Fanning the flames of preparedness
City-owned structure is set ablaze to allow firefighters to train
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

THE AFTERMATH- Ventura County Firefighter Paul Torres walks through a burned room after a training drill at a vacated building on Avenida Simi in Simi Valley. The fire department used the former day-care center to simulate actual structure fires. Twenty stations from around Ventura County participated as 10 to 12 fires were started throughout the day before the building, at left, was allowed to burn itself out. Photos by WENDY PIERRO Acorn Newspapers

A former day-care center at 3802 Avenida Simi was intentionally set ablaze last weekend when more than 70 firefighters from the Ventura County Fire Department used it for training.

The 4,000squarefoot structure- a one-story house in a residential area between the Simi Valley Senior Center and Rancho Tapo Community Park- had been scheduled for demolition before the city of Simi Valley offered it to the fire department.

Bill Nash, public information and marketing officer with the VCFD, said 26 companies, each consisting of three firefighters, came from throughout the county to attend the all-day training session.

"The fact that people are willing to come out from far away shows how rare of an opportunity this is," Nash said. "We don't get a lot of opportunities to get a live burn like this."

According to Mike LaPlant, division chief of the Simi and Conejo valleys, Saturday's training session was the result of nearly four months of preparation by county fire officials. The entire process included verifying the city's ownership of the building, stripping the house of all furniture and fixtures, and ensuring the site met standards set by agencies like the State Fire Marshal and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"All the heavylifting preparation started about a week ago," LaPlant said. "Basically, we tried to do all the things to help us control the fires, like sealing all the lighting fixtures so there wouldn't be any fires in the attic that we weren't ready for."

Throughout the day, the department ignited small fires in different parts of the house, giving companies the opportunity to practice the appropriate techniques in attacking the blaze.

Photos by WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers SIGHT TO SEE- A firefighter, above, keeps a watchful eye as a structure on Avenida Simi in Simi Valley is allowed to be slowly engulfed in flames. Below, Simi Valley resident James Fridenberg captures video while other spectators look on as the day's activities begin to come to a close.

"In a structure fire, there are always three things happening," Nash said. "There's one team attacking the fire, one team searching for people, and one team clearing the atmosphere from the roof."

During the training session, firefighters cut holes in the roof of the building to practice vertical ventilation- a technique that allows smoke and heat to escape the structure, helping improve visibility for the people inside.

Nash said that while some firefighters have been hurt in previous training sessions, the department does everything it can to learn from its mistakes and prevent them from happening again.

"It's a very controlled fire," he said. "The firefighters are in full safety gear, and there are rescue teams watching them from the outside to make sure everything is okay."

Structures chosen for training must also meet certain requirements.

"It depends on a lot of things," he said. "Not every house that's going to be demolished is a candidate for training. It has to be the right house, because it directly affects neighbors and traffic. The structure has to be in fairly good condition."

Throughout the course of the day, Nash spoke to nearby residents and other spectators who'd come by to watch the firefighters work.

Nathan Detwiler, 6, listened intently while Nash told him about the 50 pounds of extra gear that firefighters have to wear to stay safe during a fire. He said he thought the firefighters and the fire engines were "cool."

"I like how the smoke is coming out of the roof," he said.

Councilmember Barbra Williamson, who came to the site to show her support, dressed up in firefighter gear and was escorted into the house by fire officials between drills.

"It was really warm in there," Williamson said. "You always appreciate what they do, but when you go in there with all that weight, in that heat and all that gear, it really puts a whole different perspective on the word 'respect.'"