Too simply. Too nonchalant. Erin suspected the search was not as complete as it should have been. So did Williams.
“Right. Hudgens, Jones, you guys start a search. Engine team behind you with the water. Do not use it until Ladder is clear,” he ordered, using a basic tactic. If Ladder was caught between the fire and the hoses spaying water, they could be scalded to death. Williams cued his radio. “This is Captain Williams of Firehouse 15. I am taking control of this incident until the arrival of the battalion chief. Ladder 19 on the roof, do not ventilate. Who’s inside? Give me your PAR now.”
The interior attack teams chimed in, accounting for six firefighters.
“You can’t do that,” 19’s captain protested.
“I just did.” Williams loomed over the other captain. “You can take it up with Battalion Chief Leary when he arrives. Ladder 15, you have your orders. Go.”
Erin, Kevin, Aiden, and Carver put their masks on and turned on the air. Their team entered a smoky, cluttered entryway/living room. Vision was partially obscured by thick smoke from the back of the house. Erin’s earlier suspicions were correct: whoever had done the initial search hadn’t bothered to flip the couch.
Never more than an arm’s length apart, Erin and Kevin checked behind the couch and flipped it over. No one hiding there.
Carver and Aiden were inching their way along toward the back of the living room with their hose. “Captain, Clarke at nozzle. Permission to attack the fire on C-side away from Ladder team.”
“How’s the temperature?” Williams answered through their radios.
“Not too bad. Still good visibility.”
“Firehouse 19 is about out of water from their truck’s storage tank, and the fire is not contained. Once you clear the entry room and secure the exit, you may advance to the seat of the fire, provided 19’s attack team is clear.”
“I copy.”
Kevin indicated the B-side. “Wait. Let’s check this closet first, then the ceiling.”
Erin sidestepped to the closet and opened the door. She found two things: more heat and a little kid cowering on the floor.
“Civilian!” Erin called out to make herself heard. She picked up the terrified child, slinging her over her shoulder. “I’m a firefighter, and I’m getting you out of here.” Backing up, she advised Kevin, “Temp’s rising.”
Nodding, Kevin pushed his pike pole into the ceiling tiles; flames were immediately visible. “It’s in the ceiling.”
Aiden issued a command using Erin’s numerical riding assignment. “Ladder 415 is evac’ing a civilian. Erin, take’em out. Kevin, come back to the ceiling. We have fire in the void space for the length of the house.”
Kevin escorted Erin to the door and then turned back around to start pulling down the ceiling. Carver and Aiden readied the water.
She heard commands over the radio as she exited. “Roof team—evac!”
That made sense. The roof had a strong possibility of collapsing.
“Attack team from 19, begin controlled retreat out an alternate exit on B-side.” Another radioed order from Williams.
“Copy that. We are out of water on C-side,” someone, presumably from 19 responded, skipping identifying their role and location.
Erin headed directly to the ambulance and handed the child over to Theo. She started to give sign-out but noticed Luna wasn’t paying attention to the child. Instead, her gaze was focused on the burning house.
“The smoke color is changing!” Luna yelled. “We’re going to lose the roof! Get them out of there! Something is changing!” She ran away from the ambulance and climbed into the engine.
Three short blasts from the engine’s air horn sounded through the chaos – the universal signal for immediate evac.
Since Luna deserted her assigned post, Erin filled in, helping Theo check the vitals of the frightened little girl. “Where are your parents? Is anyone else in there?”
“They went to work. I didn’t want to be in second grade today. I tried to cook.” The little girl was watching the now darker smoke spew out of the fire.
Theo waved Erin back to the fire because her orders to return were still in effect, and the child wasn’t in immediate danger. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps back toward the house when black smoke started pouring out of a new hole in the roof over A-side. There was a rumble, and the entire roof disappeared into flames. Aiden, Kevin, and Carver rushed out the front door. The crew from 19 made it off the roof and out of B-side seconds earlier.
Aiden reported back to Williams, “Something ignited. Must have been in the attic. One second, Jones was pulling down the ceiling, and we were putting water on the fire. Then it got really hot, and we heard the signal.”
“Yes,” Williams acknowledged, glaring daggers toward the engine, “we had a controlled retreat. There must have been some combustibles up there.” The thermal imaging camera now pointed at a dark red roof.
