Rapid intervention and training prevented tragedy during a vacant building search
Two firefighters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, escaped without injury Wednesday morning after falling eight feet through a floor into a basement fire while responding to a residential structure fire.
Crews were dispatched at 6 a.m. Wednesday to a fire at Alcazar Street and Marquette Avenue, near Louisiana Boulevard. The building was a vacant structure that showed signs of human occupancy.
“There’s always a debate about searching vacant buildings. Even though there might be boarded-up structures, there’s always that risk and reward. If you take a look in any of those windows, people are staying in there. And so if we have a building that we can search, we’re going to do that every time. This is a reminder of what’s at stake when we do go inside these structures,” said Lt. Jason Fejer, with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
During the response, crews split up, with Engine 13 working on the first floor and Engine 5 operating in the basement.
“There wasn’t much fire involvement here. The roof isn’t collapsed. This building is not burned through. It’s a small fire in the basement that got into the trusses and our guys fell through it,” Fejer said. “We carry thermal imaging cameras, and he could see the heat in the floor, which was about the time that the floor collapsed.”
The collapse triggered an immediate call: “Mayday, mayday, mayday, Engine 13 with a mayday, firefighters fell through the floor.”
“I almost didn’t believe it at first. And then the more I started scrolling through my CAD and seeing that there was not just one firefighter, but two, the reality of it sets in,” Fejer said.
The distress call shifted the focus of responding units, including Engine 11, Engine 13, Engine 5, Engine 12, and a Rapid Intervention Team.
“The scene turned from us going into a structure to save a civilian into us trying to save ourselves,” Fejer said.
The two firefighters fell eight feet directly into the source of the fire. Both were able to leave the scene without injuries, though they continue to be monitored.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue emphasized that crew training, situational awareness, and teamwork prevented a tragedy, noting that basement fires cause firefighter fatalities annually.
“If we weren’t putting water on the fire when those guys went through, this could have been catastrophic,” Fejer said. “These guys work so hard, and they take this job so seriously. They are the best that we have. And sometimes we got to be better than luck or make our own luck. And I think that’s what today is a testament to.”
The department stated it will review the response, including call times, responding units, and scene management, to evaluate if any operational changes are needed.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue noted it has never experienced a line-of-duty death.
