House Fire Ruled Accidental

The fire was started accidentally by use of a heat gun to melt paint on the second floor front room. The Fire extended into a void space on the second floor, straight up through the walls into the third floor, then overhead into the attic area.
Upon arrival, thick brown smoke was pushing through the attic and out the walls on the second floor. The homeowner was inside the third floor, and I escorted him out. There were the obvious signs of fire in the walls and ceilings, discoloration, smoke pushing, and the sound of crackling.

The house was a large Victorian ballon frame construction duplex, with common attic and porch, the exposure was unoccupied. Square footage on both sides was approximately 7,000 square feet.

This was an offensive attack, truck 66 opened up the roof from the bucket and Truck 67 handled truck work interior. Engine 6-6-2 stretched our long handline to the top floor to cut off the fire, a second handline was stretched to the second floor to handle the fire in the walls and ceiling there.

Once the interior crews opened up the voids, the interior conditions quickly deteriorated with smoke, but the fire was knocked down and crews held the positions till the fire was knocked down. 2 holes were made on the roof, and the fire did not extend in the open attic past its original location.

The hydrant in front of the fire building was dead, 3rd due E-671 stretched a 5" line to the initial engine. A supply line from nearby E-6-6-1 was also stretched to give E-662 tank water until the lay was complete.

E 6-5-4 was assigned RIT function, staging in front of the Truck, Deputy 66 was operations, Chief 6-6-1 interior (he knew the house pretty well). 6-12 units were rehab and medical sectors.

At the 20 minute mark, all initial crews were relieved and sent to rehab, 65 RIT took interior and T-23 took RIT, additional crews rotated through various functions. At the second 20 minute mark, all interior operations were complete and all 2nd alarm companies were relieved.

The fire was extinguished before it extended one inch from where it was when we got there, everyone worked well together, nobody hurt, and we all did a great job.

The house is owned by the parents of our Chief 661, A/C Steve Roy, and he grew up in that home. Its never good to have a fire, its even more upsetting when its one of your members homes.