was nervously searching for the main shutoff valve while trying to give a report on extension. As the engine company’s presence was known, I twice attempted to say, “Don’t hit the meters; just control the extension and try to get me as close as possible.” And both times 1 failed to get more than the first three words out: “Don’t hit the” was followed by “Oh my God!” as the engine stream quickly swept the flame front. The heat and flames were replaced with darkness and sounds of “whoosh” and “hiss” as the liberated gas under pressure was seeking a nearby ignition source. This is one of the times that first-rate protective ensembles can hurt you—you cannot run fast enough to safety.
Shut the gas down at the meter if you can. If you can’t get to the meter controls, let the fire bum and shut the gas down at the curb valve. Sound simple? Just wait!
Flooded cellar. Another cellar emergency is a flooded cellar that threatens the heating units and electrical supply. You have a major problem if the soil line is above the cellar floor. You have a relatively minor problem if the soil line is below the floor: While you are contemplating rigging a trash pump (if you’re so lucky), an eductor (if you have one), or draft from a pump (if they let you), you can open any opening at the cellar floor to the soil pipe. Opening the elbow trap works—if you can see it, if the water is not too deep, and if you will not get trapped by the eddy current and have your arm sucked into the opening. You also can make an opening at any service line from plumbing fixtures—to pipe from the sink in the cellar or. better, break off the ceramic toilet bowl that may be installed.
What do you do with flooded flat roofs or the floors to a structure above the first floor? Cleaning drains and scuppers will work most of the time; however, never use your hand to clear these openings. The rush of water will suck you into the opening to the shoulder line, and if the water is higher than your head, you will drown.
Instead, bring by rope one or two lengths of rubber booster hose. Lay each single length under the water. Tie one end back onto itself with an easily untied slip knot. Raise the tied end over the parapet or windowsill to a point below the surface of the floor or roof, and open the knot. You are siphoning the roof!
Manholes. Another “weird” fire is the smoking, burning, pushing, smelling manhole that serves as maintenance to electrical services in streets and other thoroughfares. Manhole fires can run the gamut from normal and routine babysitting until the utility service arrives to full-blown second and third alarms. If you know how such fires are caused, you can more easily understand the importance of recommended operations.
First, never open a smoking manhole. I am amazed to see that tools designed specifically for opening manholes are available to firefighters—and worse, we buy them. (But then again, why do we take a threeor fourfoot pike pole into a building when a halligan tool will work just as well and is more versatile?)
In any event, these “cooking” electrical services generate additional explosive gases and great pressures along with elevated temperatures. We should expect a manhole like this to “blow,” and surely it will! One in Greenwich Village in New York City some years ago produced such noise that it sent firefighters scurrying everywhere. To this day, no one knows where the cast iron cover landed.
An additional problem we don’t usually think of is the probable extension to surrounding buildings. The wires and conduits that leave the manhole may serve many adjacent structures. These metal sleeves become extremely hot and can easily cause surrounding wood to take fire. Therefore, as a standard practice, check at minimum those cellar areas opposite and adjacent to the misbehaving manhole location(s), particularly where the electrical service enters the building on its run to the breaker box. The secondary impact of these fires/emergencies can tax any alarm assignment.
How many structures still have electricity? Where are the elevators—stalled after service failure? Is there any life-sustaining equipment that may no longer be operating? Is evacuation assistance needed (theaters, places of public assembly, and others)?
See? A simple manhole fire may not really be all that simple; thus, we add it to the list of “weird” fires.
