Beyond The Flames

When fires rage through buildings and homes, firefighters race to the scene in an effort to stop it from spreading. They deploy ladders and hooks, hoses and axes, and often make an aggressive attack to put out the flames. But despite often being overlooked, firefighters aren’t always done when the flames are gone.
“The process of search for and extinguishing any pockets of fire that remain after the fire has been brought under control,” as defined in New Jersey’s firefighter training textbook “Fundamentals of Fire Fighting Skills,” is the act of overhaul.
Overhaul is performed in a wide variety of different steps and with a vast array of tools to ensure that the fire is out completely. There are even tools used almost specifically for overhauling, such as “pike poles” and “ceiling hooks.”
A pike pole, a pole with a pointed end on it that allows it to easily break through ceilings and walls, is one common tool. Normally, the pole has a hook on it that, once through an obstruction, can latch on to the wall/ceiling and can be used to pull it down, exposing the space behind the obstruction.
Axes, saws, and pry bars are also commonly used as part of the process, which involves sifting through nearly every affected area in a fire to look for hotspots and any remains of hot embers or ignition sources.
Electrical and gas sources are usually shut off during the initial fire attack, but during overhaul these are checked additionally to ensure they are safely shut off and that the utilities related to them are not damaged.
With the high concentration of historic houses in Cape May County, many of the homes and other structures were constructed in styles that produce fast fire travel. As a result, areas of a building that wouldn’t normally be affected in newer homes are compromised in the older homes.
Interior wall insulation, attic space, and the space between floor joists are all common areas for hotspots and embers to remain, and these areas are especially susceptible in the older homes where their space is often magnified.
In severe cases, where a building’s entire stability has been compromised or the building is a total loss, large demolition equipment such as backhoes and excavators are required to efficiently ensure that the entire fire is out.
Crews will utilize this machinery to help sift through the remains of the structure and ensure that all of the hotspots from the fire have been extinguished prior to the departure of the fire company.
Firefighters perform overhaul at the scene of every fire, and although it may not seem as one of the most glamorous jobs on the scene of a fire, it is just as important as the initial attack of the blaze.
Without proper overhaul, no matter how little the presence of embers, a fire can start back up again. This is known as a rekindle. Rekindles are many fire departments’ worst nightmares.
Rekindles are more often at fire scenes where a larger structure has been involved in fire, but it’s not uncommon to see a rekindle at a fire that was thought to be brought under control quickly and appeared to be rather minor.
Rekindling fires create the chance for even more damage to be done, and that’s the last thing an owner needs after already having one devastating fire.
Overhaul is the final step in the process of “finishing what you started.” Without overhauling, a company’s initial attack would prove useless, and all the hard work to contain a fire would go unnoticed as soon as the existing embers sparked once more. Stay safe.
Knoll, 21, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at beyondtheflamescmc@gmail.com. He is a student at Rowan University.