Yachting Monthly # 39; Crash Test Boat Fire
How do you react a fire in the kitchen or engine room What is the best way to prevent fires on board Chris Beeson and Team Crash Test Boat find.
Former head of French firefighters Daniel Fournier lost a very short battle to save his yacht Julia well prepared when the fire took hold credit Hartlepool RNLI.
Fire is probably the most deadly disaster that we recreated in Boat Crash series Test A capsize or knockdown is dangerous, but its effects can be mitigated dismasted is a drama that doesn t always turn into a crisis a hole in the shell, if a serious threat that could sink the boat, is an incident that could be managed with bilge pumps or one of the methods we tested But when the fire takes hold, the smoke can be deadly, and if the flames beyond the control, the crew may be injured and the boat can be lost if the crew must abandon it.
In 2010, RNLI rescue boats were launched in response to 120 fire incidents on ships in the UK and a total of 109 people were rescued in 2009 there were 97 launches The good news is that in for yachtsmen two years, only 28 of these incidents involved sailing yachts call-outs most were motor boats, some gasoline engines and rescue teams from the RNLI, generally concentrate on rescuing people and fighting is not the lights themselves, although they are trained to deal with fire and a simulator in Poole puts them to the test in a realistic scenario and warm.
Each light has three elements in the common heat, fuel and oxygen If any items are missing, a fire won t start If one of these elements is removed, any fire can be extinguished.
The heat may be generated by a stove in the kitchen, a motor, a heating device, a lamp, a candle, a cigarette, a defective electrical equipment, a short circuit, trapped or folded wiring sea, it is generally windier than in the harbor, so that oxygen is abundant and encourage circulation what fuel Let's look at your boat hull is probably GRP, which is impregnated with glass fiber mat flammable resin, the interior is probably wood and foam furnishings and fabrics.
Short circuit, defective equipment and power surges can cause fires.
Each yacht is indeed a floating brazier full of fuel and shot through ventilation holes If a fire stand, little burning as well in fact, that he yt aren fires more catastrophic reflects the general practical interest yachtsmen year the water safety system indicates that, on average, there are 89 fire-related accidents each year on private boats and three fatalities other research indicates that many of them are gasoline fires on motor boats, but neglect can be fatal.
The purpose of this test is first to save the ship and crew, we will look at struggle against fires, exploring how to fight against the fires on board, we will examine prevention.
We wanted to start fires in the kitchen and the engine room and off using the existing equipment of the boat was out all day and care necessary to get a glimpse of the dangers, we decided not to use special fire anti clothing, gloves or goggles Like other yachtsman in this situation, I wore no more protective than waxed, which are flammable.
L-R Fire Andy Baynham, NCO Martin Lodge and Barry Marsh.
After completing a course of fight against marine fire dealer in the 1980s, I went well the dangers not only of the flames and the propagation speed, but the effects of toxic smoke on visibility and breathing Our consultants on the test were professional firefighters from the International fire training Center at Warsash Maritime Academy Lodge Martin, Andy and Barry Baynham Marsh, dressed in fight against fires, with a respiratory emergency fire hose was rigged on the dock with a pump driven by the engine seawater siphon.
The boat powder off date and foam extinguishers, as well as some of Ocean Safety.
The test Crash Boat was a fire blanket and extinguishers four of a foam extinguisher 1kg dated 2005 and kept in the kitchen, and three extinguishers 2kg powder, all dated 2006, one in each of the cabins We decided use those to fire automatically none was appropriate to fire the engine room because none had a pipe that could be pushed through the hole struggle against fires in actually companionway steps, the yacht, built in 1982, had no pre-drilled through the steps hole, so we drilled an Ocean Safety has provided some recent off day extinguisher 2kg powder, one of which had a fixed pipe, and a new fire extinguisher powder 4kg, also with a hose.
The engine compartment was cleaned, waste oil, fuel filters removed and emptied fuel tank.
We did two security changes to the test hole drilled Crash Boat Osmotech a 5cm 2in the descent for a sprinkler hose and a 3in 7 5cm hole in the bottom of the liferaft locker, above the engine for fire hose diesel tank was drained and filled with water in order to avoid accumulation of fuel vapor both filters were removed and the engine oil has been extracted from the engine compartment has been cleaned and batteries dry were withdrawn.
Sea-Fire Europe, specializing in the fight against fire technology, has installed its automatic FM200 system for testing the engine room They tested a soundproofing section of the engine bay and found fireproof .
By using paraffin as fuel, we started two fires different office in a pan to simulate a grease fire and another using toast soaked in paraffin ignited on a stove toaster We learned a lot the two tests.
