This story was written for the management of my condo, a 17 floor
highrise, where violations were taking place on a daily basis. I
contacted the Fire Marshal office and we presented these issues to the
management in order to control the problem of items left overnight in
hallways during COVID months. April 2020
It was a balmy November 1991, early evening, and close to
Thanksgiving. Everyone was home relaxing, thinking about the coming
holiday. All of a sudden the fire alarm went off. So often that
happens, you look out the door, there is nothing. This was NOT one of
those times. The air outside my door near the end of the hallway was
pitch black. I mean black, you could not see your nose.It was
frightening. I grabbed my wallet, keys, and locked the door.
Thankfully I knew the fire door was the door next to mine because you
could not see any doors, any walls, anything at all. Just thick black
smoke. Down the fire stairwell everyone went, exiting the front of the
building. For those who did not live next to the fire stairs, it was
much more scary. Feeling your way...Imagine if there were items on the
floor that would hamper your safe exit from the building. Items that
would cause you to trip, items that could be combustible as you feel
your way down the wall to the nearest exit.
The first started in a unit down the hall from be, 2nd unit on the right
from the center. I can tell you it was horrible. That unit and the
one above it and below were totally obliterated. Many of us walked
around the back of the building to see the flames shooting up to the
unit above, and the water damage was horrendous. The smoke was all
over the eighth floor, and above. Our entire floor and the one above
and below were a disaster. Photos of that fire in the rear of the
building hang on the walls of the Chevy Chase Fire Department.
They allowed us in only long enough to take some items with us but we
were not allowed to stay here for three weeks. The Red Cross found
everyone a place to live. I lived at the Pooks Hill Marriott for three
weeks. The doors on our floor were severely damaged because they axe
them to make sure no one is trapped. Due to the asbestos in the
hallways, they were sealed and we were allowed in once every week to
collect items we needed. Most people had insurance, some did not.
My point in sharing this story is, with items being left in the hallways
for fear of contamination, there are hazards. Perhaps a fire safety
letter/memo should be distributed to each resident. That was done many
years ago, but not for years. Reminders to know where the exits are,
firewalls, stairwells. And reminders that items cannot remain on the
floors in the hallways. All I can imagine is if such a fire happened
again, and people were tripping on items in the halls as they felt their
way to find an exit, it would be terrible.
Just my thoughts, as I see items every day as I walk the hallways. For
example, one unit has had large empty water cooler bottles outside their
door since the weekend and they are flammable and would cause a problem
should there be a fire. Of course I pray we never have another fire as
bad
as that one. There was another fire on this floor above the office
several
years ago. That one was white smoke and did not cause as much damage,
as it was more localized, but the water damage was severe nonetheless,
to
every floor below.
