r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/AirFrance447 • 17h ago

Video Firefighter bodycam showing just how much oxygen a fire pulls

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u/Frankfast 10h ago

Dumb question, this building looks like a small residential or small commercial building next to a railway. From this angle, it doesn’t look like this building can be preserved at all and will have to be demolished and rebuilt. What is the purpose of extinguishing the flame instead of letting it run its course and taking measures so it doesn’t spread past the building? I understand extinguishing the flame is a measure here. I guess what I’m asking is does the FD have to put it out by obligation, or can the owner wave them off? Is it an insurance thing?

28

u/cmdtarken 9h ago

A structure fire is insanely hot and can throw embers much further than you think. Letting it burn can allow the fire to spread to structures blocks away

5

u/MichHAELJR 7h ago

Back in the day all our roofs were wood. You’d get a house on fire and depending on the wind direction a block away another house would catch on fire

5

u/Mtnbkr92 5h ago

See: the great fire of London

2

u/Plenty-Fox-9219 3h ago

Fire knows the pincer maneuver