GARAGE FIRES: EVERYDAY HAZ MATS
VOLUNTEERS CORNER
We are reprinting Paul’s most requested article in this month’s haz-mat issue. The bedroom communities may look upon hazardous-material awareness as an industrial or “big city” district problem. However, nothing could be further from the truth!
The members of volunteer departments whose response areas primarily involve bedroom communities and necessity stores are likely to overlook the possibility of a hazardousmaterials incident occurring within their district. But these incidents are not restricted to the chemical/industrial plant 13 miles outside of town. The most frequent and most overlooked hazardous-material incident can occur, literally, in your own backyard. Haz mats are as close to you as the garage is to the house fire.
Let’s close our eyes and imagine the typical suburban garage—even your own! What do you see? First, gasoline. Modern living brings us in contact with it on a daily basis. Its use and storage has become almost a joke. We use it to fuel a collection of power machinery for household maintenance. We wash metal parts with it, clean paint brushes with it, and even start a charcoal fire for the barbecue with it. And, as we know, the vaporization of one gallon of gasoline has the explosive power of one stick of dynamite.
What else do you see? Kerosene for space heaters. Although combustible rather than flammable, it is stored in much larger quantities than is gasoline. Open 55-gallon drums will ignite at temperatures much lower than those found in a routine structure fire. Both liquids are lighter than water and can flow from the garage, exposing the firefighter using an outside stream.
Look at all the other “stuff.” What’s in those unmarked brown bottles and torn bags? Pesticides? Fungicides or fertilizers? Spray cans? Chlorine for the swimming pool? The spare propane cylinder for the camper or barbecue? And (without a doubt) a “ton” of plastics?
If that weren’t enough, add the motor vehicle (if it still fits in the garage) and its potential problems: a 20-gallon gasoline tank, propane cylinder, plastics, combustible metals, and God-only-knows-what stored in the trunk!
In the past, most department SOPs encourage removing the vehicle as soon as possible. But with today’s locking devices, this is almost impossible under fire conditions. The car will remain, splitting the fire in two. Two lines will be needed for suppression. And, because of many hazards, a third line should be stretched and charged as a backup.
Entrance into the garage normally presents no real forcible entry problem, but the overhead door can become a lethal weapon. These doors are held up by springs on either side of the tracks. When the springs fail, for any number of reasons at a fire, the door drops suddenly and with great force. Painful injuries can occur directly by the falling object, but, even more serious and life-threatening, it can seal the firefighters within the blazing haz-mat area and restrict their water flow. To prevent this, always chock or block a garage door in the open position. A pike pole, small ladder, or other device can serve this purpose.
Many of these fires are fought with booster lines or small, high-pressure lines. These are not capable of delivering enough water to protect the firefighter in case of unplanned-for emer-‘ gencies. Garage fires should be fought with 1 1/2-inch, l 3/4-inch or larger handlines. Backup lines of the same diameter should be stretched to protect the first line from the unexpected.
Back to the haz mat. In most cases, we find the storage of fertilizers, flammable liquids, propane tanks, and other hazardous products bought in larger volumes on the wider side of the garage or to the rear wall. Pesticides, poisons, spray cans, and the like are usually stored in small quantities on shelving or (if you’re lucky) in storage cabinets.
For these reasons, when the fire is knocked down, care should be taken not to disturb the shelves and the items that they contain. Overhaul operations must be done under close supervision so as not to escalate an already dangerous situation. Propane bottles must be cooled, especially at the vapor space, before removing. If a bottle’s pressurerelief valve has opened or ruptured, the fire service members must be removed^ to a safe area; treat the vapor release as you would at a full-blown haz-mat incident. Because of the small size of the propane storage or aggressive firefighter tactics, this may be more difficult than can be imagined. However, the chief (officer in charge) has a responsibility first to life —then to property. Removal of the firefighters will reduce the impact of an ignited vapor cloud or, worse, a BLEVE.