Firefighter Breakdown: MASSIVE Los Angeles Garage Fire

Weekly Newsletter: geni.us/mpertz... In this video I breakdown a massive carport fire in Los Angeles. Here is the information from the video...
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[@jackwhalen5778]

he’s gonna be like the donut operator of fire departments

[@lelandb1410]

Only better

[@lars90a]

@@lelandb1410 naaa Donut is the king 👍

[@lelandb1410]

@@lars90a I disagree but you are welcome to your opinion

[@Jacloch]

Best firefighter name ever!

[@jacman1174]

@@lelandb1410 I like both because they are in the same business but execute in different ways. Donut is a little more memey about his videos which while be more entertaining to young people like myself but also FirefighterNOW is always throwing in facts that are directly applicable whilst giving good feedback about each situation which is also entertaining(to me anyways)

[@rhoonah5849]

You're so right about masking up. We were just doing car firing training last night and although one of the LTs said that we need to mask up all of the time for this training, I still saw guys not wearing masks and they were downwind watching the evolutions. I grabbed one probie and told him to get his mask on or move and why. He was concerned about using his air of all things. I explained that the air is free and we can just swap his bottle but he only has one set of lungs.

[@galaxie6548]

Stockton fire has some good content, both interior and exterior with helmet cams. Might be worth talking to them for future vidoee

[@PauwerFurry]

Please do more of this. This is extremely helpful to me, a first generation volunteer trying to learn everything I can about the fire service.

[@joshuadrewlow]

Same here, cheers from Switzerland ✌🏻

[@wandiwastaken]

@@joshuadrewlow Same here, also cheers from Switzerland ✌🏻

[@Mikeperry140]

Same here, greetings from Canada!

[@jays106]

biggest thing to remember is you NEVER learn everything about it always strive to continue learning throughout your career. don't be that guy that thinks he knows everything and no one can teach them anything as your progress in your career. I worked with a few of them when i was on local dept. they were half the reason i left when i applied having never done it i told my chief and everyone that i was leaving any preconceived ideas or notions at the door and i was a blank slate there to learn if they were willing to teach me and i learned alot from alot of the guys that had been doing it for most of their life and they told me that they loved that i always asked questions and wanted to actually learn and wasn't just saying that

[@Spartan483]

Good Video well said 1. "Big Fire Big Water" - 2.5 way to go nice to see them adapt 9:30 2. Good use of reach of stream 4:05 3. "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast" 12:30

[@k.y.6148]

One thing I have figured out watching a lot of night fires is the importance of lighting. When the fire is really going, you can see fine, but as soon as you knock the fire down, it gets dark real fast, complicated by the smoke, so you have to have someone setting up lights before it really looks like they are needed.

[@zonacrocone4804]

Great that you mention the need of masking up every time. I was always baffled to see so many members in the FDNY going into the thickest clouds of smoke and whatever else in there with nothing to protect their lungs from long term damage. Unfortunately it seemed a misguided bravado that a tough firefighter can breathe in anything.

[@aportman58]

I have seen this video before but was the first time I have seen the breakdown on lessons learned using the real-time narration! I am a retired fire captain who recently decided to try volunteering with my local fire department (6 stations planing for number 7/protect approx. 125,000 population) , and always looking for fresh ways to training and mentor new volunteer recruits. You did a great job!

[@mike_pertz]

Thank you for the kind words Cap! I"m glad you appreciated, please always feel free to jump in and give advice/feedback. Part of the reason I started this channel was to create a platform where older firefighters can give advice/feedback to younger firefighters and help the fire service advance.

[@stevejohnson1909]

Being a retired Fire Lieutenant and at times instructor, it is refreshing to hear how clearly you explain the many different factors and procedures involved in making your fire ground tasks and eventual knock-down possible, many times on fire ground operations civilians see how calm we operate, I was asked by citizens why we were not running or rushing, I explained if you run your mind runs and things could be missed and much needed experience would be useless.

[@FB1ResponseVideos]

awesome video! thank you for using my footage. 👍🏾🔥

[@patreynolds360]

Something I may add is it appears at times they may be dealing with low pressure. Some of these shots it looks like the stream has a reduced range and will suddenly jolt with the stream visibly flattening out. That itself can cause issues when dealing with large fire load.

