Fireground Size-Up For Factory and Warehouse Fires

By Michael A. Terpak

Fires that involve factories and warehouses are resource-intensive and require a well-managed and coordinated approach. They will tax the capabilities of even the largest departments. From the varying classes of construction to large square footages and heavy fire loads, fire officers have to anticipate the difficulties associated with fires in these buildings and plan ahead.

For the purposes of this article, factories and warehouses are two different types of structures with different concerns. Factories are buildings used for the manufacturing of products. They range in size and use. A factory can be a large, 10-story, heavy timber building that is more than 100 years old with a number of different tenants. It can also be a modern one-story noncombustible building that encompasses an entire city block and is used for the manufacturing of one product. Warehouses are buildings used for the housing and storage of products. They also vary in size, shape, and construction. A warehouse can be a one-story limited-combustible building or a five-story heavy timber building of varying contents—both in a congested residential neighborhood.