In determining what caused a fire, firefighters and investigators cooperate to piece together the puzzle. Fires are investigated to determine whether the fire can be tied to an accidental cause or the fire was set. A fire is deemed suspicious when certain things are either present or absent; here are a few of those things: No accidental causes in the vicinity of a fire’s point of origin The presence of accelerants in a place where they should not be The presence of other crimes that may have been covered up by a fire When all accidental causes are ruled out…

Most of the articles that I write are for the benefit of the readers, but every once in a while, I write to the men and women that put on a firefighter’s uniform and report to duty at their respective station. Firefighters are required to know a great deal about building construction and the effects that fire can have on a particular building. A common type of construction, in my day, was ordinary construction. This construction type is defined as masonry or brick walls, with a wood floor and roof. In fact, my house is built this way. Early on…

At about 6:30 a.m., Wednesday, Richmond fire units were called to a single-family dwelling fire. News reports state that firefighters found smoke coming from the roof and, I would throw in, smoke coming from the eaves. It appears that firefighters found fire in the attic. Reports also stated that neighbors saw the smoke, attempted to notify occupants by knocking on locked doors, and made the call to 9-1-1. Most attics are not protected by smoke alarms. If the fire started in the attic, there was pre-burn time before smoke may have reached alarms. However, I have not read or heard…

It is hot! It takes no genius to come to this conclusion. The question is what are you doing to beat the heat? Most of you may have figured out how to acclimate to this extreme heat and high humidity. Hydration is vital in these days. You should be drinking proper fluids, even when you do not want to. Keep in mind that you must drink them in order to prevent dehydration. Drinks containing caffeine are not helpful in keeping you hydrated. Water is the best, and sports drinks are helpful in moderation. The progression of heat-related illnesses is heat…

Our day started at about 4:15 a.m. with storms stretching from just south of Oregon Inlet, N.C. to Hatteras, N.C. A friend was warming up the motors on his boat while he and his mate were deciding what to do based upon the weather. After about an hour’s wait, we got underway. It was a beautiful ride out, and the weather improved as we headed to the east-southeast. Other than some bottom fishing trips to the Gulf Stream, it had been about thirty years since my last trip. As much as I love being at sea, I still had to…

A few days after I arrived in Africa, I learned of the floods that ravaged the state of West Virginia and western portions of Virginia. My wife’s uncle was in White Sulphur Springs when this catastrophic event took place. He said that it had stormed and rained started at about 3 a.m. that morning, an unbelievable amount of rain fell in about an hour’s time in the afternoon. Rivers and creeks could not contain the torrent of water that would flow down from the mountains. Cars, houses, and people were swept away by what could be labeled the extreme of…

Fire departments are dealing with an increased number of calls caused by issues with pool chemicals. There have been responses to both privately owned and public pools. While it is important to maintain pool water at proper levels, it is equally important that pool owners and mangers understand the chemicals that they are using. It is not my intent to make you hazardous materials specialists, but to prevent a hazardous environment. I will attempt to approach this from two directions: the cause and effect of problems associated with pool chemicals and the actions that you must take when a problem…

A recent house fire in Chester was caused by fire getting outside of a grill, catching the outside of the house ablaze, with spread to the inside. Firefighters arrived to find the exterior rear of the house in flames, with extension into the attic. No one was injured, but the house suffered extensive damage. I do not know how the fire got outside of the grill, so I will have to offer causes based upon past experience. Some reasons that fire can get outside of the grill are as follows: Lack of maintenance to a propane grill, excessive lighter fluid…

A windy day at the Virginia Beach turned tragic when a Chester woman was struck by a beach umbrella and died. My prayers go out to this family. Accidents like this define a freak accident. The accident, in my opinion, which everyone would say could never happen until it does. How many of us carry beach umbrellas, canopies, and tents to block a little bit of sun from hurting us while making it a bit more bearable on those hot days? My wife and I were a part of the beach crowd recently, setting up our canopy on a piece…

With the passing of Memorial Day, pools have opened for the summer and temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s. I want to write a proactive article before a tragedy occurs. The story about the four-year-old boy that fell into the gorilla’s area at the Cincinnati Zoo is what prompted me to write on this subject. This incident must remind us that we have to have eyes and hands on our children constantly. Some would say that this is an impossible task, but the result can be an injured child or, even worse, the death of a child. Every…