- Author
- Isner, M. S. | Foley, S. N.
- Title
- Carpet Store Fire, One Fire Fighter Fatality, Branford, CT, November 28, 1996. NFPA Fire Investigation Report.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- NFPA Fire Investigations Report, 1997, 57 p.
- Keywords
- fire investigations | carpets | building fires | fire fatalities | warehouses | building collapse | damage | fire fighting | fire spread | fire growth | fire codes
- Abstract
- At approximately 4:24 p.m. on Thursday, November 28, 1996, a fire occurred in a Branford, Connecticut, carpet store and warehouse. The fire started in the store's office area, damaged the ceiling assembly, and ignited the building's wood roof trusses. Seven fire fighters were making the initial attack when the roof collapsed. Five of the seven fire fighters were able to find their way out of the building. The sixth fire fighter was rendered unconscious and had to be rescued, and the seventh died before he could escape. The building was 60 ft (18 m) wide and 120 ft (36.5 m) long. It had wood-frame exterior bearing walls in one section and masonry block exterior bearing walls in all other areas. Lightweight wood trusses carried the store's roof over a clean span of 60 ft (18 m). The building did not have any fire detection or suppression systems.