Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 11:07:45 -0400
Reply-To: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject: Engine Fires: A Professional POV
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Listees:
I am , along with a few others on this list, a Professional Firefighter.
So I'll give my opinion here.
Self help is really important. Shut off the engine (Duh). If you can safely
put out the fire with an extinguisher (or two) ...Great!
BUT....don't forget what's really important here. Protect and secure the
safety of yourself, your passengers and others before attempting to
extinguish any car fire. Flag down or get others to help as you deem
appropriate...most highway fires are too far from Fire department help for
timely intervention...call them anyway...surprises do happen.
Approach any car fire with caution.
Opening the hood in some car fires could be FATAL!
Smoldering wiring harnesses can erupt in flames with an influx of fresh air.
A synopsis of some of your comments:
Henry wrote:
> Equipped with your fire extinguisher and your good intentions, please keep
> in mind that opening up the engine hood if you suspect an engine fire is
> NOT what you want to do if you want to keep your good looks. Just what the
> fire needs to kiss your face is a vent aimed at you and fresh oxygen.
>
> Try to aim the fire extinguisher at the fire from below, through a vent,
> radiator or wheel well.
This is generally a waste of a good extinguisher. At best a shot from under
the engine and up MAY work. On our beloved vans the German's provided us
with a wonderful little extinguisher port that also doubles as a license
plate holder and dipstick hatch.
> If you have to open the hood to get to a fire that
> is not at full fury, it would seem sensible to open it in a crouching
> position, face and body well below the path of flames as you open the hood.
Yep, good advice! In non vans...pull the remote hood latch and shoot under
the opening. Once the extinguisher starts to unload....STAY LOW & LOOK
AWAY... debris and smoke and sparks may issue forth...not good for your
future health.
> It might be good to get 2 extinguishers while your at it. I have seen
> people try to put out an engine fire using up two bottles.
I have seen passenger cars take a full booster tank (500 gals.) and ten more
minutes of full straight stream and fog (another 2500 gals.) to put out the
flames.
Mike wrote:
> I had 2 fire extinguishers which I exhausted and two trucks stopped and
> wasted their extinguishers. The fire continued to blaze until the fire
> department arrived and did their thing.
> I still believe in carrying extinguishers but that was one of those times
> when nothing was going to work .... short of a fire truck.
As above...
The second extinguisher might make the difference in an engine
rewire/rebuild and totaling the van.
Chris wrote:
> ...at this point, the
> flames have totally engulfed the cab of the pickup, and the front tires are
> exploding as they burn.. someone finally calls the fire dept on their cell,
> but its too late.. there is this huge fireball on the side of the road, and
> we get back for fear of the gas tank blowing up.. all we can do is sit
> there and watch his truck burn...
> and remember, people dont give a sh*t, they'll drive right past you and watch
> your car burn...
In my experience people DO give a s___; they just don't know what to do. The
majority of people that do stop will stand around waiting for something
/someone to goad them into action.
Andrew wrote:
>... contrary to "common knowledge", car gas tanks (excepting
> CNG/LPG) do NOT explode; they are not pressure vessels, are structurally
> weak and have plenty of vents etc which will blow out. What happens is that
> they burn very rapidly and violently, but they do NOT explode, they do not
> burst into pieces of hot shrapnel or spray burning fuel for many meters.
> Don't believe Hollywood!
Absolutely correct, BUT other things do explode; as witnessed by Chris
above. What many of us consider normal cargo/stuff in the back can really
hurt you if impinged by flames...
Any kind of spray can (paint, WD-40 etc., tar/bug remover, etc, etc);
glass containers; canned food; and then there's the gun toters who won't go
anywhere without their pieces.
The car's interior also provides a lot to the fire load and once ignited
will power an inferno for quite a few minutes.
Additionally, for those of us with alloy wheels; if your van goes up in
flames and is lost , just step back and stay away. If these wheels catch
fire, a whole fire department will have trouble extinguishing them. We just
cool and contain and let them burn themselves out ( Class D ).
I have seen far too many car fires.... the worst are the fatalities!
HTH.
--
Stephen
Chillicothe OH