[@perryfire1]

I would guess the SCBA's are Honeywell Titans. The guy with the red flashing lights is in full alarm of his PASS device, either through inattention or the high heat sensor. Just guessing though. One of the reasons you want to be fully masked up is that it allows you to get closer to the fire, and the closer you are the more you can make your fire stream penetrate the burning materials. Lobbing a steam onto a fire will work eventually but if you want the fire to go out quickly you have got to hit the base hard with a solid penetrating stream. And don't stop flowing water until the damn fire is out, especially if you have an undersized line, but continuously shutting down the line with that much fire and continuously moving the line from one end to the other really slowed down the extinguishment. Before you move on you have to make sure what is in front of you is out, or it's just going to reignite as soon as you move to the next spot. That and spraying the high spots for no reason. The energy is coming from the base of the fire. Put that out and everything above it goes away. The backup guy has to be on the same side of the line as the nozzle man or else you will be fighting each other anytime the hose needs to be moved, and he has to to work HARD to make sure that the nozzle guy is able to do his job. The nozzle man should never have to hold the full pressure of the hose and when it's time to move the backup man should make it easy on him, especially with an 1 3/4. He should have full mobility at all times to put the water where it needs to go, and if the backup is being lazy it really slows down the operation. A 2 1/2 will absolutely destroy a team if they aren't working together. But, at the end of the day the fire is out and really this was just a large car fire, so maybe that is why some of the guys were a bit lax. One last thing, if fuel is burning under a car that is already destroyed, don't push the burning fuel around with your hose stream. That's a class B fire at that point and water isn't the answer. Think throwing a glass of water on a grease fire, not good. Either remove the heat from around the fuel or let the fuel burn up if its a small amount.

[@ryanbogle2721]

You guys should do a collaborative on a breakdown video that video would be golden

[@richfabian6534]

Mike thanks for the video, I'm a Retired Firefighter and your right about the hoses with the 2 1\2 it is more powerful than the 1 3\4 but first line in is usually off the side of the truck or maybe a hose reel

[@tannerwhite6210]

So the reason why the 1 3/4 was the only line drawn at the start is because, LAFD has three main cross lays they are as follows 1, 1.5 and 1 3/4 the 2.5 has to be pulled from the back of the engine and have a nozzle connected.

[@paser11385]

which is ridiculous.

[@nebraskaninkansas347]

Our fire department in Nebraska has a similar, but different helmet coloring. For probationary firefighters they wear orange. Firefighters black helmets. They used to be yellow, but I believe they switched to black bunker gear for structural fires, and use the yellow for car accidents. Officers wear red helmets. And of course white helmets are for the chiefs.

[@mcp8063]

The really important thing to remember is that even with a small increase in diameter, the cross section area increases dramatically, in this particular case slightly more than doubling. That and the higher pressures at the nozzle due to a more pronounced narrowing makes the 2.5 an entirely different, meaner beast.

[@romanhar4151]

I have a question: wouldn't it make more sense to use some of the water to protect the intact buildings and vehicles? (Cooling, holding line). The garage is destroyed anyway. In Switzerland we have the following priorities: Rescue - Protect - Hold - Extinguish. The following order applies: own safety, people, animals, environment, material assets.

[@matthewmccormick2417]

You spoke of command. On a bigger department on a big fire to reduce the stress have a A B C D side commands also to report to you and to rotate their sides crews. It helps a bunch.

[@schlp7566]

I remember getting yelled at by a chief for not masking up at a dumpster fire saying all the toxic stuff coming from the dumpster. That same chief proceeded to walk up to the dumpster with no mask and no gear on. I just shook my head and walked away.

[@mc051961]

Sperian is the pack maker Fire crews in Lafd use a task force concept using an engine staffed with four and a ladder and engine (light forces) staffed with five. All engines are identical triple combinations all ladders are tiller the task force is both engines and truck but if the primary eng is out on a run the light force will respond as a single unit In this fire it appears as though a light force arrived first pulling the initial had line while also throwing ladders and doing truck work

[@JeffRAllenCH]

Might be cool to explain hydraulics, why bigger diameter does not just mean "more water" but "dramatically more water". Also interesting to see how that 2.5" hose is managed, they are HEAVY. (Ah, excellent, you hit it!)

[@Soupisgood357]

Great video, I enjoyed the breakdown. I have a suggestion for a future video. I think it would be awesome if you made a video doing an overview of NIMS/ICS. Not only to improve public understanding of how departments respond to large incidents, but I think it would be beneficial for aspiring first responders as well.

