r/Firefighting • u/Godslove777 • Jan 27 '25

Photos Whats this smoke tell you?

Post image

Initial size up described conditions with “turbulent smoke”…

1.7k Upvotes

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522

u/joeymittens PA-S, Firefighter, Paramedic Jan 27 '25

Fire has reached structural wood behind walls/in the attic. Also looks like fast moving smoke, hot hot hot. Looks like the seat is on the Charlie side

117

u/triggerfinger1985 Jan 27 '25

Agreed, probably Charlie delta corner. For sure in the attic, older house probably about to vent soon. She’s on her way down if there’s no water on it yet.

50

u/Bulawa Swiss Volly NCO FF Jan 27 '25

Just a quite off hand question from an FF from across the lake. You name sides counter clockwise A to D from the front one arrives at, right?

68

u/Partyruinsquad Jan 27 '25

Clockwise. Alpha is the front of the structure. The side to the left is bravo. Rear is Charlie. Delta is the side to the right of the structure

22

u/hshawn419 KS Volly FF Jan 28 '25

It's "B,A,D" if you don't "C" the rear 😁

     C

B D

     A

  Front

18

u/TwigyBull Jan 27 '25

This is looking top down like on a map, right?

32

u/Firehouse55 Jan 27 '25

Yes. Top down, clockwise, with Alpha being the street address preferably. First command one scene will denote side Alpha when the building has multiple street fronts but they always try to keep it to the dispatch address as that makes it easier for incoming units.

2

u/dinkleberrysurprise Jan 28 '25

Non-firefighter here who wants to get schooled—why not cardinal directions?

Or for example I live in a house with an L shape—how do you handle something like that?

2

u/Firehouse55 Jan 28 '25

Quick and easy orientation. You aren't carrying and looking at a compass. What if a corner of the house is true north? How do you pick a side? You wouldn't want to then swap to NE or NW. It's to avoid confusion. You also get a lot of streets with cardinal directions in their names.

You're house is still a box, it's just missing a chunk.

11

u/ellamenopee Jan 27 '25

Whatever command designates the Alpha you move around it clockwise from there. In rural areas it’s pretty straightforward but we have buildings in our city that have entrances on opposite sides of the building. Most are preplanned but if we have acting officers on details or anything it can get tricky. Some also have a different number of floors depending on what’s designated the alpha side.

1

u/Nolan_bushy Jan 27 '25

From any direction. The front of the house stays the front of the house regardless of pov.

1

u/CraftsmanMan Jan 28 '25

If using a clock, where 6 oclock is the front of the house, alpha is 6, bravo is 9, charlie is 12, delta is 3

1

u/CraftsmanMan Jan 28 '25

My department uses 1 2 3 4 cause they can't spell

23

u/CajunBuckeye NOFD Jan 27 '25

Any easy reminder I learned in Captains class. When looking at the building spell B-A-D. Left side is Bravo, front is Alpha, right side is Delta. Charlie is always in the rear.

9

u/Bulawa Swiss Volly NCO FF Jan 27 '25

I just had a weak moment on clock and counter clockwise 😅

9

u/IronsKeeper I thought *this* was a skilled trade Jan 27 '25

There's a Swiss watch joke in there somewhere, I'm sure of it

8

u/Bulawa Swiss Volly NCO FF Jan 27 '25

I'll have to watch out for that 😁

On a different note, we use something that roughly translates to 'as the slap goes' (for right handed people) to denote counterclockwise xP

1

u/Diabolicalbacon Jan 28 '25

"Something something, make watches don't read them, something something" I'm sure we can find one in there.

3

u/zsbyd Jan 28 '25

“And we were always looking for this guy named Charlie.”

1

u/Square_Ad8756 Jan 27 '25

How do you orient within a structure in Switzerland? Is it unique system to Switzerland or also used in other European countries?

2

u/Bulawa Swiss Volly NCO FF Jan 27 '25

Front, right, left and back, mostly. We don't really do the highly regularized 360s that I gather are usual in the US. It's usually small enough to be easily overseen, or so big that you need a sketch anyway. Or it has so many appartements facing everywhere, building faces loose a lot of meaning.

The more standardized thing we have are left and right hand searches.

13

u/swimbikerunkick Jan 27 '25

For my education, please can you explain the pointers you’re seeing? It looks like we’re seeing flames in the front central window? Or is that something else.

9

u/swimbikerunkick Jan 27 '25

I am thinking we’re looking at the AB corner.

5

u/triggerfinger1985 Jan 27 '25

You’re actually right. After going back and orienting myself to the picture, that is the a/b corner. But this house is set up very strange. It really could go either way. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a chimney that was in the driveway, the neighbors house to the left looks like a back yard to me. I was thinking a small block with possible streets in front of and behind the house.

2

u/swimbikerunkick Jan 27 '25

It’s hard to be sure from the photo, but I just wanted to make sure I understood the fire location comment so appreciate the reply, thanks!

1

u/Outrageous-Mango9847 Jan 28 '25

I agree with this. The only visible fire we have is Alpha side. Front door is the intake. Flow path is into the attic, as indicated by heaviest smoke venting from Bravo attic vent. There is little smoke to initially think the seat would be Charlie side. Fire will consume this roof quickly. My plan is fast attack through the front door Alpha side, 1 3/4", pike poles, stomp out the (I'm assuming) living room area quickly, pull ceiling fast and try to get ahead of it before it takes the roof.