Intense housefire in Vancouver, Canada. Jan 25, 2023.

[@OR_girly3]

hi dad lol

[@jenbrixton6834]

Such a shame there was water issues, must be heartbreaking hearing the homeowners shout save the house, and not having the water to do so must be very difficult

[@pendoreille9185]

Big city F.D. No excuse for slow water delivery...appalled

[@emmgee555]

I'm no expert, but it looked like a poor show to me. The exposures should have been the TOP priorities since the fire house was a goner. I feel for the neighbours whose houses were left to catch fire, and it broke my heart hearing their pleas for help.

[@davidlenzi3551]

If you knew anything about this area of Vancouver BC you would know that the people with drugs and or mental health issues cause multiple problems with infrastructure and the strength of that explosion indicated that this was more than likely a meth lab burning. Seriously dangerous fire with very hazardous materials inside if that was the case.

[@emmgee555]

@@davidlenzi3551 oh dear, that's a real problem isn't it. I did think it was a fierce burn. Thanks for the insight 🙂

[@alfe1402]

Why nobody is cutting the propagation??? The house on fire was long gone at the beginning of the video, but there's a massive failure in protecting the neighbor houses. 🚒🚨🚒

[@49kittypretty1]

What happened to the water???? The neighbour’s house is burning!!!

[@davidfletcher5669]

You need lots of water on a fire like that. Pulling an 1 3/4" line is not the right thing to do. Wasted water. They should have used their deck gun and 2 1/2" lines. Hit it hard and fast. As for not hitting the hydrant, that is another issue.

[@tohersfire4242]

Yup, big fire, big water 💧

[@davidlenzi3551]

The downtown east side of vancouver is the worst neighbourhood in Canada for illicit drug use there are also numerous underground labs in the area. Blast through with anything and one could kill numerous innocent people. The 1.75 hose was only to provide a temporary protection until the IC could find out what he was dealing with. after doing his 360 including getting a look to see if there was a drug lab in the property.

[@wilsjane]

@@davidlenzi3551 A gas explosion may do a lot of damage, but their is not enough heat produced to start that level of fire. I have little doubt that the house was being used for production of something illegal.

[@davidlenzi3551]

@@wilsjane There are a lot of chemicals that are very toxic and highly flammable that are found in clandestine drug labs. A good example of the heat produced would be napthalene used to provide heat to cook the drugs being produced. Now a 1LB bottle of propane will lift a house of its foundation a 20LB bottle will reduce a house to kindling. I have seen both situations. BLEVEs do produce an immense amound of heat detonation of Napthalene will splash burning liquid throughout the area of the explosion. This is just 1 possibility. I like you was not there and can not state with any certainty that any one specific series of events led to the actual fire event. I just know that the area is drug addict central in Vancouver BC. I have family that lives a mile or two away from the area and I am told there are sirens in that area constantly.

[@wilsjane]

@@davidlenzi3551 Exactly. These chemicals soon get unstable when you start boiling them. To make matters worse, the guys making the drugs are often too high themselves and can easily fall asleep. Propane is also very dangerous, since the vapour is heavier than air and can easily collect in the cellar, then mix with air until it reaches an explosive mixture. Here in the UK, most bottled gas used in the home is butane.

[@davidlenzi3551]

I know about the Vancouver Fire Department. I have lived in buildings near that address. The buildings are old wood frame construction and if a fire is not discovered early the situation can become very bad as witnessed here. Unoccupied structure was the biggest problem here. This information I got from the description. I feel Bad for the people in the B and D side exposures as they were completely innocent victims.

[@cross6937]

Unfortunately, the delay in water didn't help the situation at all.

[@davidlenzi3551]

@@cross6937 That is more likely the fault of the druggies than the fire department. DTES Addict Central.

[@cross6937]

@@davidlenzi3551 Are you saying that the fire crew was relying on the local drug addicts to come make the hydrant for them on this call?

[@nicke1903]

If that first due don't lay in, then the 2nd better lay in (hell both if possible need to be moving big water) this is when you use the deck gun and 2.5 inch handlines to get it knocked as fast as you can and get the exposures in check.....Where I was a firefighter in the US, about 1/4 of our district didn't have any hydrants, we had to haul water and we learned how to move big water fast, but it takes a few tanker's and most times alot of 4 inch supply line.

