By: Rod Carringer
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier with air bags deploying unexpectedly, gas filled shocks, struts, and belt pre-tensioners exploding without warning, and hundreds of pounds of smoky, cancer-causing plastics, now we have to worry about alternate fuels like hydrogen or a trunk full of batteries when we respond to a “typical” car fire. U.S. Fire Administration research indicates that nearly one out of every four fires we respond to is a vehicle fire, and one out of every eight fire deaths results from a motor vehicle fire. To bring that into perspective, there are approximately 550 fatalities directly attributed to vehicle fires, as well as 2100 civilian and 1200 firefighter injuries reported each year. The days of responding to “just another car fire”, are definitely a thing of the past.
An NFPA recommendation for minimum initial attack fire flows on vehicle fires is 125 gpm. Remember that this is strictly a minimum, and can be easily provided through an 1 1/2″ or 1 3/4″ preconnect. Not that it is totally uncommon to watch an engine company open a pre-plumbed deck gun on a vehicle fire, or to find one that still will pull a 1″ booster line, but traditionally, the first structural preconnect is also the line of choice for vehicle fires. If you are part of the first-due crew, consider the following “points” before you pull that first line off the apparatus.
- Take a moment and determine the make, model, and construction of the involved vehicle. This will help you identify fuels used, if passive or active passenger restraints are installed, whether shock-absorbing bumpers of gas-loaded struts are present, or if magnesium or other metals may be involved.
- Determine if involvement is in the engine compartment, passenger area, or trunk, or maybe all three. Are fuels leaking out that need special attention? Will the water supply be adequate for total extinguishment?
- Exposures such as near-by vehicles or structures, overhead wires, or the proximity of other first responders or spectators may require pulling a second line for additional protection.
- Keep safety in mind at all times. Even though placement of the apparatus should position the attack crew up wind and up hill from the fire, SCBA and full protective clothing are mandatory. Avoiding a direct attack at either the front or the rear of the vehicle will also lessen the chance of an exploding bumper system causing injury. Even though a protective fog pattern is mandatory for firefighter safety, it cannot stop a vehicle bumper assembly traveling at more than 40 mph.
- Even with your 125-gpm minimum fire flow, consider the use of Class A foam as an water enhancement that will allow your stream to more thoroughly soak into the smoldering insulation or foam seats, and smother burning rubber tires more quickly and effectively than water alone.
With more and more hybrid cars on the road, and municipalities and corporate fleets opting for LNG, CNG, or electric as a clean source of fuel, and with new enhanced safety devices showing up each new model year, the challenges of dealing with “just another car fire” are greater than they ever have been.
