How to Fight a Strip Mall Fire — Episode 5: Atlanta Firefighting Tactics With BlitzFire
How to Fight a Strip Mall Fire — Episode 5: Atlanta Firefighting Tactics With BlitzFire
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Many times, we try to deploy residential tactics into a commercial setting—and it just doesn’t work.
So what should you do the next time you get called out to a strip mall fire?
The crew is in Metro Atlanta to find out from author and national instructor Captain Sean Gray on this bite-sized episode of Fully Involved.
In this scenario, we’re talking about a strip mall fire—simulating commercial fire attack. And right away, we’re not getting water where we need it to go.
A lot of times, our nozzles are aimed straight up—just like the tip is here. Firefighters get on scene and start pushing water into the upper environment of the strip mall.
But what’s actually up there? It’s trusses. It’s ceiling material. It’s all these things that aren’t solid surfaces. So the water doesn’t get a chance to properly map like we’ve seen it do in FSRI research in residential environments.
In this scenario, the burning fuels—the actual heat and fire sources—are down low.
That’s where we need to get the water.
That’s why we have a distinct advantage with the TFT BlitzFire. This nozzle will go all the way down and hit really low, so it can flow water directly onto the actual burning fuels.
And that’s exactly what you’ll see our firefighters do here as they run through this scenario.
Why Residential Tactics Don’t Work in Strip Mall Fires
Many times, we try to deploy residential tactics into a commercial setting—and it just doesn't work.
Captain Sean Gray, co-author of The Evolving Fireground and a nationally respected fire service instructor, returns in this episode of Fully Involved to expose one of the most costly mistakes firefighters make on the modern fireground.
This time, Gray and his crew are in Metro Atlanta, tackling a scenario that looks routine but isn’t: a strip mall fire.
These structures can lure you into a false sense of simplicity—but the fire behavior inside is anything but predictable. With high fuel loads close to the floor, lightweight construction, and ceiling voids that trap heat—not flame, strip mall fires demand a fundamentally different tactical approach.
And yet, time after time, departments respond with a residential mindset—and waste their first critical minutes flowing water in the wrong direction.
Want to evaluate your portable monitor options for knocking down a strip mall fire?
The Biggest Strip Mall Fire Mistake: Aiming High
What do most firefighters do when they pull up to a strip mall fire? They aim up—into the signage voids, drop ceilings, or trusses.
We’re not getting the water where we need it to go.
This instinct is understandable. But it’s wrong. The upper space isn’t solid—it’s a network of lightweight trusses, noncombustible tiles, and air pockets.
It’s all these things that aren’t solid for the water to actually go across and do proper water mapping.
And without solid surfaces, the water doesn’t do its job. It hangs in the air—or worse, evaporates—while the real fire continues to spread where you can’t see it: down low.
Want to see which portable monitor is best for hitting at a low angle?
Get the latest ground monitor gear breakdown in our free product guide.
Strip Mall Fire Strategy: Target Fuels at Floor Level
Our fuel source is down low. That’s where we need to get the water.
Strip malls burn from the floor up. The first things to ignite are stocked shelving, storage racks, retail inventory, and packaging. If you don’t get water onto those burning fuels—fast—you’re just cooling smoke.
That’s why we have a distinct advantage with the TFT BlitzFire. This nozzle will go all the way down and hit really low, so it can flow water directly onto the actual burning fuels.
Getting water to the base of the fire fast is the most effective suppression tactic in strip mall fires. It’s how you knock it down quickly, keep personnel safe, and avoid wasting water and time.
Download the Portable Monitor Guide for monitor comparisons.
Best Equipment for Strip Mall Fire Attack — BlitzFire® Portable Monitor
Here’s what Cobb County firefighters deployed in this scenario:
Setup in Video:
- BlitzFire Ground Monitor with stacked tips
Preferred tip: 1.5-inch
- Pressure featured: 80 PSI
- Maximum flow rate of BlitzFire: 500 GPM
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