YFD News In Depth

Youngstown firefighter burned in flashover

Tribune Chronicle Article by JOE GORMAN 2.18.2001

YOUNGSTOWN A city firefighter was in satisfactory condition Saturday at the Regional Burn Unit in Akron after a flashover hit the third floor of a South Side home.

Firefighter Fred Beehler received second-degree burns on his hands while Lt. Ron Moran suffered a separated shoulder as the home at 640 W. Boston Ave. burst into flames, Battalion Chief James Flynn said.

The fire was one of three that had city fire crews scrambling Saturday night.

Flynn said the pair were with the first unit to arrive on the scene of the two-alarm fire. They were searching the house for occupants when the flashover occurred. No one was home at the time of the fire, Flynn said.

Moran was with Beehler when the fire flashed over.

"They kicked open the third floor (door), and it just flashed over," Flynn said.

The force knocked Moran down the steps, which is how he separated his shoulder, Flynn said.

Flynn said another firefighter, Lt. Jim DiMuzio, also suffered a separated shoulder later while outside of the home.

Moran and DiMuzio were both treated and released from St. Elizabeth Health Center.

An extra company had to be called because of problems with a hydrant and for more manpower, Flynn said. He said firefighters were on the scene for almost three hours.

A damage estimate for the home was unavailable, Flynn said. He added that because the roof was almost destroyed, the home might be a total loss.

Almost all of the damage was contained to the third floor of the home, Flynn said. "It was like a maze up there," he said. "It was all cut up into rooms."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Flynn said.

A flashover is a point in a fire when the air is heated to such a high temperature that everything combusts. A flashover occurred in a New Year's Eve fire in Warren that led to the injury of two firefighters and death of the home's resident. Following that fire, a response time of six minutes was cited as a reason for the injuries.

Flynn said that response time Saturday was two minutes.

"In our case, had we gotten the alarm sooner, we might have been able to avoid it (flashover)," Flynn said.

Firefighters also had to battle a fire at 16047 Alden Ave. on the East Side just after 8:30 p.m. That fire was caused by a 6-year-old child playing with matches, Flynn said. The fire was contained to a bedroom and damage was estimated at $5,000, Flynn said.

Another minor fire broke out at 4213 Southern Blvd. just after 9 p.m. Battalion Chief Terrence Jordan said sparks from a fireplace got in between a wall. There was little damage, Jordan said.