Road
Burn
Fire
crews overcome extreme conditions & fire to execute dramatic interstate
response
By
Martha Ellis
Interstate 80 between the
On the morning of
Moments later, a jackknifed semi slammed
into the opposite side of the Mayflower van, pushing its fully loaded trailer
on top of Ahlstrom’s vehicle.
“As I was stretching across the console
for my cell phone, the trailer came down on my car and pinned me,” Ahlstrom
recalls. “All I remember after that was getting hit in the face with a puff of
smoke. Then I think I went unconscious.”
The jackknifed semi immediately
burst into flames, which ignited the Mayflower van and leaking fuel from Ahlstrom’s
vehicle. Flames were reported as high as 30–40 feet. Before
the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) could close the road, this accident at 7200 West
on I-80 involved 40 cars, four semis and one motorcycle.
The Initial Response
Salt
Lake City Fire Department (SLCFD) Station 9, located north of the freeway about
3-1/2 miles to the east, received the dispatch of a “Bravo” multi-vehicle
accident on the interstate just west of their location at 0800 hours. The call
came in right at shift change. Engine 9 left the station with Captain Paul
Hewitt, Engineer Dean Peterson and Firefighters Al Hoskins and Mark Bednerik.
It quickly became apparent that
visibility and road conditions would lengthen response time. As Engine 9’s crew
made their way onto the freeway, Engineer Peterson drove with extreme caution
to prevent the apparatus from sliding on black ice that had built up due to the
fog. Shortly after going en route, dispatch notified them that it had just
received a report of an auto-pedestrian in the same area and that Rescue Engine
11 would respond as well. Rescue Engine 11, whose crew consisted of Captain
Paul Runyon, Engineer Bob Shepherd and Paramedic Firefighters Glade Ridd and
Kevin Stowe, is stationed on the airport’s east side, approximately 5 miles east
of the accident scene.
“Driving to the scene was
interesting,” Ridd remembers. “I-80 looked like a scene from a war zone. Cars
were all twisted and turned off on the side of the road, and the fog was heavy.
Every time we tried to stop, the engine would slide.”
Firefighter Chris Valdez, who had
been relieved of duty at Station 9 prior to the call, heard things were escalating on the freeway and opted to follow Engine 9
in an auxiliary unit.
While Engine 9’s crew evaluated
victims from the first group of cars it came to at the accident site, yet
another report came from dispatch. It had received an update stating that
several semis, with a person trapped underneath one of them, were on fire in
that same general area. Captain Hewitt reported that there were no injuries at
the first accident and that Engine 9 was heading farther west to investigate
the report of fire.
“As we were assessing the scene of
the first accident, we could actually hear loud crashes and an explosion coming
from the fog to the west of our location,” Hewitt says.
Communications
Initial
communications were difficult at best. Pinpointing the wreck’s location and
determining needed resources was a matter of deciphering information filtered
through three different dispatch agencies. Two dispatch offices cover fire
calls for the
Reports came of the semi fire
located anywhere from 9000 west to 7200 west, a span of 2–3 miles. Salt Lake
City Dispatchers Coralie Wilkes and Judy Sanders repeatedly tried to gain
detailed information from callers and the UHP, but no one seemed to have any.
Callers weren’t sure of their location due to the fog, and they were unable to
provide information about victims or the extent of injuries. This caused a
great deal of frustration because if dispatch doesn’t know what it has, it
doesn’t know what to send.
Water Supply
While
the crew of Engine 9 made their way west, the scene, which appeared out of the
fog before them, was impressive. Four semi tractor trailers, two of which were
heavily involved in fire; 40 passenger vehicles stacked in various
configurations; and one motorcycle were all in a space of approximately a
quarter mile, with reports of a trapped victim. Captain Hewitt immediately
called for a full assignment, consisting of three engines and a ladder truck,
and took command of the scene. “Water supply was my main concern,” he recalls.
SLCFD covers a major metropolitan
area that spans 111 square miles and is home to nearly 200,000 people. The
municipal water supply generally allows adequate flow through a 5" line from
most hydrants to draw as much water as needed. City units rarely encounter a
need for water shuttling or relay pumping operations, but no hydrants were on
the interstate in the accident area.
