TRANSIENT HOTELS

By Ted Corporandy, Battalion Chief
San Francisco Fire Department

We once called them “flop houses.” Today they're “transient hotels.” Whatever you call them, transient hotel fires can present a considerable challenge from command, strategic and tactical perspectives.

Generally speaking, inner-city transient hotels are of ordinary construction or wood frame. They are usually in a state of disrepair, lacking some of the most fundamental fire protection features. It is not unusual to find dry standpipes with threads stripped or pipes broken. Missing doors and holes in walls, floors and ceilings provide an

This standpipe connection has been vandalized. A line can be led to the floor above, using the outlet valve as in inlet.

avenue for fire spread in all directions. Often the building owner will chain and padlock the penthouse (bulkhead) door to keep out the criminal element. In one case, a seven-story hotel with the penthouse door and all doors leading to the enclosed stairwell were nailed shut. This left tenants with the central unenclosed stairwell as the only way out. Fire escape and gooseneck ladders may be rusted, missing parts, and not able to support much weight. Tenants often dispose of trash in lightwells (shafts), a common starting point for fires in these occupancies. Tenants are usually low-income, and many are homeless, able to scrape up just enough money to provide a night or two of lodging. The transient nature of these residents makes it difficult for the hotel clerk to keep an accurate record of those who may be occupying the hotel at any given time. In densely populated, built-up areas, only one side of the building may be accessible to firefighters and their apparatus.

A fire in an occupancy of this type will require an aggressive fire attack, immediate ventilation and controlling and protecting the movement of its occupants. When mounting an attack, the fire must first be located. If fire is visible upon arrival, the job will be that much easier. As is often the case, however, fire may not be visible from the street. Basements and cellars crammed with old mattresses, boxes, and trash present a tremendous fire load and must be checked. Smoke puffing from baseboards in the lobby is an indicator of a possible fire in the basement. Storage rooms and common bathrooms should also be checked.

Fires starting in lightwells often spread into walls because of the shabby condition of their tin lining. Once in the walls, vertical extension is rapid. In buildings of ordinary construction, non-fire-stopped concealed spaces formed by steel columns and plumbing, are principal causes of vertical fire spread in the walls. In balloon-framed wood buildings, the exterior walls lack fire stopping, as do interior plumbing walls. Because of the large volume of smoke and reduced visibility from this type of fire, locating it can be difficult. If fire is not easily found, suspect fire in the walls. With fire in concealed spaces, it is imperative that lines be led to all floors that show signs of smoke. Walls should be opened and checked. Even if fire is not immediately visible, the lines serve to protect any lingering occupants and their means of egress. Lightwells and shafts should be on the short list of places to begin the search.

Once the fire is located an aggressive attack must be launched. If the standpipes fail, additional time will be needed to lead lines up the interior or exterior of the building.

Responding ladder companies must be thinking of apparatus placement at the time of alarm. The street number of the building should give an indication as to whether it is located mid-block or on a corner. Is there a rear alley or other means of access? With what other companies will

This hotel is mid-block with only one side accessible. There will usually be a lightwell on one or both sides of the building shared by the buildings next door. These must be checked for occupants, fire location or extension. With a lightwell shared by different buildings, the potential for fire spread into the exposures is a real possibility. The exposure buildings will have to be entered and checked.

you be responding? Knowing the direction from which other companies are responding should be a guide as to what position to take. Once a position is taken, access to the roof must be made. A critical component of vertical ventilation with this type of occupancy is opening the penthouse (bulkhead) door. It will relieve this primary means of egress of toxic smoke and heat and also allow access to trapped occupants who may be overcome. In one case, there was a fire in a five story transient hotel that was reported to be on the third floor. People were streaming down the stairway shouting, “It’s on the third floor!” When moderate smoke conditions were encountered on the second floor it was thought these people must be wrong. With this amount of smoke surely the fire was on the second, not the third floor. The tenants were correct this time. The fire was indeed on the third floor. The penthouse door, which initially had been opened, inadvertently closed, causing smoke to mushroom and bank down below the fire floor. It is crucial to open the door by removing it or disabling it so that it is not easily closed.

There are other critical operations that must be conducted at the roof. The rear and sides of the building as well as shafts and lightwells must be checked for occupants, fire location

The rear of these transient hotels is inaccessible to aerial ladders but is accessible to some ground ladders. The rear must be checked. It can be accomplished by firefighters assigned to the roof. What is the condition of the gooseneck and fire escape?

and extension. Any information gathered as a result of this assessment must be relayed to the Incident Commander. Are you prepared to rescue any people who may be trapped in lightwells or shafts? We don’t often think of taking a roof ladder to a flat roof, but it can be a real lifesaver when lowered into the shaft to permit rescue. Anticipate this situation and take the ladder with you. Skylights as well as scuttle-covers may need opening. If fire is on the top floor or in the attic space, the roof must be opened. Ladders must be thrown to the fire floor and floors above, particularly if the fire escape has been rendered inoperative. Interior ladder company operations include forcing entry, primary search, rescue, evacuation, ventilation, opening walls, and pulling ceilings.

Controlling the movement of occupants may be extremely difficult. Fire alarms in transient hotels may be so prevalent the sound of another alarm (assuming it is in working order) is viewed as a nuisance and ignored. The presence of the fire department may not be a sufficient indicator that something is wrong. On the other hand, the complete opposite reaction is sometimes encountered. Shear terror and panic can hinder fire operations, as can the actions of a few who may decide they would rather fight you than follow your instructions. To be sure, there are those who are well behaved and use sound judgment. Experience shows that, to some degree, all of these behaviors are present. Whatever the case may be, in large hotels with several hundred occupants, it may be prudent to allow a partial evacuation, shelter some in place and relocate others to a safer area to allow for an aggressive fire attack. In some instances the presence of the police department may be necessary to impart “subtle persuasion.” With a significant fire, it will be necessary to insure displaced people are provided with housing. This is where the Red Cross provides such a vital service to the community. They should be notified early into the incident.

Fires occurring in old buildings which are in a condition that promotes fire spread, that lack adequate fire protection features, and are occupied by a large number of people will require fast, aggressive, and coordinated action by a considerable number of resources. This should be anticipated and addressed. Requesting a greater alarm should not be considered an admission of failure, rather a sound decision based on the potential presented by this type of fire. This is a resource and labor-intensive situation. It is better to have too many than too few. You can always send them home.