On the morning of December 20th 1991, a fire broke out in a furniture restoration company, killing four volunteer firefighters. The incident was originally reported at 0100 hours as nearby residents reported the smell of smoke. Upon the Pioneer Hose Company’s inspection, the odor was determined to be from a wood burning stove and dismissed. 0545, an employee arriving for work reported heavy smoke in the basement. A fire chief who lived nearby was first on scene and called for the Hilltop Hose Company to respond with their ladder truck as well as the Pioneer Hose Company, which was located one block away. Upon first entry into the building, firefighters reported the floor being hot to the touch through a gloved hand and PPE’s. The furniture Restoration Company, once and automobile dealership, had large glass windows in the front of the building with what appeared to be heavy duty concrete supports and flooring with a ramp leading to the second floor. This ramp that was added after construction was completed to allow vehicle access to the dealership showroom. Upon the initial size up, the Pioneer Hose Company Chief determined that the building was of a type 3 construction due to the exposed structural supports on the C side of the building. Later investigation showed severe discrepancies between what the chief believed the structure was built of and what it actually was. The fire building was constructed with masonry pilasters as load bearing supports in the vertical walls, lightweight steel to support the concrete floor systems, and a wooden roof. The most important detail of the buildings construction was the floor system. According to a US Fire Administration report, the “floors and roof of the building were supported by a frame of unprotected steel members…Steel beams spanned the width of the building at four locations, dividing the structure into 5 bays of