[@TheJimboslav]

Great video. Thanks for the commentary. It's great to see the differences and similarities between firefighting stateside and in France.

[@iliasarroyo]

Thank you so much for posting this type of content sir. This insight to the roles each man plays on a fire scene is exactly what I was curious about the fire service.

[@mc051961]

Add more We need more enlightened objective breakdowns of the fire service and less Monday morning quarter backing👍

[@mike_pertz]

I couldn't agree more. Hindsight is 20/20 and instead of telling everyone how they went wrong or how you think you could have done better, use it as an opportunity to improve and move forward.

[@elvisbest3213]

those lights at the rear is also like locators so other fireifghters can see them in smokey condition the new Scotts have a blue light on the rear

[@mennoregts208]

Does size matters? 1 3/4 is manageable for some time. 2 1/2 will wear you out fast. And a 1 3/4 is more maneuverable than 2 1/2. For the first line a 1 3/4 is the best because you want to be able to switch positions faster. You won't be able to put the fire out with just one line, but you can stop it from extending. For that you might want to switch places in a hurry.

[@JakeW26]

Binge watching all of your fire breakdowns rn love them man

[@connorcriswell7171]

I loved this rundown, man. Im looking forward to the next ones!

[@taylormills2757]

Agree with Galaxie654 Stockton fire has some great coverage via helmet cams. Also great video

[@Xx233xX]

21:16 our Scott packs have that so the guy behind you can also know your air level and color coordinates with the hud and the shoulder pressure gauge.

[@baruchben-david4196]

I've never in my life wanted to be a fireman; now I'm retired. But for some reason I'm watching your videos as you critique various fire videos. I'm learning a lot, but of course I'll never use it. Still, you make it interesting.

[@xxkillerkane420xx8]

Those red and greens are low air alarm. The green starts flashing and has a low vibration as an early warning, ours are 15 minutes of air green. Green and red at 10 minutes with medium vibration. Red only 5 minutes with high vibration and audible alarm.

[@bigredd690]

I would have pulled the deuce and a half but a 1 3/4 can be very efficient in the right hands though.

[@elkapolee3058]

Thanks for the breakdown of a pass device.

[@isaacpoteet248]

Please keep doing these videos. Really helps this rookie out.

[@billpizzaman4700]

My father dead at 70. He had trouble breathing after 45. High exposure. CHICAGO FIRE DEPT Several working fires every shift

[@ChiefDean1]

Its an air level indicator on the pack so you can see roughly how much air he has left from behing him .handy for back up man and Officer

[@tomyost481]

The two firefighters both have their face pieces on. The one that picked up his gloves is not on air. His mask is on but he has not hooked up to his regulator. If he were you would see a small diameter hose going to his facepiece. LAFD Captains have orange helmets. An 1-¾" hand line is much quicker to get working than a 2-½". One person can work the 1-¾ line but the 2-½ needs two to be able to move it around much. The firefighter with the flashing lights is a rookie. His helmet shield is shorter than the other firefighters. He has a good rookie haircut too. Nicely done.

[@Blitz350]

Should have led off with the 2.5". The volume of fire in with such an exposure problem dictates the higher flow immediately. Its interesting to point out how the nozzle man on the 2.5" is working less than the nozzleman on the 1.75". It shows clearly the reduced nozzle reaction force of the smooth bore vs the fog. At times the guy on the 1.75" looks like he's about to lose the knob while the guy on the 2.5" is casually supporting it with one hand.

[@victorsmit2373]

Good day. Im not a firefighter but i kind of addicted to watching video's like this. Im wondering when the firefighters put water on the fire why do thy use a "thick" stream of water and not more spray? 🤔

[@adamtheheavyequipmentmechanic]

Great hoses deployment, i hate when people say oh you need more water blah blah, get the water flowing then add on the more time you waste getting the perfect hose the more fire you will have to fight, great video breakdown

[@LeDarronMLee]

Definitely looking forward to more of these.