Fortunately, the resources for
mobile water are plentiful. The main source for an alternative water supply
comes from the airport. Two aircraft rescue fire fighting units (ARFF) can
deliver 3,000 gallons of water or a water/foam mixture. Another unit can carry
1,500 gallons to the valley’s most remote areas. The Air National Guard can
also provide two ARFF units that carry 3,300 gallons of water, a 500-gallon
foam supply and a 2,000-gallon “grass wagon” with pump and roll capabilities.
Another resource is the Streets Department, which has a 3,000-gallon street washer
with a 500-gpm pump and a 6,000-gallon water tender prefitted with a Storz
coupling. Drafting from ponds or surplus canals or setting up a relay pumping
operation are also last resort options. On the recommendation of Captain
Runyon, the officer on incoming Rescue 11, dispatch sent airport crash trucks
to the accident as a water supply.
The Operation Changes
As
Engine 9’s crew made their way around to the wreck’s south side, they found
Ahlstrom’s small passenger vehicle under the Mayflower van. Smoke completely
engulfed her car and flames were moving through the back seat and rolling up
over her head across the headliner. It was impossible for Engine 9’s crew to
see inside the passenger compartment.
Ahlstrom was pinned at the hip
between the car’s roof and center console. She could barely move her right leg.
Her left leg was completely immobilized due to the pressure of the steering
wheel pushed against her thigh.
Engineer Peterson pulled a hand
line, and Firefighter Bednerik immediately worked to push the fire away from
the passenger compartment. Bednerik used short bursts of water, keeping in mind
that at this point, they only had 500 gallons to work with until other units
could drop their tanks into Engine 9. “There were a couple of times the hose
actually went flat as we exhausted the tanks of water from various engines,”
Bednerik says.
As they pushed the fire back,
Firefighter Hoskins leaned inside Ahlstrom’s vehicle and did a quick hand sweep
across the front seat. “I couldn’t even see inside the car one inch,” he
describes. “It was completely filled with black smoke. It seemed that there was
no way anyone could be alive in there. The car was badly crushed, with the back
end on fire and the passenger compartment full of smoke. I reached in and did a
blind sweep of the passenger compartment, trying to find anything. That’s when
I felt the lady’s hand touch mine and gave it a slight squeeze, which kind of
startled me. That changed the whole operation in my eyes.”
There is no such thing as a routine
extrication, just as there is no such thing as a routine fire. All situations
present their own unique challenges, some more than others. But this was far
and away the most challenging extrication these firefighters had encountered in
their careers.
“It was the worst of all worlds,”
Firefighter Valdez recalls. “We had a trapped victim underneath two semis on
fire, limited resources, bad weather conditions, and we just had to conserve
everything we had and work as hard as we could.”
Typically, extrication involves
removing the vehicle from around the victim. When trying to remove a
60,000-pound trailer, resourcefulness and creativity are the best tools a
firefighter has.
Getting Started
The
first order of business was to clear the area of smoke to provide a tenable
environment for the victim and increase visibility for rescuers. As with all
engines in
Patient access was minimal. Stowe and
Ridd began tunneling through the wreckage using Amkus extrication tools.
“We started by trying to pull the
passenger side door off,” Ridd remembers. “We got it down far enough to gain
access, allowing us to assess the patient. She was talking, but not coherently.
Fortunately, she was still with it enough to tell us that she didn’t hurt
anywhere.”
The second scene priority was to minimize any further damage to Ahlstrom’s vehicle by shoring up the semi’s trailer. Elevated platforms, constructed with 4x4 wood cribbing, were utilized to place high-pressure air bags along the outer edge of the trailer. SLCF uses Vetter high-pressure bags capable of generating up to 60,000 pounds of lift. Two support columns were constructed: one at each end of Ahlstrom’s vehicle to help support the weight of the trailer.
In an effort to avoid the moth to the
candle syndrome, Hewitt made several attempts to get an accurate assessment of
the entire scene. He utilized UHP to gain initial information.
“They were able to give us a general idea
of what we had on scene and they also surveyed the freeway to the west to
ensure there were no other accidents west of our location,” Hewitt says. “We
also had Chris Valdez as an additional set of eyes. He was assigned to identify
placards on the various semi trucks. We were fortunate that all the semis were
transporting ordinary combustibles. On an average, one out of three semis
moving through this area of I-80 are carrying some
form of hazardous materials.”
