VIDEO: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has completed its line of duty death report for Irmoโs fallen hero, 25-year-old James Michael Muller.
In May of 2023, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department (CRFD) responded to a three-alarm fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in Columbia.
The fire was so strong that resources from surrounding fire departments were needed, including the Irmo Fire Department.
A mayday was called, requiring the nearly 60 firefighters on scene to vacate the building, according to CRFD. The building collapsed, and Muller was stuck inside.
NIOSH is responsible for investigating firefighter deaths at the request of a department. Wednesday night, the Irmo Fire Department released the investigation they requested following the incident.
That 30-page report dives into the contributing factors of Mullerโs death and the key recommendations provided for other fire departments and for governing municipalities. Those can be reviewed in the report here.
The report says the housing complex had no fire alarm or sprinkler systems installed, only single point smoke detectors were in the building.
One of the contributing factors mentioned in the report was โDelayed Water Supplyโ.
The investigation found that when crews on the scene attempted to maintain water supply, one of the hydrants closest to the building and with a larger supply of 4โฒ had a stuck hydrant cap.
Firefighting crews then established a limited water supply through a 2 1/2โฒ hydrant outlet while others stretched supply to a hydrant 300 feet away.
That faulty fire hydrant limited the amount of water available to fight the fire which, according to the report, went on for several minutes. A look into a recent report from Columbia Water revealed there are over 300 fire hydrants in the city of Columbia that are in need of repair.
The report said with seven years of experience in a fire department career, Mullerโs death followed the collapse of a multi-story, lightweight construction apartment.