[@chrishines6048]

I actually had a go with a fire fighter's hose before and they do pack a punch and if you are not careful it can knock you of your feet

[@hankgs]

I think the best videos are ones where you can hear radio traffic... Namely the first in Engine's SIZE -UP and the initial MODE (Command or Attack mode) and the assignments given.... ALL that has to happen within 30 seconds or so of arrival... THEN you have the foundation for the rest of the ICS (system)... Bigger Depts like LA City / LA County, etc operate A LOT differently then say a Paid/F/T department with only 5 or 65 Engine Companies and one Truck Company... We depend on Automatic Aid from surrounding Depts

[@pjford1118]

Would it have made sense to cool the 2 cars with a quick spray to prevent them from lighting up? It seems like the Altima was starting to out gas.

[@gsbe561]

Thinking the underside of the car that is burning and difficult to extinguish may have a Magnesium engine block or even be an EV with burning batteries. Check out what happens when the stream hits it at 18:05. Great breakdowns BTW.

[@Ahmad-lc3dd]

Just got hired with the San Francisco FD start the academy in august. Love your content man.

[@mike_pertz]

Hey man, thanks for the complement! Congratulations man!! Good luck during probation I’m sure you’ll do well!!

[@SauceBoss6998]

Thank you so much, I’ve been looking for a video like this for so long and came up empty. I’m in the hiring process currently and want to soak up whatever knowledge I can. (Subbed)

[@mike_pertz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wilsjane]

@@mike_pertz A two and a half inch line, has almost exactly double the volumetric output of an inch and three quarter line. These simple ratios are used to match the total number of lines to the output of the pump, without serious loss of pressure.

[@mattthemk1034]

Fantastic video. I love the insight into how fire scenes work, I've watched plenty of footage and had no idea what was going on. Great work!

[@denelson83]

Those full-frame flashes you see occasionally are arcs from power lines. This is obviously too dangerous of a scene for multiple stringers to come in and take photos.

[@coolplays9561]

I love your breakdowns

[@christwohill4569]

Dude, please do the Champlain Tower collapse in Miami. People are giving the crews down there so much crap for "going to slow" with the extremely technical rescue.

[@timothyreed8417]

Mike Sometime do a video of how many personnel it takes to handle a 1 3/4 line vs a 21/2 line from nozzle man to hose handlers and the weight of the different lines thanks in advance…

[@joshuadrewlow]

Great advice and commentary, thanks!

[@wxvyd9653]

Do this more often. Maybe do some videos from the North in Toronto or other countries👀. The4KGuy has good videos of Toronto fire.

[@wxvyd9653]

For Toronto Black- FF Red- Capt White- chief

[@michaelv.1107]

Great Channel, I love your educated but respectful comments. One question, I watch a lot of fire fighting videos, many from the U.S. and I always wonder why I hardly see any FDs using foaming agent to extinguish a car fire. Especially when there is obviously burning liquids involved like gas or oil. Is that something what engines/trucks usually don't carry with them or is there anything else what holds them back to use it? Over here in Germany it's a standard.

[@mike_pertz]

Thank you! Yes many departments carry foam, but I agree it’s not utilized nearly as much as it could be. Unfortunately I don’t have a good answer for you

[@BlinkOnWheels]

If you see a A first responder panic, you know it’s bad.

[@captwetbeard8524]

Another good video idea would be going over the different fire alarms (2 alarm fire,3 alarm fire)

[@DomChrisOwens]

Only issue with this is it varies from department to department and city to city.

[@captwetbeard8524]

This is something that blows my mind. I am just getting into the firefighting world and constantly researching aspects of it. I find the biggest consistency is in the inconsistencies. Not trying to complain, but it makes it hard to research when it ends up "depends on the department "

[@NicksStuff]

There's a mistake on the full weight of the 1 ¾ inch hose in your article

[@michaelkoutsoukos6138]

Thanks! Please post more like this

[@mmddmm553]

The members could of been stretching on what they thought was an apartment fire who knows good to see they got water fast 👍🏻 other companies can make a stretch once the first line is in operation …

[@superg715]

Our MSA's have green/red for indications of air level

[@mikemissel7785]

That is a Battalion Chief when we have large fires like this BC will take sides ie a,b,c etc or we call divisions. The division will inform IC the status of the fire also in back of the command truck there are computers so they can FaceTime the fire and let the command team know what’s going on.

[@Wolfspirit50]

Mike, As I watched the video, were they just using water or water and foam? The other question that I have is when is it not good to use foam on a fire?

