Now watch the video below showing fire and smoke conditions. What is the smoke telling you? Could this Mayday have been prevented. The rapid change in smoke color, density, and velocity said loud and clear that flashover was imminent. The smoke coming from the eaves was a pretty good indicator that fire was in the attic space. If you think you might have fire in the attic, make an inspection hole in the ceiling as you enter; don't continue to advance into the structure if you have fire above you.
The video also illustrates the importance of some of the things we have been training on recently. Notice how quickly the smoke conditions changed after the door was forced. This drives home the point of controlling the door and being ready to advance the line quickly. How could the engine company have flaked their line for a quicker advance? The video also illustrates the need for constantly reevaluating the situation. Their initial incident action plan (IAP) quickly became obsolete as conditions rapidly deteriorated.
