F2018-03 PA

Career Lieutenant Killed in Building 

Collapse While Fighting Row House Fire -

Pennsylvania

NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 2

Summary

• On January 6, 2018, a 42-year-old career Lieutenant was killed in a structural collapse while 

fighting a fire in an 1800’s era row house

• Firefighters arrived to find a two-story row house heavily involved in fire

• Crews faced limited street access, excessive clutter in the building, extreme cold, multiple 

inoperable fire hydrants, and a frozen handline

• First arriving crews, operating only off tank water, were able to locate and remove a civilian 

victim from the first floor and initially knock down the fire on the first floor

• Interruptions in water supply hampered firefighting efforts and forced a change in strategy 

from offensive to defensive until a reliable supply was established and offensive operations 

re-started
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 3

Summary

• Crews re-entered the structure to continue to extinguish the fire

• 5 firefighters entered the first-floor and 3 firefighters went to the second-floor to attack the 

fire

• There was a shift in the second-floor and it collapsed into the first-floor, forcing escape 

through the A- and C-sides 

• The Lieutenant was pinned down by the second-floor joists and was unable to escape

• Rescue crews worked continuously for approximately 60-minutes in extremely dangerous 

conditions to extricate the Lieutenant

• Cause of death was determined to be positional asphyxia with superheated gas and smoke 

inhalation 
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 4

Contributing Factors

• Extreme cold weather, water supply (6 

inoperable hydrants)

• Inherent building characteristics and unique 

row house variation

• Structural overloading, excessive clutter and 

deteriorated building conditions

• Risk assessment that included a structural 

condition evaluation after strategy change 

(fire severity on primary building materials 

and extension within the ceiling spaces)

Graphic Courtesy of buildingsonfire.com\C.J. Naum
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 5

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments and Authorities Having 

Jurisdiction should consider increasing 

emergency response capabilities during 

extreme weather

Photo by FD, NIOSH Report 2018-03PA
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 6

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should consider 

defensive operations when a 

dependable, continuous water 

supply is lost or not available and 

the building’s primary building 

materials may have been subject to 

severe fire conditions

Photo by FD, NIOSH Report 2018-03PA
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 7

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should ensure that 

firefighters are trained to understand the 

influence of inherent building 

performance characteristics, unique row 

house variation (modifications and 

construction) on structural collapse, and 

consider defensive operations when 

dilapidated/excessive clutter conditions 

are encountered

Photo by FD; Analysis diagram courtesy of Buildingsonfire.com\C.J. Naum
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 8

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should ensure that 

Incident Commanders establish a 

stationary/expandable command post, 

which includes the use of a tactical 

worksheet and effective fireground 

communications

Photo by NIOSH
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 9

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should consider the 

capacity and capability of the dispatch 

process to ensure response 

accountability and prevention of a single 

source failure in the response matrix

NIOSH Report 2018-03PA
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 10

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should ensure that fire officers and firefighters are trained in and practice 

situational awareness and personal safety

Photo by FD, NIOSH Report 2018-03PA
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 11

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments should consider increased staffing and/or capacity of specialized rescue 

companies in dense urban areas or targeted areas to assist in highly technical rescue 

capabilities and prevent a single source failure in response

Photo courtesy of Google Earth
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 12

Key Recommendation

• Fire Departments, water and utility departments, and authorities having jurisdiction 

should consider increased fire hydrant maintenance programs and identify and replace 

“problematic” type fire hydrants

Photo by ©bmcent1/Getty Images
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NIOSH Fact Sheet

Additional information on row house 

firefighting considerations and tactics can be 

found at DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 

2020-18:

Row House Firefighting Tactics Poster
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 14

CONTACT US

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program

Surveillance and Field Investigations Branch

Division of Safety Research

NIOSH 1000 Frederick Lane, MS 1808

Morgantown, West Virginia 26505-2888

FFFIPP Webpage

Download the full report