Fire can be very dangerous for buildings and their occupants. It is a complex phenomenon that is caused by several factors. These include:
It is important to understand these issues and be aware of the risks that are involved in fire protection. This article will discuss how you can improve your response to fire emergencies in isolated areas.
Pre-flashover phase
Fire researchers are turning abandoned wood-frame single-family houses near the site of a former Spartanburg, SC textile mill into testing and training grounds for new science-driven firefighting techniques. The goal is to improve firefighters’ safety and effectiveness by limiting a fire’s access to fuel and oxygen, and delaying the transition to the fully developed stage of a fire known as flashover.
The ability to identify and recognize indicators of potential flashover is key to emergency response in isolated areas. These indicators include smoke, air track, heat, and flame and are used in a process called “reading” the fire as part of size-up and risk assessment. These factors can also be combined with data representing hazard, risk, and value to identify areas of highest priority for fire response.
To prevent flashover, firefighters must be able to limit the fire’s access to fuel and oxygen, which can be accomplished by restricting it to the compartment of origin or isolating it with structural protection such as walls or floors. They must also be able to recognize the signs of impending flashover, which can occur when the temperature of a compartment’s contents rises rapidly and combustible materials ignite simultaneously.
Once a fire reaches the full development stage of flashover, it will spread faster than ever before, producing untenable levels of radiant heat, noxious fumes, and explosive gases. This is a very dangerous situation for anyone inside the room of origin, and it’s nearly impossible for them to escape on their own. In addition, firefighters who enter such a room are at a high risk of injury or death from the radiant heat and the rapid rate of change in temperature.
Aside from the hazards of fire, the conditions in rural areas pose additional challenges for firefighters. These can include increased exposures, comorbidities, and limited access to healthcare. In addition to these health concerns, many firefighters also face significant mental distress, including trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. By building rapport and establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, research can help to alleviate some of these challenges. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR), researchers can develop interventions that educate firefighters about behaviors that may put them at greater risk of health problems, as well as inform policy to reduce exposures.
Post-flashover phase
The period of time from smoldering to ignition is known as the incipient phase of fire. Once the fire reaches its growth stage, it starts to burn at higher temperatures and quickly progresses into the post-flashover phase. At this point, the flame is consuming all available combustible fuel and releasing oxygen at an incredibly fast rate. To reduce the amount of oxygen in the air, it’s important to restrict the fire as much as possible. This can be done by putting out the fire or by using inert gas. It’s also important to maintain situational awareness and notify command of any changes in fire or smoke behavior.
During the post-flashover phase, the fire may spread from one compartment to another through partitions and ventilation systems. This can cause significant structural and load-bearing damage to a building. It can also damage electrical equipment located in these voids, which can be extremely dangerous for workers and the public. In addition, it can cause severe health and safety issues for firefighters who are trying to extinguish the fire or rescue people.
Flashover is a phenomenon that occurs when everything combustible in a room or compartment combusts in a matter of seconds. It’s often accompanied by a sudden increase in temperature to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is why it’s so important to prevent fires from reaching the post-flashover phase by using smoke alarms and firefighting techniques.
As projects move to remote locations away from fire departments and EMS services, it’s crucial that on-site personnel have the necessary training to handle emergencies. Leaving it up to the local emergency response agency can lead to tragedy for staff and loss of project assets. The best way to avoid this is to develop a self-sufficiency plan for managing emergencies on site. This can be achieved by implementing automated systems to detect and suppress fires as soon as they start. This will also reduce the need for on-site personnel to fight fires manually, which can be dangerous and time-consuming.
Evacuation
The evacuation phase of an emergency response is a critical component for occupant survivability and firefighter safety. This phase aims to limit toxic exposures by ensuring that all occupants are safely evacuated from a burning structure. This can be accomplished by following the instructions of local officials. For example, residents may be advised to stay indoors or leave via specific routes. They can also identify multiple escape routes in case one route is blocked during an evacuation. In addition, residents should familiarize themselves with evacuation shelters and other options for refuge from disasters.
In the past, firefighters have been taught to enter a structure using an interior attack approach from the unburned side of the house. In these experiments, firefighters used either a transitional attack or traditional interior attack with a charged hose line. The results indicated that the transitional attack method allowed firefighters to apply water into bedroom fires faster than the interior attack method. Furthermore, it resulted in a lower temperature and smoke level in the front bedroom.
Additionally, the results highlighted the importance of coordinating effective water application with timely ventilation to limit toxic exposures for occupants and firefighters. The study also highlighted the need for occupant tenability analysis to help optimize search and rescue tactics that occur prior to, during, or post suppression.
The authors of this article would like to acknowledge the Green River Firefighters Association, the South Carolina Fire Academy, and the Spartanburg fire department for their collaboration in conducting the field experiments. This project was made possible by a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
Structural stability
Structural stability is an important aspect of a building’s ability to resist collapse. It’s essential that all structural members are designed with extreme care and attention to detail. This includes beams, columns and footings in the foundation – which transfer compression forces to the ground. The sizing and shape of each structural member is also critical, as is its slenderness. It’s also important to consider how each structural member is supported, and any imperfections that could affect its stability.
Indigenous remote communities across Northern Australia are disproportionately affected by natural hazards, such as bushfires, cyclones and floods. However, they typically have little involvement in managing, mitigating or planning for these events. This scenario planning project examined the potential for community engagement with Indigenous ranger groups to improve the effectiveness of emergency services in these communities.
Using a mixed-methods approach, researchers assessed the performance of teams of Indigenous rangers in three remote communities. They found that the best teams exhibited 10 response skills, including: identified an effective leader and effectively assigned roles; had a clear plan and verbalized it so all team members knew what to do; regularly conducted visual scans of the emergency area to reassess their situation and identify new needs or hazards; were receptive to recommendations from other team members and responded appropriately; and maintained closed-loop communication. These findings suggest that a localized, culturally appropriate approach to emergency management is crucial for remote communities.