[@cross6937]

@@nicke1903 Big water indeed. Too bad they didn't have any damn water. lol.

[@barroningram7286]

what ever happened to big fire big water ?

[@azul8811]

No JB91710?

[@FloridaCatholicGuy]

I was just wondering the same thing! This is his kind of fire! Surround and drown! 😂

[@rosemaryarmitage3391]

why are they not putting water in that house instead of standing there. To watch this is so sad.

[@asbestosfiber]

Don't they have hydrants in Vancouver?

[@nicke1903]

All homes that's built that close together run a risk of burning a block down, almost impossible to protect the exposures.

[@SocialistDistancing]

Why didn't they use the deck gun, instead of fucking around with hand lines.

[@wilsjane]

A deck gun would have exhausted the tank water even sooner. They should have used the hand lines ONLY to protect the exposures until the hydrant was connected and running. The fire house was already destroyed, so a delay in putting it out would not have made any difference.

[@lewisg1736]

Help me out…what does the “E” in RECEO stand for?

[@kenthompson5723]

If the Vancouver FD gets any negative feedback my best guess is that people in charge will try to deflect blame to issues beyond their control. That's how it usually works.

[@trvman1]

Looks like fire departments in Canada are like the ones here in the US. They don't like to use deck guns either :)

[@richardthornton3051]

Ps why didnt they use a deck gun and have a tower ladder set up already to start knocking down the fire at the house that's on fire and keep it from spreDing to the other house

[@JB91710]

If you arrive at a fire like this knowing you are going to be short or delayed on water, the water has to go on the exposure because knocking down a fire this big is going to take a substantial supply. if you can't eliminate the threat with what you brought with you, the fire will just rekindle. if you are confident, you will have a substantial supply, then you wet down the exposures and then eliminate the threat.

[@davidlenzi3551]

Read my comment on the location of the fire. Unlimited water from two sources within a 100 yd radius of the fire building. and I know VFD caries enough 5" Hivol to reach both hydrants I lived just 5 blocks from there for 10 years I just had to research the area to locate the hydrants and get the house numbers the rest was from my memory. The apparatus only had to drive a few blocks from the main #1 fire hall and the same for #7 Hall. Now tell me what gas is released when Vinyl Chloride burns this one is very good to know just from a safety standpoint. A hint the IDLH is 3 PPM.

[@jerryevans7040]

Very bad command. Took a long time to get water flowing

[@johnmcdermitt1693]

Does the Vancouver Fire Department not have deck guns on their apparatus? Wow! The initial attack has to be a master stream. You need more GPM than any size hand line that you can flow just to protect the Delta exposure.

[@AmandaSchnaare]

Damn - this breaks my heart. It looked like such a messy situation with the lines (water). Is it common for their lines to be so small? Listening to that rumbling, I'm wondering if it hit a gas line.. I really feel for those that lost their homes. :(

[@Rick-qk9os]

"Haven't lost a foundation yet" 🙄

[@edbetka8749]

Large dept No caught a hydrant. My my rookie mistakes.

[@bamrak2000]

Man this is hard to watch. Nothing like seeing them waste the tank water, then listen to the homeowners lose everything.

[@extricate1800]

this was a deck gun/deuce and a half from the get go...that 1-3/4 wasnt gonna do anything,

[@kimberleytui179]

Many lines, no water??

[@aportman58]

Took way too much time to establish a continuous water supply 😡😡😡

[@davidlenzi3551]

In a video the is only 5:42 in length and has had some cut out you can make a judgement call like that? My opinion is your an idiot.

[@andy4849]

Why not use a monitor and dump the whole tank while waiting on a hydrant?

[@Jhihmoac]

...When the main source of light in an area is the fire itself, I'd say that was pretty intense and therefore merits another alarm (or two) when it comes to proper dispatch... Get as many fire personnel as you can to knock _THAT_ monster down!

[@davidlenzi3551]

Two engines and a ladder/quint can put 9 master streams operating during the fire attack. The stick and two ground monitors: Ladder/Quint, deck mounted water cannon and 2 ground monitors. Three apparatus three master streams per apparatus plus smaller hand lines. That equals a shit ton of water. Vancouver has an award winning fire department.Members there have fought fires in numerous other cities including Kelowna, Fort MacMurray, and several US cities like Paradise Ca when Canadian firefighters went there to assist.

