December 13, 2000
Grangerland, TX
On the night of December 13, 2000, I responded to the report of a house fire with confirmed victims trapped. Upon arrival, we found a single wide mobile home heavily involved. My crew and I then pulled the 13/4 cross lay off the truck and extended it to the front door of the home. Me and another member went in and started your primary search: we traveled to the right, down a narrow hallway just inside the door, when my backup man had to pull out because of extreme heat (he was not wearing a reed hood). While I was waiting for the second crew to come in and continue the search, I searched part of what appeared to be a bedroom. Then the second engine crew came to finish the search. While they were doing their search, I concentrated on keeping the fire in check, but due to the narrow hallway I had several kinks in the hose that restricted my water flow to nearly nothing, so the fire was growing very rapidly and the heat was growing to intolerable heights. I then ordered the crew to pull out so we turned around to make our way back to the front door that was also toward the seat of the fire. About halfway down the hall, about ten feet from the door, the fire rolled down on top of us then flashed. I opened the nozzle and tried to utilize the little water I had to protect us. My crew and I made it out the front door, I am the only one of them that sustained any burns and mine were minor on my shoulders and hands. The PBI gear I was wearing really stood up in the time when I needed it most.
Roy Lum
Grangerland Fire Department
Grangerland, TX
On the night of December 13, 2000, I responded to the report of a house fire with confirmed victims trapped. Upon arrival, we found a single wide mobile home heavily involved. My crew and I then pulled the 13/4 cross lay off the truck and extended it to the front door of the home. Me and another member went in and started your primary search: we traveled to the right, down a narrow hallway just inside the door, when my backup man had to pull out because of extreme heat (he was not wearing a reed hood). While I was waiting for the second crew to come in and continue the search, I searched part of what appeared to be a bedroom. Then the second engine crew came to finish the search. While they were doing their search, I concentrated on keeping the fire in check, but due to the narrow hallway I had several kinks in the hose that restricted my water flow to nearly nothing, so the fire was growing very rapidly and the heat was growing to intolerable heights. I then ordered the crew to pull out so we turned around to make our way back to the front door that was also toward the seat of the fire. About halfway down the hall, about ten feet from the door, the fire rolled down on top of us then flashed. I opened the nozzle and tried to utilize the little water I had to protect us. My crew and I made it out the front door, I am the only one of them that sustained any burns and mine were minor on my shoulders and hands. The PBI gear I was wearing really stood up in the time when I needed it most.
Roy Lum
Grangerland Fire Department
