HONOLULU — When Honolulu Fire Department Engine 9 arrived at a house fire on Young Street on Jan. 6, 2025, crews believed the flames were nearly under control. Engine 2, the first on scene, had been attacking the flames from outside.
Believing the fire was close to being controlled, the acting captain of Engine 9 ordered a search, sending his crew, including Firefighter Jeff Fiala, inside without a hose, a tactic added to department guidelines in 2022. Within minutes, conditions deteriorated, firefighters were forced to retreat and Fiala suffered fatal injuries. The incident has prompted the department to reexamine the tactic.
Supporters say unprotected searches can save civilians by allowing firefighters to quickly look for trapped occupants without being slowed by a charged hoseline, Honolulu Civil Beat reported. Critics call the tactic reckless and dangerous, and federal workplace safety investigators concluded it was the top of five key factors in the NIOSH report on Fiala’s death…