Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 114

Kelvin's point of view.

I park my car beside the fire engine and look at the burning factory. The smoke bellows from the roof, as flames peak through the bottom floor windows, swirling around, as it embarks on its dance of death. The smell of smoke, and chemicals, invades my nostrils. There is not a lot that gives me a sinking feeling, but I cannot help the knot that has formed in my stomach as I look at what we have to face.

This. Is. Bad.

Fire is a living breathing thing that plays with you, toying with your emotions, and begging you to play its murderous games.

People are all stood looking, some in tears, as they each stare in shock and disbelief at the burning factory.

Gathering myself, and schooling my face into a stoic mask, I head towards the police and factory management.

"Okay, what have we got?" I ask, as I glance over to Ben who is working with Davey getting everyone ready to go inside.

"The fire started in the canteen kitchen area. However, we have found a fire trail from beyond the building into the back area, that suggests an accelerant was used." Chief Inspector Harris tells me. "Our arsonist?" I ask taking a deep inhale of breath.

"Looks that way." He tells me his face turning slightly pale. It is not his, or my first rodeo together, and we both understand just how dangerous this situation that is unfolding before our eyes is. "Shit." I hiss out, shaking my head.

"What is in the factory?" I ask the senior manager from the plant.

"Lithium-ion batteries. Along with the components to build them." He informs me.

Double s**t! This is a f*****g disaster waiting to happen.

"How many are in there?" I ask, bracing myself for the answer.

"Around a two thousand in the shipping area, another four hundred on the lines, with around three thousand of the lithium cells in stores." He confirms, his own face pale.

"We were expecting the trucks to deliver them today." He tells me.

This is as bad as a gas works catching fire. Lithium-ion batteries are all highly combustible. Yes, safer than petrol or diesel in a car, but bloody hell, in these quantities the place will go up in a mushroom cloud. Not only that, if they catch fire, they have been known to burn for days.

"Is everyone out?" I ask, praying I do not have to send my team in there as a rescue squad.

"No, there are some workers trapped behind part of the ceiling that has already collapsed." The manager tells me.

"How many?" is my first question.

"Around ten." He tells me, and I let out an audible sigh.

"I need a map of the plant, before I send my team in there." I tell him.

He nods his head, and runs off towards a group of people before returning with one of them.

"We don't have a physical map, but I can draw you what you need to know." The tall thin man tells me.

I nod my head at him, as Chief inspector Harris pulls out his pocketbook, and pen, passing it to him. It is not ideal, but it is better than nothing.

"Listen, the batteries are stable enough, if you can stop the fire from reaching them." He tells me.

"They will only cause a problem, if they are damaged, or the fire spreads to where they are kept." He continues.

I nod my head in understanding, then turn towards my team.

"BEN, DAVEY" I shout over to where they are busy ensuring everyone has their equipment on correctly.

Ben jogs over, as Davey soon follows, shaking his head slightly. The both know just how serious this situation is.

"Ten people trapped. Thousands of lithium-ion batteries, and cells. Other fire crews are on route to work the building from outside. We are first on scene, so I need all of you inside that building." I tell them.

"Boss. Where are they trapped?" Ben asks.

I look into Ben's eyes, making sure he is okay to continue, and as always, he gives nothing away, looking almost emotionless. It is as good as I am going to get, as reassurance my love's son is okay with what he has to do. I nod in the direction of the man who is drawing the map, so that he can inform them.

"Here, they were heading for the fire escape, but it has been chained from the outside."

My blood runs cold, the same MO as the fire at the nightclub. It is definitely our arsonist again.

My heart clenches, I am sending the love of my life's only son into that factory, the man who is going to be a father, and if it goes up, he may never come out. My whole team may be lost. f*****g hell, this is a nightmare. Josie doesn't even know Anders is going to propose, and that little boy Davey has all but adopted, what about him!

I push thoughts of losing my team, or Joanne's heartache and worry, to the back of my mind. I cannot let my relationship with her, or my friendship with my guys impair my judgement. I know what we have to do, the team also know what they must do, it is our jobs, what we signed up for. But still, I cannot shake the impending doom I feel in the pit of my stomach.

"You must stop the fire from reaching the batteries." The manager implores Ben.

"We must get those trapped out, first." Ben tells him, his face a stoic mask.

I take a look at the crudely drawn map, which will do, until we get a copy of some building plans from city hall.

"Ben, you take Josie, and Headache, Davey you take Twinkle and Wayne. Six in, six out" I tell them.

"They are trapped here." I say, circling the area on the map.

