Last day of live fire exercises at 32nd and 68th (PHOTOS)

Friday, May 16 was the final day of live fire training at 6556 32nd Avenue NE, and it was a doozy.

“Two months to build, ninety minutes to destroy,” said one of the firefighters at the scene. Looking at the clock at the end of the burn down, he wasn’t that far off.

live_fire_training01

How did you think they washed their bunker gear?

live_fire_training02

Mr. Propane Torch is ready.

live_fire_training03

Recruits run EVERYWHERE…

live_fire_training04

…even to photo ops.

live_fire_training05

Pre-burn down meeting between trainers and recruits.

live_fire_training07

If we all put our shoes INSIDE our pants before we put them on, just think how much faster we could get dressed in the morning.

live_fire_training08

Lt. Sue Stangl, one of the Seattle Fire Department’s public information officers, was on hand once again to answer questions. Here she’s telling spectators that once the smoke and fire get going, we may all want to move.

live_fire_training09

This set of valves split the main line of water being pumped from a nearby engine (on the right, near the boot) into multiple lines to various hoses. This firefighter is about to turn the valves to ON and is holding down the apparatus with his body weight. Lots of pressure about to be released.

live_fire_training10

After the fire was set inside the house, the first sense to pick up the change was hearing: Snapping and crackling could be heard. Then smoke began to leak out of the stripped roof.

live_fire_training11

Flames were not far behind.

live_fire_training12

Increase in the flames.

live_fire_training13

Imagined conversation later in the day:

“Hey, grandpa. What did you do today?”

“Oh, you know. Just sat on the stoop and looked outside.”

“It was a beautiful day! You should have at least gone for a walk.”

“Eh. Nah.”

live_fire_training14

A hole had been pre-cut in the roof on the east side of the house (near the peak of the Bravo side). The flames from here were TALL.

live_fire_training15

A movie to show Mommy later.

live_fire_training16

I never made it to any of the afternoon training sessions, but the morning sessions were never this well attended. And never had nearly so many miniature lawn chairs.

live_fire_training17

Top floor window on the Delta side. Roof beams now exposed.

live_fire_training18

Below this window, one can start to see the flames through small holes in the exterior of the house.

live_fire_training19

Roof peak gone.

live_fire_training20

And the rest of the roof is soon to follow.

live_fire_training21

Three representatives from Polygon Northwest, the company that purchased the old Children’s Home Society land and will develop the parcel, were on hand today for the fire.

live_fire_training22

When you’re a retired Seattle firefighter who takes pictures for the department, you get a better perch.

live_fire_training23

As the fire consumed the living room, an occasional piece of glass would pop out and shatter.

live_fire_training24

Alpha side.

live_fire_training26

Deputy Chief Phil Jose (white helmet) talks with Lt. Stangl, and Lt. Luis Batayola (red helmet) from nearby Fire Station 38. Station 38 will be doing some training next week on at least one of the remaining single family homes on the north side of the block (no more total burn downs, though).

live_fire_training28

In the background here we see one of the engines covered in wet tarps to protect the equipment from the heat of the fire. The yellow tape marks the boundary where only fire department personnel may enter. The red and white striped tape marks the exclusion zone around the burning house where no one may enter.

live_fire_training30

Anytime a section of the house fell in and sent up a shower of ash, a firefighter stationed at the northwest corner of the house would send a shower of water into the air after it.

live_fire_training31

Here we see one of the recruits enjoying some rehab time with a piece of pizza. (Most confused-looking delivery boy ever, by the way.)

live_fire_training32

Alpha side has seen better days.

live_fire_training33

It’s easy to see why people like calendars full of these guys.

live_fire_training34

Oh. Hello there, sir. Are you looking at m…

live_fire_training35

…oh, there’s a cute kid standing in front of me. Never mind.

live_fire_training38

Bravo side.

live_fire_training39

Little girl fresh from ballet class (looks like), watching the event with her hands clasped behind her back, just like the recruits.

live_fire_training40

Another shot at some ash as the front of the house falls in.

live_fire_training42

The one place WITHOUT fire? The fire place.

live_fire_training43

This section around a Delta side window resembles an Easter Island monolith. To me.

live_fire_training44

View through the length of the house. Daylight basement indeed.

live_fire_training45

Here a recruit helps protect a tree at the corner of the lot (viewed through a chain link fence). This tree will be kept on the property even as Polygon homes constructs a run of seven single-family homes down this side of 32nd Avenue NE.

live_fire_training46

Charlie side, with the alley beyond.

live_fire_training47

As nearby Eckstein Middle School let out, swaths of teenagers wandered by the scene.

live_fire_training48

Watching Bravo side.

live_fire_training50

The woman on the left is Deb, a local resident. The woman on the right is Sunny, and she and her family used to rent this house. She, her husband, and their two children lived in 6556 32nd Avenue NE for four years before they purchased their own home and moved on.

We agreed that this was all really weird for her to watch.*

live_fire_training51

As the house become not much more than smoldering embers, the firefighters donned their air supply masks and waded in.

live_fire_training52

Debris was moved from the yard surrounding the house to within the cement foundation.

live_fire_training53

The maple tree the firefighters were protecting got a bit singed, but will definitely pull through.

live_fire_training54

I told Lt. Stangl that this sort of event must be like the Blue Angles equivalent for the fire department.

live_fire_training56

At the tail end of the burn, Battalion 4’s chief stopped for a visit. Not much left of the house besides the fireplace.

Previous posts on these live fire exercises:

Seattle Fire to conduct “live fire” training at old CHSW site on May 13-16

Day Two photos

Day Three photos

____________________

*Sunny: If you see this, I apologize for not saying more about your family’s time in the neighborhood and in this house. Later that afternoon I returned my defective iPhone, got a new one, and only then realized that I had not backed up my notes from the event (which included your email address). Thank you for sharing your memories of your time in this house with me.

Comments

  1. Howdy! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
    My weblog looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able
    to fix this issue. If you have any suggestions, please share.
    Thank you!

Speak Your Mind