I heard this quote awhile back and I would think – “What do I not know?”.  I would try to keep reading, researching, talking to guys and thinking to myself.  

Like most firemen, I hate feeling like an idiot. I was a little over 8 years into my career, and a first year Lieutenant. I had been a floating boss assigned to a few engine companies, then moved to a staff assignment for 5 months. No real first due fires, no good working fires at all, in that time.

It’s hard to find your own blinders. So, I would just keep thinking “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

Then, on an early morning in March, I learned just where my blinders were. 

We pulled up to a 1 story brick and stick row of businesses. Cop in the middle of the street, bystander waving his arms and a haze coming from the roof.  

I give a half assed size up “On arrival, 1 story mixed used occupancy, smoke from the roof”. No assignments, no building construction – nothing. I wasn’t really sure what we even had at the time. The haze off the roof reminded me of snow melting. 

I had my nozzleman start a two and a half to the front door. I took the 24 and got up to the roofline to see the haze. I could see smoke coming up through the roof, and that familiar “structure fire” smell was distinct.  

At this point, the DC had arrived, and a ladder company was on scene. The second due engine was calling off at the hydrant. We needed to size up which door to force. The Rescue Company started to get in the mix. By now you could see the smoke within the storefront windows, clearly something was burning. 

As the Rescue and Ladder companies were starting to force entry, my nozzleman, with 1 year on the job, says to me “Is there a basement?”

Then, it hits me “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I replied, “You know what - I don’t know.”

I had been at this firehouse for about 2 months, this wasn’t far from where I used to live. I used to run by this specific building more times than I can count.  It’s a left out of the station, roll down the hill and in a quarter mile you’re there.  BUT, I did not know the layout of the occupancy, or if/where the basement existed.

There ended up being a basement. 

We found it and started down the stairs with the third due engine coming from the rear. We hit some fire. It was mostly smoky. This turned to be one of those smoky, stubborn basement fires with very little flame to show for it. The side of the basement we had chosen was full of boxes and hard to navigate. There was a wall that separated the above businesses’ basements.  

We tried to break our way through to get to the other side but stopped short when we dug at some electrical wires. We didn’t know if they were still live. Other companies were being assigned to go through the adjoining business.

The fire ended up going to three alarms for manpower. Companies were in and out of the two businesses for the next hour or so. Lines were brought through every inch of the building, and my crew didn’t see a lick more than a campfire.  

My old engine company came up north, found some pockets of fire and worked like dogs. There is something said for experience. It had extended into parts of the roof, and other companies worked their tails off to get it. The ladder companies had a lot of work getting in from up top.  

It was one of those smoky, stubborn basement fires; tiring for all.

I drive by that building every day I work. It is my personal reminder to keep grinding to prevent the next “I don’t know”.