Two hose lines were deployed off of
Engine 9. Firefighter Bednerik had a 2-1/2" preconnect on the south side
of the wreck, where the rescue was taking place. A UHP officer was on a
1-3/4" preconnect to the north side, where the fire had started, until
other fire units could arrive.
“As the scene progressed, we
realized that to affect this rescue, we were going to need a lot of resources,”
Hewitt recalls.
SLCFD Battalion Chief Mike Andrew
had arrived and taken command. Hewitt was assigned Operations. Incoming units
slowly made their way to the scene and were assigned immediately. Hazmat Company, Captain Gary Kraus, Engineer
John McNeill and hazmat technicians Joe Bush, Jim Maxfield, Jeff Rock, Reed Stringam, Ryan Mellor, and Kurt Urses
addressed shoring and stabilization, Truck 8, Captain Kim Chadwick, Engineer
Norm Anderson and Firefighters Vince Martinez and James McNeill backed up
suppression and stabilization efforts. Salt Lake County Fire Department
(SLCoFD) Company 2, with Captain Jeff Gray, Engineer Bruce Fivas,
Firefighter Todd Hurley and Paramedics Sam Carpenter and Craig Hardman assisted
with the extrication. Additional units were enroute.
The Extrication
Once
the vehicle’s door was removed, Paramedics Ridd and Stowe, with the help of
SLCoFD Firefighters Hurley and Carpenter, worked with the Amkus to open the
space between the roof and console of Ahlstrom’s car.
“We worked with two rams, one large
and one small,” Ridd explains. “We’d use the small ram to create enough space
to get the large ram in to work the area open. Basically, it was inch by inch,
just trying to make our way into the driver’s side through the passenger side.”
On several occasions, the rams actually
punctured the roof of the car and the side of the trailer. “At one point, we
punched through the roof of the car, and the fire that was burning above us
sucked down into our working space,” Ridd continues. They retreated momentarily
to reassess the situation, but soon went back to work when the flames were
drawn back up into the trailer. “We were making minimal progress with the rams.
We were only able to open it up just enough to see how her lower extremities
were pinned. We tried to pull the steering column out to make more room, but
because of the angle and the limited space, all that we did was bust the
steering wheel off.”
The weight of the trailer was too great
for the rams to lift, so the next idea was to work from the bottom up. An
attempt was made to pull the passenger seat out, which, ideally, would allow
access to remove the console. Unfortunately, access to the seat’s base was
limited. The best option was to lace a cable around the base and attach it to a
winch. When the winch engaged, however, the entire car began to move. The
effort was quickly aborted. It was also suggested that heavy wreckers be used
to lift the trailer off of the car, but the integrity of the trailer had been
so compromised by fire, the fear was that it would simply tear apart under the
stress. That idea was put on the back burner for use as a last resort.
Roughly 20 minutes into the operation, the top seam of the trailer split. Smoke and flames were now rolling out of the top of the trailer on the rescue (south) side of the incident.
“It’s always playing in your head that you’re in a dangerous situation,
but you really have one thing on your mind, and that’s getting that lady out of
there,” Ridd says. “First and foremost—rescue mode. We know everyone behind us
was working on suppression and watching our overhead.”
Only the fiberglass sheathing was tearing
away from the trailers framework due to the heat, and the rescue operation
quickly resumed. At this point a decision had to be made. Captains Hewitt, Runyon
and Gray (SLCoFD) discussed the options: put master stream water into the
trailer and drain it out, try to remove the contents of the trailer or both.
The decision was made to do both. As it would turn out, a refrigerator and a
nearly 2,000-pound woodworking mill were in the trailer above Ahlstrom’s car.
One of
Relieving some of the weight above the
car helped, but it was not a cure-all. Rescuers Ridd and Stowe were still
working creative configurations with the hydraulic rams.
“We were trying to make headway using cap
pieces of wood and the rams,” Stowe recalls.
“One of the pieces of wood broke and struck me in the bridge of my
nose.” He had to back out to attend to his nose, but was back to work within 10
minutes.
“Maybe having 10 minutes alone and a new
look at it helped me see what I needed to do with two moves,” Stowe continues.