[@eliasthienpont6330]

You need to give an explanation of what these charged hoses weigh. Say a yard of hose, what does it weigh? Perhaps that will demonstrate how difficult it is to move these hoses. Clearly these guys went in with a smaller hose because they would be able to get around in there faster, more easily. Once they saw what they were confronted with, they called for bigger hoses.

[@knndyskful]

How much do FF’s just know what to do without being told? Are people waiting for orders/instruction? Or are they taking initiative? It seems like more hose lines need to be deployed

[@ethanhayden9192]

Awesome video! I really liked this style. Also liked your recent video for EMT/Medic school because I'm in my accelerated EMT right now.

[@jimbobcramden]

A small fire can double in size every 17 seconds and reach flashover in 6 to 7 minutes

[@itiswhatitis1306]

@@chrisconnelly5981 we are taught every minute but due to many variables it changes

[@southernoregoncatmom6519]

Nice explanation. Thank You!!!!!

[@ZeppoStJohn]

What strategy would you use if you had electric cars in there with the lithium batteries

[@ofcv1238]

Great video - any consideration for letting gasoline from vehicles burn away while hitting other fire and exposures?

[@jamesfraser4173]

The tipman on the 1.75 is likely a probie, with a more experienced partner directing the stream location.

[@Lateralus665]

Good addition to this channel.

[@davidestridge9482]

Not to correct you but the nozzle position has his mask on and is on air? 530 you can see on Air

[@mike_pertz]

Thank you for pointing that out because I always want to be fair and correct with the things I mention in videos. Unfortunately, I noticed that after I posted the video and it was too late for me to correct it.

[@Biffo1262]

Actually, the only one not asked up was the second manning the hand line, though he was wearing his BA set.

[@captwetbeard8524]

I would love a hierarchy video, if you don't mind.

[@ralts6464]

Maybe a box ladder truck would be better Also orange helmet may be technical fireman

[@watchthe1369]

Stockton is a good department, they are AGGRESIVE, some fire is better than nothing and the smaller you keep it the quicker it dies. They are about getting the line on the fire within less than 5 minutes of arrival. They are doing forward lay if they can, the second truck is AUTOMATICALLY grabbing a hydrant on the way in. I have talked to some of these guys at conventions and The moment they smell fumes they mask, but before that working outside, they save the air if they need it later. Yes it does get forgot. The small line also lasts longer if they are running on the reserve tank, it also keeps the critical lookie loos at bay when they see someone DOOING SOMETHING. Okay, LAFD, they way they were going I tohught they were Stockton.

[@fannycraddock99]

Surely the guy on the tip is on air as is the back up!

[@jacksonmeller8550]

This was great, would love to see more. Thanks.

[@jharris5387]

Two questions number one who secures the electric power? I hear san diego fire get told all the time sdg&e is 30 min away thats dangerous for the firefighters and unsceotable for sdg&e

[@eliastamim2319]

Love these new format videos Sir!

[@victoradam8685]

Love this, can't wait for more.

[@Matty12787]

A 38mm was ample for that.. the problem was the lack of a second person helping him with the hose....

[@ericgilbert2967]

We have those on our tanks. It tells you your oxygen level red is low. Green is full so this way other people behind you know where you stand as well with oxygen

[@eoinpkav152]

Yo, these videos are really good.

[@mc051961]

And yes wooden ladders the don’t conduct electricity as readily as aluminum I believe they still make them themselves

[@jacobdowling3251]

Can you do these videos more often plz

[@LKMedia_Official]

Just for future reference they’re orange helmets and they are captains

[@robertgildea2841]

I am watching from Elmira NY for a fire wether a massive garage fire the West Elmira volunteer fire department and the Elmira Fire department would use a 3 and a fair and a 2 and a half

[@ryanbogle2721]

Great video can you do more videos like this 🔥🔥🔥

[@jazz555]

Keep doing this please

[@ericwiley8763]

You said that the only FF on air was the individual who picked up what looked like to be a glove... wrong.... the FF on the nozzle was on air... thanks

[@word20]

why does the firefighters not use foam to put car fires out?

[@nathanieltexas8715]

I like this

[@majorfaxed6637]

Any tips on an SOP with a fire department which is more than half the grade for ranking?

[@stevesmith-wc2gb]

I would say they are from engine 66

[@keneppink7272]

What is up with the Rhinos in the background?

[@pourindiesel]

One 3" line will out flow two 2" lines.