VENTING WINDOWS AT HIGH RISE FIRES
Breaking windows at high-rise building fires is not a recommended procedure. Unlike the 1/8-inch-thick window glass in private or multiple dwellings, glass in high-rise buildings can be 1/4- or 1/2-inch thick. Single panes may be four feet by 10 feet and larger and can weigh 25 to 50 pounds. They may be set in aluminum frames that melt during autoexposure.
Broken glass from high-rise buildings can kill or injure passersby or firefighters on the sidewalk below, it can cut supply hoselines. It also can be carried by the wind, landing across the street from the fire building. Firefighters entering a street littered with glass shards must fight to maintain their balance. Glass in the street and on the sidewalk presents a fall hazard as well as the danger of being cut.
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