“I set the large ram on a diagonal from the foot of the passenger side door to
the top of the driver’s side door and was able to get a diagonal stretch of
about 3–4 inches. I placed the smaller ram right by the console and got maybe
an inch to an inch and a half there. At that point, I could see that [Ahlstrom]
could wiggle her hips, and we were able to free her feet and pull her into the
back seat and then slide her out onto a backboard.”
“Even with all that movement, there
was still only about 8 inches between the console and the roof of the car,”
Ridd says.
Camille
Camille
Ahlstrom was finally free from what seemed like certain death after an
hour-and-a-half effort. She suffered from smoke inhalation, hypothermia, CO
poisoning and minor bruising. During an interview weeks after the incident,
Ahlstrom said that she remembered little about what happened after the semi came
down on her; however, she did say some interesting things that rescuers should
keep in mind.
When asked what she remembered from
the rescue, she said, “I don’t remember the heat or fire, and the only smoke I
remember was that initial blast. I don’t remember the cold, and I don’t
remember the sound of the equipment. I don’t remember seeing anything during
the rescue, except the light coming through the window. I kept thinking to
myself, ‘If I could just get to that window, I’ll be OK.’ But of course, I couldn’t
move. The only thing I remember about the rescuers was what they said to me.”
That reaffirms the importance of
continually communicating with victims in such extreme situations. It’s easy to
get so involved in a task that we forget there’s a real person who’s
interacting with us. Constant affirmative dialogue, whether the patient is
conscious or not, is imperative because chances are that’s what’s helping them
hold on, and that dialogue could turn out to be all they’ll remember. When
shown the videotape of her rescue, Ahlstrom was in shock. She couldn’t believe
all the things that, unbeknownst to her, had been taking place.
Looking Back
The
responders’ skills and quick response coupled with a dose of good luck kept
casualties low, especially for an incident of this magnitude. A look back at
what happened brings to light several important issues that warrant discussion,
including time management, tools and equipment, alternative water supplies and
command considerations.
An hour and thirty minutes may seem like
a long time for vehicle extrication, but to the rescuers there was no measure
of time.
“After working for quite a while, Captain
Runyon asked us how much longer we thought we’d be,” Ridd recalls. “He told us
that we had been there for over an hour. That surprised me. Time just flew.”
It’s a good idea for supervisors to keep
hands-on rescuers abreast of time lapsed. It’s helpful for patient assessment
and patient status documentation. Also, the “Golden Hour” for critical patient
care should be on everyone’s mind. Set up a notification time frame with
dispatch and pass the information on.
The nature of this extrication was enough
to make the rescuers involved reassess their perceptions of equipment
capabilities. These tools come through on so many occasions that when this type
of a challenge is presented, it’s assumed they’ll come through again.
Sometimes, however, it’s necessary to think outside the box.
“Think of ways that things may not be
textbook when drilling with your equipment,” Stowe advises. “You may find that
some things have limitations you may not have expected. We need to get creative
when trying to test the limits of our equipment.”
Also, fire departments, especially
departments that primarily rely on municipal water systems, should research and
understand how to use their alternative water supply options. Municipal water
systems are convenient, but never a sure thing. Chances are if your primary
water supply is down or inaccessible, that’s when you’re going to most need a
secondary source. Explore your options.
The magnitude of this rescue operation
pales in comparison to what the resource demand could have been had Ahlstrom
not been the only patient in dire circumstances. The fact that no fatalities or
other significant injuries resulted from this accident is nothing short of
amazing. As it was, Incident Command had its hands full. Primary concerns from
the IC’s standpoint revolved around resource management, constructing
contingency plans and providing safe refuge and shelter for the uninjured
victims. A Level 2 staging area was set up in a safe location just off the
freeway to the east of the accident. The duration of the extrication weighed
heavily on everyone’s mind. Heavy wreckers were dispatched to the area in case
the extrication crew was unable to free Ahlstrom. A safe haven was also
established to provide shelter from the elements and a safe point of contact
for accident victims.
“A welfare sector for individuals
involved in the accident who were not hurt was established,” B/C Andrew says.
“We contacted the local bus service and were able to use them to shuttle people
off the freeway to the designated welfare area.”
Had this been a true mass casualty
incident requiring extrication, triage and transport of numerous victims, the
IC structure in place could have easily expanded to meet the need. This system
allows for an optimum span of control for all levels, improving communication
and efficiency. Development of a strong IC starts with the first responding
unit.