I was captain on Engine [number deleted]. We responded to an apartment fire, [location deleted] with persons trapped. Our engine arrived first on scene, parked just west of A side, close to a hydrant. Engine [A] and Engine [B] misunderstood the address and proceeded north on [location deleted]. Command did not know the other units missed the address. I thought we were going to be fire attack. Command assigned Engine [A] fire attack, even though they were not on the scene. My engine was assigned search and rescue for a woman trapped on the second floor.

The brick, 2 story apartment was showing heavy fire and smoke on the first floor. We entered the apartment on the A Side and proceeded to the second floor. We encountered heavy smoke and heat. I advised the crew to go back and get a 1 3/4" line. I advised the nozzleman to stay at the door as my other firefighter and I searched the second floor. The conditions started to deteriorate. I advised the firefighter with me to take out as many windows as he came across. I continued to search towards the back of the apartment when the room exploded in flames.

I was blown approximately 20" across the room. I was unconscious for maybe a few minutes. When I came to, I began searching for the other firefighters in my crew. I found the firefighter that was searching in the other direction. Together, we found the nozzleman. He was under a door and some debris. I was told that Command radioed that he believed we just had a backdraft. Two firefighters outside the front door were blown into the front yard. Fire attack found heavy fire on the first floor, did not realize that they extinguished the fire inside the apartment and started spraying water on what they thought was inside, but was actually outside. This heated the upper floors. I believe that this caused the smoke explosion. Command tried to contact my crew and I did not respond for a few minutes. We remained on the second floor and assisted with fire attack until we ran out of air.
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