Summary: Flowing water down the stairs during basement fires helps reduce extreme heat and push fire gases away from the crew. Old tactics warned against this, but current evidence-backed strategies show it’s essential for firefighter safety and effective fire attack. The heat at the top of basement stairs can reach 1300°F with smoke currents moving at 10–15 mph, making immediate water flow critical for cooling and survivability.
The Truth About Flowing Water Down Basement Stairs
It used to be drilled into firefighters: Don’t flow water down the stairs—you’ll push the fire, make things worse, and get someone hurt. But recent fire dynamics research is turning that advice on its head.
Why This Myth Still Lingers
A lot of firefighters were taught that if you flowed water down basement stairs, you risked pushing heat and fire toward victims or back at the crew. That fear stuck, even though modern data says otherwise.
But here’s what FSRI research now says: If you’re descending those stairs without flowing water, you're setting yourself up for failure. It’s not about pushing fire—it’s about protecting yourself from it.
What the Research Actually Shows
According to Jesse Marcotte of FSRI and Northville Township (MI), temperatures at the top of basement stairs in modern fires can reach upwards of 1300°F, with convective currents moving at 10–15 mph. That’s a fast-moving, high-heat threat blasting up at you before you even step down.
If you’re not flowing water immediately—coating and cooling those surfaces as you go—you’re walking into an oven. The water doesn’t just cool the space, it helps seal off the flow path and push those fire gases back to where they came from.
The Right Move: Flow Early, Flow Often
Marcotte’s recommendation is simple: Flow water as you descend the stairs. It doesn’t matter if it's a narrow pattern, a full stream, or a fog—it just needs to be fast and early. Your gear likely isn’t designed to take 1300°F convective heat for long, so don’t wait until you're in it.
This isn’t just about suppression, it’s about survival.
Join the Conversation Blowing Up Online
This clip featuring Jesse Marcotte has ignited some serious buzz online—hundreds of thousands of views and over 100 comments from firefighters around the country. From those doubling down on old-school beliefs to others sharing successful water-down-the-stairs saves, the dialogue is deep, passionate, and worth your attention.
Don’t just take our word for it—jump in and see what your brothers and sisters in the field are saying.
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