Fighting Structural Fires, Limiting the Spread, and Employing Offensive and Defensive Attacks

Structure Fire
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Structure fires refer to fires affecting the structural components of a residential, commercial, or industrial building. The National Fire Protection Association notes that structure fires are estimated to account for about 26% of all reported fire cases in the United States, contributing to 75% of civilian deaths and 72% of all injuries (Ahrens & Maheshwari, 2021). In determining how to fight structural fires, various actions are pertinent to limit their spread and avoiding to make the situation worse through employing offensive and defensive attacks firefighting strategies.
Actions to control the spread of structure fires
One of the actions that can control the spread of a structure fire is selecting the appropriate attack line. When a structural fire occurs, it engulfs all the property in the house and spreads to the wall and roof attic space at significant speed. Utilizing large water volumes in a 2½-inch line of attack is the most appropriate line choice to make. It flows 250 to 350 GPM of water at a time, cooling the various spaces immediately and giving firefighters immediate control of the scene (Brondum, 2019). While it is considered heavy and tedious to utilize, the high volume of water it emits creates a significant difference compared to the 1¾-inch line that is commonly used.
Proper ventilation is another action that limits its spread. The adequate and systematic removal of heat, gases, and smoke by creating elimination points on the roof and through doors and windows helps to let out heat and smoke from the burning building (Brondum, 2019). Hence, firefighters can easily access the structure, save the victims, and fight the fire easily. Determining the fire flow is also effective in limiting structural fire spread. The fire flow helps determine the amount of gallons per minute of water ne...