"Beside the battery stores, the roof is down here." I tell them placing a line across where the way is blocked, just before you reach them.

"We need to get a clear path through and get them out. The fire is here, so you will have to take hoses in." I tell them, indicating on the map the fire in the kitchen area which is part of the direct route to the victims.

"The fire doors have been disabled, and the building is too hot to go round and open them, if we do that it will vent and cause a backdraft engulfing everyone in flames." I tell them.

"F**k." Davey curses, and I cannot deny he has taken the word right out of my mouth.

"I need your team, Ben, to do the rescue. Davey, your team are to fight any flames that halt their progress, if you can try and contain the blaze to the kitchen area, hopefully we will be okay." I tell them.

"Once the flames are under control, your team can go help Ben get the victims out." I add to Davey.

"Boss" both Ben and Davey nod at me.

The pair of lead firefighters go to give the instructions to the rest of the guys, when I place my hand on Ben's arm.

"Stay safe in there." I tell him.

Ben doesn't say a word, just nods his head, and makes his way to Josie and Wayne.

I stand watching, feeling helpless, as my team all mask up, and make their way into the ticking time bomb that is this factory. My job is to co-ordinate from outside the building, but the temptation to get my equipment on and run in with them all to offer more support on the ground is almost consuming me. It is the worst part of being a station officer, sending others into the crucible of fire, whilst you co-ordinate from your position of safety. However, I have sent them in, I will get them out!

I watch on as they each disappear into the burning building. Indigestion burning in my chest, keeping my eyes peeled for any unusual flame activity or change in colour, which would cause me to give them the order to retreat, but as yet, the fire seems stable. I can only hope and pray it remains that way.

Chief inspector Harris walks over to me, shaking his head slightly.

"I have the names of those trapped." He tells me, passing me the list.

"There are twelve, not ten as we originally thought, but we are not sure where the other two are in that place." He continues.

I quickly press the button on my radio feed to my team. The radio crackles into life, as I take a breath to give the new information.

"There are Twelve, I repeat, Twelve victims, Two of them whereabouts unknown." I inform them.

"Got it boss." Ben states.

"It is f*****g hot in here." Davey responds over the radio, and I let out a long breath.

It sounds like an oxymoron to anyone who doesn't understand, but I know, Davey is telling me the fire is worse than we presumed and is getting to uncontrollable levels.

"Cool it down as much as you possibly can." I tell him, after all what else can I say.

I stand watching when the crew from Marley Potts arrive, followed by a crew from Washington.

"Kelvin, what have we got?" Stanley the retiring station officer from Marley Potts station asks.

I turn and start to give him, and Martin from Washington station the de-brief, when Chief Inspector Harris arrives again interrupting me mid flow.

"Sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but more bad news I am afraid." He tells us, shaking his head.

I hold my breath, could this be any worse?

"My officers have found another trail of flames heading towards the far side of the building, they tried to put it out, but it has caught hold of the outer wall. It is the wall directly onto the factory floor, that has 400 batteries in the process of being built." He tells me. Stanley nods his head, then rushes over to his crew. "We need to stop that wall from burning, NOW." He tells them.

I contemplate telling my guys about this, but right of this minute, it will not help them do their job, so I refrain from adding more to their load. However, I do press my button, and shout to them over the radio.

"As quick as you can guys." To let them know there are some more complications outside of their control.

Stanley returns, as I see his crew pumping water at the wall, in an attempt to douse the flames which have already caught, and are climbing the walls, licking the skies above.

More people gather round, rubber necking, as Chief Inspector Harris, barks at one of his inspectors, to get the crowd away.

The ambulance crews begin to arrive, as I continue my fire vigil, watching, allowing my years of experience to tell me what the fire is doing, and what it will do next.

"Sit rep?" I ask over the radio.

"On our way out with three." Ben tells me, which is a clear indication, that none of those trapped inside can walk out of the building, they are obviously being carried by my crew.

I watch as the unmistakeable Giant figure of Ben runs out of the factory, depositing his victim into the arms of the paramedics, Josie soon follows, with Wayne behind her, both dropping off the ones they have managed to save, before regrouping, and without hesitation, turn and run back into the fire.

"f**k!" I hear from across the opposite side of the factory.

I turn my head, to see, flames dancing around unchecked.

"Another detonation point!" Martin shouts at his side of the building.

"Who ever this fucker is, wants death, and lots of it!" Stanley shouts over to me.

I nod my head once, I already know, we have already come across this a*****e's work before, and never have I felt so much hatred for an unknown person in my entire life.