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

Photos Whats this smoke tell you?

Post image

Initial size up described conditions with “turbulent smoke”…

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '25

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u/KYYank Jan 27 '25

I don’t think the fire is in the attic…yet. The lazy smoke pushing out of the eaves is the clue. If the attic were involved the eaves would be air intakes. Instead the cooler smoke is making its way out the easy path of the eaves .

The smoke is not blowing out the ends so this is an interior aggressive attack.

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u/RaptorTraumaShears Firefighter/Paramedic Jan 27 '25

Generally speaking, would you see any smoke pushing out the eaves if the attic were involved? I’m not too educated on reading smoke.

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u/tommy_b0y Jan 28 '25

Yep.

Read the flowpath. It's intake through the windows on the first floor, feeding the seat and exhausting vertically up and into the attic. Free burning set is extended and expansion pressure will push that smoke out of the attic regardless of the extension as that window will remain the intake flow. The only way that changes is the extension punching out and creating bi-directional flow from where it punches out (which still won't disrupt the first floor intake) or you hit it at the seat.

Gases will rapidly contract, steam convert, then invert the first floor window from the steam. The strength that happens depends a lot on pattern. This will occlude the intake flow for a (very) short amount of time, making YOU getting in the attic as quickly as possible absolutely key. Take your sweet time, the intake flow will resume, and bingo. The attic takes back off and you're chasing its tail.