NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program

F2019-03

Brick Gable End Collapses at a 

Residential Fire Killing a Fire 

Captain and Seriously Injuring 

Three Other Firefighters – Illinois
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 2

Summary

• 1615 hours, homeowners returned from running several errands to find 

their home on fire. They called county 9-1-1.

• Engine 2311 (E2311) and Engine 2312 (E2312) were dispatched from county 

fire protection district (FPD) 23.

• The fire chief from the volunteer FPD 23 drove E2311 to the incident.

• While enroute the fire chief requested automatic aid from two 

independently operated county fire departments: county FPD 16 

(volunteer) and fire department (FD) 22 (career).
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 3

Summary • Upon arrival at 1627 hours, the fire 

chief found flames and smoke venting 

through the roof on Side Bravo with a 

partial roof collapse.

• Both the occupants were out of the 

house upon arrival.

• The fire chief assumed Command and 

declared a defensive strategy. The call 

for a defensive strategy was not heard 

or received by firefighters on scene, 

dispatchers, or firefighters arriving in 

their privately owned vehicles.

• Firefighters from FPD 23 pulled and 

began flowing water from a 13⁄4-inch 

handline from E2311 thru a window on 

the Alpha/Bravo corner (see photo).

Firefighters flowing water through a window on Side Alpha. 

The roof had partially collapsed, but no collapse zone had 

been established. 

(Photo courtesy of the fire department.) 
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 4

Summary

• E2312 laid a 5-inch supply 

line from the nearest 

hydrant to E2311.

• The captain from E2312 

conducted an incomplete 

(2700) size-up in a 

counterclockwise direction 

(Side Alpha, Side Delta Side 

Charlie); findings were not 

reported to Command.

• At 1632 hours, Command 

requested dispatch to send 

county FPD 14 (a career 

department) to the scene.

A diagram of the fire building’s first floor and 

its position on the property. Dimensions are 

approximate. The home’s square footage 

was 1,526 feet. 
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Summary • At 1633 hours, firefighters 

from E2311 repositioned 

from the AB corner to an 

interior attack through the 

front door on Side Alpha.

• Excessive storage in the 

foyer limited advancement 

to only 5 to 10 feet.

• They directed water into the 

Side Bravo first floor and 

Side Charlie ceiling and attic 

space.

Crews are operating interior and using an attic ladder to gain 

access to the attic. Crews are attempting to stop the fire from 

spreading to Side Delta via the attic.

(Photo courtesy of the fire department.)
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 6

Summary

• At 1647 hours Engine 1412 (E1412) arrived and 

initially staged on Side Alpha.

• After a partial walk-around, the captain of 

E1412 discussed the possibility of a below 

grade Side Bravo walk out basement fire with 

Command and the Side Bravo/Charlie sector 

chief.

• They discussed accessing the basement by 

cutting open the lower-level garage door with 

a K-12 saw (a saw fire departments frequently 

use to cut openings into a variety of 

materials).

• At 1656 hours, E1412 was at the lower-level 

garage doors with a K-12 saw.

Sketch of the fire suppression equipment and 

personnel on the nozzles of the hoselines.
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 7

Summary • At about 1655 hours, the assistant 

chiefs from FPD 16 and 22 became 

concerned about a possible roof 

collapse and the stability of the Side 

Bravo bricked gable rafter.

• These concerns were voiced to the 

Side Bravo/Charlie sector chief who 

felt the brick wall supporting the 

gable looked stable with no bulging, 

bowing, cracking, or spooling. 

Therefore, no collapse zone was 

established.

• NIOSH received conflicting 

information about whether these 

collapse concerns were voiced to 

Command.

Firefighters conducting interior operations thru the front door 

even though approximately 45 to 50% of the roof had 

collapsed into the 1st floor. Red arrow indicates the end of the 

bricked gable rafter that eventually collapsed onto the 

driveway on Side Bravo. Photo taken from Side Alpha looking 

toward Side Bravo. 

(Photo courtesy of the fire department.)
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Summary

• At 1656 hours, Command radioed that the basement was about to be 

opened. It took a few minutes for the five firefighters operating and 

assisting with the K-12 saw to cut open the lower-level garage door (see 

photo on next slide).

• At 1703 hours, the roof’s triangular brick gable rafter suddenly “tipped 

over” falling as a single sheet onto the driveway; a perimeter collapse (see 

photo on next slide).

• The gable fell approximately 21 feet before striking four firefighters from 

E1412 and E2212 working to open the garage door on Side Bravo. The fifth 

firefighter working on Side Bravo was not hit or injured.
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 9

Summary

• Mayday called. The captain from 

E1412 was unconscious and not 

breathing. After removed from the 

collapse zone, cardiopulmonary 

resuscitation (CPR) was initiated. 

• The captain was transported to a 

local hospital where he was 

evaluated and treated. At 1750 hours, 

the captain was pronounced 

deceased in the emergency 

department (ED) due to thoracic and 

cervicospinal trauma. 

• On-scene paramedics stabilized the 

three remaining seriously injured 

firefighters. One was hospitalized, 

two were treated in the ED and 

released; these three firefighters 

survived. 

Side Bravo showing below grade man door on the Side Bravo/Charlie 

corner, as well as the left and right garage doors. The photo was 

taken after the brick gable had collapsed. The right side of the 

garage door has been cut open. 

(Photo courtesy of the Office of the State Fire Marshal.)
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Contributing Factors

• Lack of a collapse zone

• Lack of situational awareness

• Incomplete scene size-up

• Incomplete risk assessment and 

incident action plan

• Incomplete duties of command 

safety

• Task saturation of Command

• Lack of a Command aide 

• Lack of an incident safety officer

• Inadequate water supply

• Inconsistent live fire training among 

volunteer firefighters 

• Lack of a personnel accountability 

system
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Recommendations

• Fire departments should ensure Command establishes collapse/exclusion/noentry zones at defensive fires as needed due to dangerous or hazardous 

conditions.

• Fire departments should ensure firefighters are trained in situational 

awareness, personal safety, and accountability.

• Fire departments should ensure the first arriving officer conducts a detailed 

scene size-up.

• During initial fire ground operations, fire departments should ensure 

Command conducts a risk assessment, develops a risk management plan, 

and incorporates these into an incident action plan (IAP). The IAP needs to be 

clearly communicated to responding personnel and, for more extensive 

incidents, a tactical worksheet may be required.
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Recommendations

• Fire departments should ensure their command incorporates the 

principles of command safety into the incident management system.

• Fire departments should develop a process to prevent task saturation of 

Commands during complex or multi-alarm incidents.

• Fire departments should make available a Command aide during 

working structure fires.

• Fire departments should ensure that an incident safety officer, 

independent of the Command, is appointed at working structure fires.

• Fire departments should ensure that an adequate sustainable water 

supply is established and maintained. Firefighters should have periodic 

training on hydrant operations.
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 13

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

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