Fire Safety Ideas

[fxfymn]

Given some of the recent close calls and losses that members have suffered I thought it might be a good time to go over some things we can do ahead of time to either keep a loss from happening or to minimize it if a fire occurs.

Most folks have no clue about how fast a fire spreads, and even some fire service members perpetuate the myth that a fire had to be burning a long time for it to have reached a large volume. This is not true; fires spread rapidly and will go out of control and become non-survivable events in less than five minutes. You must be prepared to act before the fire occurs and have a well thought out action plan. Here is a video that shows how quickly fire grows and spreads. These fires did not use any kind of flammable liquid, just ordinary combustibles.

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Keep a properly sized fire extinguisher in your building and on your truck at all times and know how to use it. Check the extinguishers regularly to make sure the gauge is in the green area; than pick up the extinguisher and shake it to loosen the agent, re-hang it and make sure the gauge does not move. If it does re-charge or replace the extinguisher. Here is a video on how to properly use an extinguisher:

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I keep three working extinguishers in my truck. One is a Halon type that will suppress a fire without causing added damage from the extinguishing agent and the other two are dry chemical extinguishers. Don't use the little 2 1/2 pound dry chem extinguishers meant for an automobile. Five pound is the minimum size and I would use a ten pounder if you have room for it. Plan ahead: If you detect a fire; stop the truck, kill the electrical system to stop any electric fuel pumps, set the brake, and chock the wheels before you use the extinguisher.

If you live in a rural setting make sure you keep combustibles away from your property if at all possible. Even a thirty foot clear space around a building can make a big difference if a wild land fire occurs in your area. Here is a good link to help you prepare: http://www.firewise....Homeowners.aspx

Finally, short of installing a complete fire sprinkler system I think the most important thing you can do to protect a valuable asset like an antique truck is to have a properly designed and functioning alarm system in place that is monitored by an alarm company at all times. Most of us keep our rigs in buildings that are separate from our residence, so a fire can start and grow without our knowledge making an alarm system a must.

I prefer to use a heat detection type sensor as smoke detectors are not practical in a space where vehicles are running and welding or other fume producing work may take place. Talk to an alarm installer and let them recommend what they think will be the best system for your application. My garage is monitored by an alarm company as part of my house, so it doesn't cost any extra. For about $750.00 to install and $21.00 per month to monitor I have peace of mind that someone is watching out for fire even when I am not at home.

[Freightrain]

Good ideas. I've seen those fire demonstrations before. The rooms will get involved very quickly.

I keep plenty of extinguishers around garage and in vehicles. You NEVER know when it will come in handy.

About 10 odd years back I was at race track, working around my pit area. I noticed a commotion about 40-50 yds away, seems a car caught fire from a leaking line(I think it was transmission fluid), as it was dripping down from underneath. There was plenty of people all moving around quickly trying to put it out. I quickly realized that NO ONE had an extinguisher so I quickly ran to my truck and grabbed mine and ran down there. The hood was opened so I gave it a quick shot up top then down underneath to smother it. It went out easy enough and that is when one lady I know had found theirs and was trying to figure out how to pull the pin to make it work. Little too late. Lucky I was there, or that car would have been a fireball in short order. He had a mess to clean up from the powder, but he did still have a car to clean up at all.

Had another car "sneeze" on the starting line and stall. I notice smoke from the large hood scoop. I quickly pulled my racing coat off and ran up and stuck it in to cover the carb and put out the fire. A backfire isn't all too uncommon, usually a quick hit of the starter will pull the flames in the motor and extinguish it. Sometimes not.