[@jmWhyMe]

The primary structure was under renovation. Always suspicious

[@sparky8355]

first in engine with that much fire showing , slow down ,you know its going to take more water than your truck holds . take a few seconds grab a hydrant. 2 minutes of water vs 45 seconds to grab a water supply and look like pros, not drop your load instantly then stand around and high 5

[@61639093]

That hurt watching that . And unfortunately you see it gar to many times. 1st due blows by hydrant then runs out of water. That was embarrassing and the people that lived next door yelling at them for water

[@davidlenzi3551]

Okay this area of Vancouver I drove Cab in there are 7 fire halls within a 20 block radius of this fire many of those halls have a downhill run to the fire. with a fire in this area of town the first call is a full assignment 1st alarm. 2 engines a ladder a rescue and a medic. The first due officer would have called an immediate 2nd alarm as he was pulling up which would trigger a second full assignment. VFD policy is the first line deployed is a preconnect 13/4 crosslay to get at least some water flowing this is standard practice in the greater Vancouver area. Fire fighters here are trained level one firefighter before the graduate from the academy and become station probies. there are issues in this part of Vancouver that have been on international news mostly the drug usage by addicts who have no concern for anyone and drug manufacturing in the DTES of Vancouver is very problematic both for policing and fire fighting Start out slow and get fast after the dangers are mitigated. That unfortunately is how things must be done where the streets are controlled by paranoid black market dealers and users of street drugs that are controlling every aspect of their lives.

[@aportman58]

Can the firefighter at the beginning hear the relief valve venting ready to explode yet he is up there trying to pee on it with a piddly stream??? Pititful!

[@iamfree7084]

They have multiple apparatuses there and can’t even put water on the exposure before it caught on fire? So sad.

[@richardthornton3051]

What's going on put water on the fire instead of just standing there doing nothing

[@rosesmith6208]

trouble with housing in some areas is cramming houses to close together, also apartment units if sone person does something stupid all the tenants suffer. too bad these houses are toast.

[@vfdchauffer3606]

terrible showing of professionals, WTF where they doing???

[@harrisontiemann3276]

Turn on the water

[@pauljames5914]

What blew? The gas meter?

[@wilsjane]

A gas meter only has gas inside it, so while it can produce a fireball, their will not be an explosion.

[@pauljames5914]

@@wilsjane mustve been a propane bottle then or a gallon can of paint thinner or such. Looked like the explosion was on the 2nd floor.

[@davidlenzi3551]

@@pauljames5914 My guess would be a 1 lb propane bottle a 20 lp bottle would have killed everyone close to the house.

[@pauljames5914]

I imagine a small propane bottle could almost be a stick of dynamite.. I saw a video of a garage blowing that almost killed a firefighter at 150' distant.

[@richardmeo2503]

Here is a perfect video to use at a City council meeting. WTF. Unless all of the hydrants were frozen or sabotaged, VFD needs some serious spanking. No excuse for not using 2 1/2 lines to protect exposures, seems like no one is doing anything on the fireground, and no master streams either. Poor showing. Seems like explosion may have been powder or propane. Could have been ammo cooking off after blast

[@wolfpacva]

all those firefighters need to be fired standing around doing nothing

[@sparky8355]

not the firefighters fault, officer in charge is the one that should be held accountable for there actions or lack of them

[@michaelhoward7153]

So they never heard of a deck gun nor pump and role units with UHP and Cold Cut devices. Much cheaper and quicker than the expensive and useless thripple combination pumper

[@raystevens1458]

A very sad sight.

[@brettpowers6658]

all i can say is what.the.fuck.

[@Room-qs6kf]

Insane

[@handsomejoe2210]

Damn.......

[@MrRb9999]

When buying a phone, it should be mandatory they teach the buyer how to take videos in portrait mode.

[@john_smith1471]

Landscape not portrait.

[@767productions6]

Inferno!

[@garygeorge9648]

Incompetence.

[@Redbug72]

🌊🌊🔥🌊

[@obieknol5275]

Watervoorziening had veel eerder in orde moeten zijn…..waardeloze brandweer …kost nu tweede huis….