Attic Fires: Hazards from Above

BY MIKE DALEY

Making an aggressive interior attack on a well-involved structure will require a considerable effort from the initial-arriving companies. However, any time that the suppression forces have to deal with a considerable fire in an overhead space, there will be some monumental obstacles to overcome. Below are some of the characteristics that the on-scene companies will have to identify to efficiently handle fires in these spaces.

First, it is imperative that the first-arriving units determine what type of overhead space they are dealing with. For our discussion, we will stick to attic spaces and point out some similarities they share with cocklofts and overhead void spaces. By attic, we mean an upper floor space, usually built with a steep-pitched roof to shed snow and rainwater, usually high enough for storage, and that can be modified to provide usable living space (photo 1). Conversely, a cockloft is a top-floor area that is not large enough to incorporate occupied living space. It is a structural space between the top-floor ceiling joists and the roof rafters, connecting similar occupancies at the roof line. These spaces are usually unfinished, with nothing more than roof rafters or trusses, with a floor consisting of the top floor's ceiling joists and insulation (photo 2). From time to time, you may come across plywood that is set on the ceiling joists to allow for storage and mobility around the floor area. Access to these spaces will vary but is usually by means of a spring-loaded, pull-down stairwell. Most attic stairs have maximum weight ratings of 250 pounds and are limited in opening size. A firefighter in full personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) will find it quite difficult to use this opening for access. Instead, crews are much better served opening these spaces and using fire service ladders for access.