Firefighting 101                                                         by:  Dan Howell

Basics of Fire Attack

There are many important fire ground operations essential for safely and successfully mitigating a fire incident. Among these operations, none can do more to meet incident priorities, save lives, and protect property than fire attack. As such, fire attack is the key operation that all others evolve around. This article will highlight this information by first discussing some core rules of fire attack, and then examining the basic elements of fire attack.

            Fire attack is a constant source of debate in the fire service. This debate usually focuses on which nozzle, pressure, and pattern are best to attack a fire. At the heart of the discussion are three basic rules that all sides do agree upon.

 Rule Number One: Fire attack must be properly supported

Fire attack does not exist in a vacuum. There are a number of important supporting operations that must be performed to allow for a safe and effective fire attack. These operations include size-up, command, water supply, stretching the attack line, stretching the back-up line, and initiating early ventilation. Without these operations, fire attack success will be decreased while the danger to firefighters will vastly increase.

 Rule Number Two: There must be adequate flow to knock down the fire

Fire attack is a simple matter of physics. There must be enough water hitting the fire to eliminate the heat that is being produced. If the attack line does not have adequate  flow, the fire will continue to burn while water supplies are being depleted. It is absolutely critical that the attack line flows enough water to achieve knockdown quickly. Remember! A lot of water real fast beats a little bit of water over a long period of time!

Rule Number Three: The water must hit the seat of the fire

In order for any amount of water to have any effect, it must reach the seat of the fire. It will not matter how much the attack line is flowing, if the water is wasted, only the water level lights on the engine will go out. This rule requires the attack line to be properly positioned and then repositioned as necessary so that the water is always hitting the fire. Another important consideration here is the penetration ability of the attack stream. There must be adequate flow and pressure available so that the water can penetrate the super heated gases and actually reach the seat of the fire.

These three core rules are beautiful in their simplicity and when considered, much of the fire attack debate becomes academic. This is because there is more than one way to accomplish each rule and the correct method is based on the situation, departmental necessities, and departmental preference. What is important is that firefighters be able to determine which tactics are best for any given situation. These tactics are based on the basic elements of fire attack that include attack pattern, direction, and type.

 Attack Pattern

There are three basic attack patterns that firefighters can choose from. These patterns are a wide fog, a medium fog, or a straight stream. Each pattern has advantages and disadvantages that determine when they should and should not be used. Refer to the chart below for more information.  

 The above information makes it clear that firefighters should select the pattern that will meet the demands of the current situation. A smooth bore is not listed on the chart because there is little difference between a smooth bore and a straight stream from a fog nozzle. Remember! Equal flows and pressures produce equal streams!

Attack Direction

There are two basic fire attack directions and they include attacking from the unburned side or attacking from the burning side.  

1.       Attacking from the unburned side – This means that firefighters are entering the structure and positioning the attack line between the fire and the uninvolved portions of the structure. This is the preferred attack direction because it contains the fire, protects occupants, and pushes heat and gases out of the structure if ventilation has been performed. However, attacking from the unburned side is the most dangerous and is not always practical based on fire location, intensity, and building construction. When this is the case, another option is necessary.

2.      Attacking from the burning side – This means that firefighters are attacking the fire from the side that is burning and are not positioned between the fire and uninvolved areas. This attack direction is often the most practical and sometimes the only choice based on the situation such as when entry is not safe or obstacles make it impossible to attack from the unburned side. When this attack direction is selected, firefighters must remember that the fire can be pushed into other areas of the structure and onto any trapped occupants.

 The attack direction plays an important role in determining the attack pattern. When attacking from the unburned side firefighters will need to maintain a tenable work environment. In this case they should limit steam production by using a straight stream or medium fog as ventilation levels allow. If firefighters are attacking from the burning side then it may become necessary to limit the spread of the fire by using a straight stream.

Attack Type

There are three basic fire attack types that include indirect, direct, and combination attacks. Each is classified based on where firefighters direct the water.

1.      Indirect Attack – When an indirect attack is performed, firefighters apply water on the heated gases at the ceiling.

2.      Direct Attack – When a direct attack is performed, firefighters apply water on the seat of the fire.

3.      Combination Attack – When a combination attack is performed, firefighters apply water on the heated gases and on the seat of the fire. This is the most common attack method and usually takes the form of a circle that starts at the ceiling and then rotates clockwise to the floor and back to the ceiling.

 There are number of important things to remember about the different attack types.

 1.      Each of the attack types have times when they are appropriate – There are times when each attack type is necessary. Indirect attacks are good to cool heated gases to prevent flashover. Combination attacks are the best option for interior attacks while direct attacks are the best choice when blitzing a large fire with a high flow hand line.

2.      Any attack pattern can be used with any attack type – Any of the three attack patterns can be used to implement any of the attack types. Firefighters need to use the pattern characteristics, fire conditions, and attack direction to determine which is most appropriate.

3.      The defining lines between the attack types become blurred in reality – This occurs because when a room or area of a structure becomes fully involved, the seat of the fire is the entire room. The ceilings, walls, floors, and everything in between are burning and the need to identify the heated gases from the seat of the fire is meaningless. What is important is that water reaches the fire.

 Firefighters have many options when preparing for fire attack. They should choose an attack direction and then pick a pattern that will meet the needs of the current situation. When this is done properly firefighters will meet the core rules of fire attack and successfully accomplish many priorities of the incident. Future articles will continue the discussion on fire attack by building on the information presented here.