Chapter 20
Salvage, Overhaul,
and Fire Cause
Determination
Introduction
• Salvage and overhaul operations
are not viewed as critical tasks
– Not associated with excitement of fire
attack, rescue, or ventilation
• Firefighters should:
– Be involved in fire cause determination
– Watch for potential signs and
conditions that will assist the fire
investigator
20.2
(A)
(B)
Figure 20-1 (A) Good and (B) bad salvage operations.
20.3
Salvage Tools, Equipment,
and Maintenance
• Fire incidents have a potential loss of
material goods
• Company officer must “triage” entire
scene
• Basic premise of salvage operations is to
remove harmful atmosphere from material
• Always use proper tools
• Some operations require complex
equipment
20.4
Salvage Covers
• Mainstay of salvage operations
• Made out of several different materials
• Plastics covers have advantage of weight
and water resistance
• Canvas covers durable; water resistant if
treated
– Size of cover can vary
– Visqueen or heavy plastic used to supplement
• Other tools needed: knife or scissors to
cut desired length
20.5
Figure 20-3 Firefighter carrying
Visqueen roll.
20.6
Floor Runner
• Made of lightweight canvas-type
material for easy deployment
• Protects the floor down a hallway or
along a traffic area
• Important not to damage floors
unnecessarily
• Customer service makes the
difference
– Sign of professionalism
20.7
Figure 20-4 Floor runner in
place.
20.8
Water Vacuum
• Two basic types
– Worn like a backpack
– Larger and moved around on wheels
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Backpack cannot be worn with SCBAs
Used to quickly drain catch-alls
Limited capacity: around 5 gallons
Another option is a pump
– Submersible pump dropped directly into water
– Float-a-pump floats on top of the water
20.9
Miscellaneous Salvage Tools
• Some other tools:
– Hammer
– Nails
– Staple guns
• Visqueen can be left with the structure
with little cost to the department
• Doors and windows need to be secured
• Salvage covers can prevent a leak from
damaging other items
20.10
Maintenance of Salvage Tools
• After use, tools must be cleaned and inspected
• Tools often exposed to hazardous materials
– Place damaged tools out of service
• Reimbursement for damaged tools should be
claimed from property owner’s insurance company
• Do not allow debris to spill from salvage cover
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Loose fold and roll
Wash cover with soap and water
Drying the cover can be difficult
Inspect cover for holes
20.11
Figure 20-7 Loose fold and roll.
20.12
Salvage Cover Folds and Rolls
• Covers are either rolled or folded
• Available compartment space
dictates which method to use
– Sprinkle the cover with baby powder and
spread with a broom to prevent cover
from sticking
• Two firefighters are needed to roll a
cover
• Fold cover neatly like a bed sheet
20.13
Salvage Operations
• Safety considerations
• Methods of protecting material goods
• Stopping water flowing from sprinkling
heads
• Arranging of furnishings and salvage
cover deployment
• Water removal
• Post indicator valve and outside screw
and yoke valve
• Sprinkler stops
20.14
Safety Considerations
• Basic goal is property conservation
• Salvage group members must be aware
of their surroundings
• Forcible entry tools may be necessary
• One of the most common hazards of
salvage work is ceiling collapse
• Know what other operations are going on
and where they are taking place
20.15
Stopping Water Flowing from
Sprinkler Heads
• Several types of sprinkler stops
available
• Most common is the sprinkler
wedge
• Be careful not to break head off
sprinkler
• Wear eye protection and full
protective clothing
• Lock the ladder
20.16
Methods of Protecting
Material Goods
• Can an item be moved more
quickly than it can be covered?
• If yes, go for it
– Patio furniture
– Items in garage
• Items in the way of fire attack
crews should be moved
20.17
Arranging of Furnishings and
Salvage Cover Deployment
• Cover item when it is too large or time
consuming to move
• Two firefighters should deploy Visqueen
• Take extra care with breakables
• Working with Visqueen is the same as
working with folded cover
• Consider by-products of combustion
20.18
Figure 20-11 Furniture arranged for salvaging.
20.19
Water Removal
• Water can leak through the floor
• Critical to capture, divert, or remove
water
• If no drain exists, create one
• Use salvage covers to create dike
• Catch-alls used to contain water
• Water chute diverts water
20.20
Figure 20-14 Catch-all end folds.
