Inspection Detail

Inspection: 124483124 - Syracuse City Police Dept

Inspection Information - Office: Nys Dol Pesh Syracuse

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a city fire investigator, and three coworkers who were civilian fire insurance investigators, were conducting a routine cause-and-effect investigation at the scene of a house fire six days earlier. Employee #1 and two of the coworkers entered the attic, where the fire originated, and immediately noticed the 10 ft to 12 ft tall, free standing chimney. The roof had burned down around the chimney, and they checked it to see if it was safe by pulling on the support bar, which was no longer connected to the roof. The chimney seemed to be solid, and, in the opinion of all three experienced investigators, was deemed safe to work around. The two civilian fire investigators later stated that after a time, they all observed that the chimney would sway in the gusting, 30 mph wind. They discussed this and still determined it was safe to continue the investigation, as long as they kept an eye on the chimney. Two hours into the investigation, the chimney fell without warning. Employee #1, was 10 ft away and directly in line with the its fall, was crushed under an 800 lb to 1,000 lb piece of the chimney. By the time a rescue team arrived and removed the masonry, Employee #1 was not breathing and had no pulse. He sustained severe injuries to both legs and arms, as well as neck, head, and internal injuries. Employee #1 was resuscitated and transported to the hospital, where he died in the emergency room. It was later determined that the uppermost 10 ft of the chimney consisted of new material installed during a repair.

Keywords: HEAD, HIGH WIND, COLLAPSE, UNSECURED, FIRE, CRUSHED, NECK, STRUCK BY, CHIMNEY