The use of a fire extinguisher on this type of oil blasting fire burn throughout the kitchen, the fire spread and make it more difficult to address fire blankets are designed specifically to fight against fires pan, but they must be used correctly.
Holding the cover as it makes your hands are protected.
The right method is to grab the corners of an edge between the thumb and fingers, palms then raise your hands so that the cover touches the back of your hands and turn your palms away for cover wraps around your hands, protect.
Then, making sure to keep cover between you and the fire Put the cover on the pot, from inward to this method doesn t cool the fire at all, it is important to leave the cover in place for at least 10 minutes, allowing the fire to lose heat If you want to unpack your fire blanket to practice your technique, use a tea towel.
I am a little worried that the edge of the stove was above the stove, which meant covering not necessarily prevent oxygen to the fire When I gingerly he tucked and flames visible through the cover, has died after a few seconds .
We used a toaster stove and soaked toast in paraffin to start this fire The plan was to use a foam extinguisher and rekindled the fire and use a powder extinguisher.
A dribble of an untested foam extinguisher Check your kit.
Firefighter Martin Lodge told me that you should always shake and test a fire extinguisher before using it in anger Give it a quick blow to make sure it works, I grabbed the extinguisher foam boat, pulled the safety pin, pulled the trigger and a dribble of brown water gushed This shows the importance of testing a fire extinguisher and the need to keep all your safety equipment maintenance, current and ready for use safety kit that doesn t work is worse than useless, it is dangerous if I had tried to fight fire with fire extinguisher that not only I have unnecessarily endangered, I would have also lost a few seconds that could be decisive in the fight for get the fire under control.
With the curtains in danger, it's time to use the foam extinguisher.
Martin handed me the extinguisher foam and toast soaked in paraffin was lit. There was an arc of foam, but it wasn t hosing with the strength of that I expected I was waiting for the pressure to build and establish a jet of foam, but it has never, this is not how foam extinguishers working inside the cartridge, pulling the trigger releases a foaming agent that is mixed with water to form the foam while the foam forms a layer on fire denying oxygen it breaks off the triangle and the fire Martin also pointed out that I was standing too close to the fire.
I was standing too close and foam blew burning stove toast.
Although the pressure of the spray foam was anti-climax, it was strong enough to hit a slice down the back of the stove, where it continued to burn.
With a piece of toast burning behind the stove fire wasn t out yet.
After extinguishing the fire on top, I spray the foam underneath the stove and the fire was extinguished, but it was an object lesson in how easy fires can spread so clumsily fought.
Standing further back, the powder provided a more impressive explosion.
The dry chemical, used on the second toast fire was much more impressive it in a white mist jets that obscured vision and everything covered in white dust.
In a second, the light source is no longer visible.
And in two seconds, you can not see anything you are blind battle.
It was possible to see the toast burn for a few seconds but a huge cloud enveloped the living room and I Hosing blindly.
The powder is not toxic, but it gets in the eyes and cracks between teeth in an unpleasant way if, once the fire was extinguished Martin took me into the cockpit, he stressed that if you are absolutely certain a fire was extinguished, hold the extinguisher upside down and fire it gas escapes, but not the powder.
We planned two ignitions engine room The first was to be extinguished by FG100M automatic system Sea-Fire Europe, which uses Halon FM200 replacement gas The second fire had to be fought with a fire extinguisher 4kg with a pipe for through hole that we cut in companionway steps.
The automatic system installed under the staircase, has a temperature sensing head which is activated at 70 ° C
The first light was adjusted using paraffin in a metal pot under the engine fire extinguisher system is activated when the temperature inside the motor chamber reached 70 ° C, before the start of wire electrical insulation or piping to burn backup, automatic response system had an external manual release so that he could be fired if the temperature does not reach the level required for automatic firing.
Once the fire was set and an enclosed engine compartment, there was a noticeable change in smell and amount of smoke After about 30 seconds, Martin, who had previously expressed concerns about the engine 30 Crash soundproofing Boat accumulation of inflammable oil deposits on the foam surface, and the security of attachment, the representative on-Sea fire, Malcolm McIlveen to trigger the system manually.
As the heat of the engine room gets out of control, the firefighters involved.
Once triggered, the FM200 should be left in its confined space for 10 minutes to continue its cooling effect However, a minute later, the fire was clearly still on if Martin has taken measures to fight against the fire directly, using carbon dioxide and the fire hose foam first through the hole above the machine and then removing the descent of stairs.
It took three firefighters about 10 minutes to extinguish and filled the area with choking black smoke.
The paraffin fire was quickly put the FM200, said director of development of Sea-fire business, Richard Duckworth However, due to the poor condition of the room not surprising machines, given that the boat had been in the soundproofing collapsed on the engine and ignited flammable lower this, combined with the sudden call oxygen when the steps were initiated, could well have led to the fire by re-entering at this stage, the FM200 concentration was too low to extinguish the fire.
fire retardant soundproofing partitions dropped his backhand flammable burned.
