Firefighters need better training to prepare for fast-burning blazes in the thousands of homes built with more lightweight construction during the Washington region's building boom.

Gauging a fire from the road, an essential skill of firefighting command, is being taught with new urgency and with a focus on the home layout and building construction, with new courses in Prince William County.

“We're trying to teach firefighters how to read a building,” said Capt. Ernie Little, who has been fighting the county's fires since 1970. “When you're pulling up outside, there are a couple things a firefighter will know. Thinking about how old the house is and what kind of size it is.”

Six of the recommendations in an eight-month investigation into the death of Prince William County firefighter Kyle Wilson in a Woodbridge home last year focus on better training and knowledge in fighting fires in homes with lightweight construction.

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The report says it goes beyond the classroom. “County officers need to visit new construction sites and observe the type of building components and construction methods being used.”

Open floor plans, vinyl siding and lightweight wood supports can hasten the spread of fire.

Prince George's County firefighters recently incorporated lessons from the Woodbridge home in their training.

“The rapid extension of fire is something that is on the minds of every incident commander,” said Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire Department.

At a national level, some fire departments are proposing new markings on buildings that identify the type of the construction outside.

“The key is you have less time in the building,” said Adolf Zubia, chief of the Las Cruces Fire Department in New Mexico and the chairman of the life safety section for the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “The variables that are always most difficult to assess is the amount of fire you have and how long you have in the building.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com