20.21
Post Indicator Valve and Outside
Screw and Yoke Valve
• Two types of valves used to shut
down a sprinkler system:
– Post indicator valve (PIV)
– Outside screw and yoke (OS&Y)
• PIV usually located near sprinkler
connection for building
• OS&Y valve located on exterior
wall or just inside building
20.22
Figure 20-18 Outside screw
and yoke valve.
20.23
Sprinkler Stops
• Use sprinkler stops if no valves can
be located
• A-frame ladder will reach most
ceilings
• Firefighters must use caution
20.24
The Importance of Salvage
Operations
• Can be as important as any actions
performed on emergency scene
• Make something good out of a bad
situation
• Preserve as much property as
possible
20.25
Overhaul Tools and Equipment
• Process of overhaul is as important
as the initial extinguishment
• Tools used for overhaul built for
following tasks:
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Tearing into building
Cutting through floors
Pulling ceilings
Search for hidden fires
20.26
Common Tools
• Common overhaul tools:
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Pike poles
Pitchforks
Rubbish hooks
Shovels
Axes
Chain saws
Carry-alls
Wheelbarrows
20.27
Carry-All
• 6-foot-square piece of heavy
canvas
• Rope strung through grommets for
handles
• Used to carry debris out of building
• Used where wheelbarrows cannot
be used
20.28
Overhaul Operations
• After fire investigation concerns have
been met, overhaul investigations can
begin
• Look for obvious signs of hidden fire
• Thermal imaging cameras find fires and
hotspots in areas firefighters cannot see
• Observe wooden structural members
• Insulation must be removed if area has
been breached
20.29
Overhauling Roofs
• Long tedious process
• There can be multiple roofs
• Pitched roof may be built over flat
roof
– Creates two attic spaces
– Overhaul nightmare
20.30
Electronic Heat Sensors
• Relatively new way to check for hot
spots
• Determine where heat is higher
compared to surrounding areas
• Sensor’s alerting mechanisms differ
• Some used to find people through
the smoke
20.31
(A)
(B)
Figure 20-22 (A) Helmet with thermal imaging camera attached.
(B) Firefighter using a handheld thermal imaging camera.
20.32
Revisits of the Involved Structure
• Important to revisit scene of
incident
• Wise to make additional checks
• Good rule is to visit 2 hours after
last company or personnel leaves
and again within 10 hours
• Crews from the next shift can go by
the incident
• Business owner can hire a security
company to maintain fire watch
20.33
Debris Removal
• Removing debris while searching
for hidden fires is important
• Loose material must be removed
and further extinguished
• Place material in a pile and lightly
hosed down
• When material removal completed,
cover debris with Visqueen to
reduce the eyesore
20.34
The Importance of the Overhaul
Operations
• Customer service aspects of overhaul are
many
– Search for hidden fires
– Limit amount of uncovered debris left behind
– Leave building in a safe state for owners
• Overhaul work is often the only thing
owners get to see the result of
• Make sure overhaul works in concert with
fire investigator
20.35
Fire Cause Determination
Concerns
• Be aware of possible clues as to how the
fire started
• All firefighters should listen to the
reported information
– All available information should be
documented
• During response, additional information
may be gathered by questioning
• Firefighters must ensure that investigator
pre-approves removal of any part of
structure
20.36
Preservation of Evidence
• Preserve items that seem out of the
ordinary
• Leave items where they are found
and protect and preserve area
• Cordon off area
• Compromised evidence and areas
because of carelessness can lead
to legal actions
20.37
Basics of Point of Origin
Determination
• Can be a very scientific pursuit
• Investigators employ scientific approach
– Watch for basic clues
• Fire travel the path of least resistance
• Determine fire’s starting point and where
it spread is the depth of char
• Damage can be influenced by many
factors
20.38
Figure 20-26 “V” pattern in a structure fire.
20.39
Figure 20-27 Depth of char.
20.40
The Importance of Fire
Cause Determination
• Assisting fire investigator should be
second nature
• Every detail should be noted and
passed along
• Fire investigators are just another
member of the team
• Firefighters’ actions can help or
hinder investigation
20.41
Securing the Building
• Make sure the building is secure after
completing all operations
• Some jurisdictions rely on board-up
crews or restoration companies
• Prior to leaving an incident scene,
consider:
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Where will they stay or do business?
What are they going to do for clothing?
Do they have insurance?
Does the Red Cross need to be contacted?
20.42
Figure 20-28 Building that has been
boarded up after a fire.
20.43
Lessons Learned
• Salvage and overhaul duties are
vital
• Salvage and overhaul have a direct
impact on success of incident
• These duties are a great customer
service for the homeowner, even if
they are never recognized
20.44