Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126013432 - Encinitas Fire Protection District

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

On November 25, 1994, the fire department of the Encinitas Fire Protection District had responded to a structure fire caused by sparks from a chimney without a spark arrestor on a wood shingle roof. The fire had been quickly extinguished by the first fire engine that arrived at the scene. A second fire engine arrived as the fire was being extinguished and assisted in the roof overhaul operation. Employee #1 and a coworker, both fire fighters, were carrying debris from the second-story roof in a salvage runner to the edge of the roof and dumping it onto a flat garage roof. The captain was inspecting the fire damage at the ridge of the roof, making sure that the fire could not restart. At approximately 2:00 p.m., as the two fire fighters proceeded down the roof on a diagonal course toward the garage, Employee #1 stepped off the edge of the roof just before getting to the dump area. He fell about 15 ft to a concrete sidewalk. His left knee contacted a flower bed next to the sidewalk, but his hands struck the sidewalk. Paramedics, who had left after the fire was extinguished, were called back to the site and they transported Employee #1 to a local hospital trauma center. His injuries were fractures of both wrists, a laceration above the left eyebrow, and bruises to the left ankle, toes, knee, and hip.

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, FRACTURE, ROOF, WORK RULES, CLEANING, LACERATION, FALL, INATTENTION, WRIST