More on Truck Fires
Volunteers Corner
There is a great variety of truck styles and shapes on the road: straight-body and tractor-trailer cargo vans, flatbeds, stake bodies, drybulk carriers, gravel and grain haulers, tank trucks, and special-use types. Any of these may be carrying combustible materials, hazardous materials, or products that will undergo hazardous decomposition when exposed to the heat of a fire.
An early operation at a truck fire may be to separate the tractor from the trailer. The tractor is a very costly exposure. If time allows, close the air valve in the cab, lower the landing gear on the trailer, disconnect the power and air lines at the front of the trailer, and release the kingpin on the trailer from the fifth wheel of the tractor. If time does not permit, only the last step needs to be performed, as long as the pin will clear the frame of the tractor. If the pin will not clear, the landing gear will have to be lowered. It’s a good procedure to chock the trailer wheels if possible. In some cases, these operations may have to be performed while using fog protection.
Cargo vans carrying haz mats may be placarded to provide a warning for approaching firefighters. However, many classes of haz mats won’t require placards until over 1,000 pounds are being transported. It is a good procedure to check the shipping papers to positively identify the load. Trucks carrying explosives or oxidizers should not be approached if the fire involves the cargo area. Firefighters should withdraw and evacuate the area.
It may be necessary to force entry’ into the cargo area. If seals are broken and removed, they should be kept and returned to the carrier. Often trailers are locked, and padlocks will have to be removed before opening doors. The fire report should detail the trailer security found on arrival and the actions taken.
Use caution in opening the doors. If a fire is building, the introduction of air could cause a smoke explosion, blowing the doors open once they are unlatched. Stock may not be well-secured and can come tumbling out when the doors are opened. The springs on rollup doors can lose their tensile strength and come crashing down if not blocked open with a pike pole.
The doors can contribute to the integral strength of the trailer. If the van has rolled over, opening the doors could lead to further collapse of the trailer. In these situations, it’s better to open the roof or a side wall for access. The routes of access, in preferred order, are: doors, roof, walls, front, and lastly, the floor. The walls and roof of refrigerated vehicles will be more difficult to open due to insulation, reinforcement, and possible installation of rails for hanging meat.
Firefighting in trailers carrying goods not classed as hazardous is similar to structural operations. Overhaul can be extensive; however, salvage is minimal. Many refrigerated and moving vans will not be returning empty and must be checked for unsuspected ladings. Although ventilation may be required, the roof often self-ventilates due to the thin aluminum wall and roof construction.
Tank trucks will be carrying chemicals, fuels, food products, dry bulk materials, gases, and a variety of flammable and nonflammable solids, liquids, and gases. Firefighters should become familiar with the safety features of the trucks that frequent their area.
Flammable and combustible liquid fires should be quickly extinguished when adequate quantities of extinguishing agents are available. This provides exposure protection, especially for costly roadways or bridges. In some cases, the best tactic will be to let the contents be consumed. Flammable liquid spills should be confined and covered with a film-forming foam to suppress the vapors and prevent ignition. A leaking vehicle should be plugged, or else the commodity transferred. Corrosives may have to be neutralized or transferred, or the fumes of corrosives reduced by covering with highexpansion foam.
Tanks carrying gases may have to be cooled or plugged, or the product transferred or dissipated. In all cases, identify the product involved and seek technical assistance. Then contain or confine the product, protect exposures, evacuate as necessary, and proceed with control operations. Remember that a leaking bulk shipment of shampoo or molasses may cause as many problems as those of a chemical with an exotic name.
In all truck incidents, the safety of exposed civilians and responding emergency personnel is paramount. Do not needlessly endanger anyone when the damage to the vehicle is already enough that it will be considered a total loss. Wear full protective clothing during an incident, with emphasis on gloves, hoods, and breathing apparatus.
Always develop procedures that use attack lines that are large enough. Multiple lVi-inch lines are the minimum. It’s better to use 1 ¾or 2½⅛⅛ hoselines. Some situations will even require the rapid development of master streams. The initial attack at fires involving trucks will determine the success or failure of the operation —there won’t be an opportunity for a followup attack.
Size up the next truck fire carefully. Then proceed to control the situation, endeavoring to save as much as possible while maintaining the safety of all in the immediate area.