Martin inspects soundproofing damaged by fire that fell on the engine.
Naturally, Martin was reluctant to launch a second fire in the engine room, as he was concerned that the first could possibly rekindle our second exchange of fire, a fire extinguisher through a hole, was a bit one-sided.
A hose is essential for this type of fight against engine fires.
Powder covers the motor It will also air intakes.
The fire damage seems pretty light, but the smoke was deadly Charring was clear, and she would have been lost if the deckhead caught fire.
To demonstrate how quickly a fire can take hold and the amount of smoke produced, Martin and his team paraffin heat in a small pan on the kitchen stove Needless to say ISN office t Crash Test Boat Used There are no towels tea on the stove rail, not wimps, no roll handy kitchen, without result, olive oil or no tin foil flammable materials could expect found in the average kitchen.
Paraffin wax is burned and the air is unbreathable soon.
Martin and his team deal with a fire extinguisher carbon dioxide.
The living room is filled with toxic smoke, which is why Martin and his team were wearing breathing apparatus.
The fire burned for 2 minutes and 40 seconds before Martin and his team decided the deckhead was in danger of catching fire, creating a fire that could destroy the ship in time, the curtains above the stove caught fire and there was a strong charring the wood veneer inside the deckhouse.
In case of fire, you must close all hatches to limit oxygen to reach the fire we needed ventilation to remove smoke so we could film and photograph the event with all the hatches closed, visibility was zero with a thick cloud of black, acrid smoke and oxygen levels have been very low without breathing apparatus, was probably overcome firefighters.
In many ways, the smoke is the most dangerous element in a fire How to fight a fire if you can not see or breathe All you can do is to leave the boat, alert emergency services wait for the inevitable.
We started this test hoping to learn to fight against the fires, how to prevent them from seizing or out of control or from what it would be easy for you to read the lessons we have learned and deposit as I will move me, but no illusion without Martin and his wrestling team against fire, we would have lost the crash test boat indeed, Martin warned us that if the fire out of control, the best option would be to to sink the ship rather than risk the spread of fire to the pontoon.
The fire seriously endangers boat and crew, so have no qualms at all about sending a distress call may always be canceled once the fire is processed.
Powder made a mess, but the fire made a bigger You can not see anything once the powder was unloaded and it is unpleasant, but it is non-toxic and can be cleaned fire and smoke to kill you, the powder won t.
A fire blanket or powder will kill a fire by removing oxygen It doesn t remove the fuel or heat, so always wait at least 10 minutes after the fire is extinguished before inspecting the scene Reintroduce oxygen could restart the fire, because it seems to have done during our test.
Position control equipment against fire where it is accessible Don t put a fire blanket over the stove or even in the kitchen, and always have a fire extinguisher mounted in an engine fire cockpit locker or office could you keep from going under.
Ideally, choose a fire extinguisher that can be used with one hand at sea, you'll need a hand to steady you fight against fires.
Stand at least 2 m away and keep low fireballs like this are possible.
Step back a fire 2m 6ft at least, and fight as low a position as you can stand too close, the pressure of an extinguisher could spread the fire as well as you expose to flame, smoke and fighting powder a lower level position should keep you out of the worst of the smoke and free of fireballs, like the one we saw in the extinction of the last cooking fire.
Do not let this to continue to support fight against fires kit with services because when you need it, you really need.
Keep all regularly serviced fire extinguishers You can never use them, but if you need, they must be charged for work If I had to struggle against a fire with low product drooling by the extinguisher Crash Test Boat foam I would have lost the battle and put myself in danger.
Never leave stoves without flame or hot component monitoring, candles, soldering irons.
Install smoke, gas and CO2 alarms Costs books, saves lives.
Fit smoke, gas and CO detectors and carbon monoxide to test regularly the fire engine room, we were hoping to test the Flame Spotter, an alarm system that alerts you to the presence of flame 25 mm high two or three seconds, he spotted a flame cigarette lighter in a preliminary test and UK lifeboats them were equipped for ten years but, after almost losing our crash test boat in the first engine fire, we took Martin's advice and abandoned a second test.
Make regular checks of all your systems, including gas.
Maintain fuel, engine, electrical and gas systems regularly and carefully and regularly inspected for cleanliness soundproofing and secure attachment Check that your engine compartment is sealed and sound insulation is fireproof and securely attached Make sure there are no running son on top of the engine.
Our boat in 1982 was no hole-fight against fires Make sure yours.
Strongly consider an automatic system in the engine compartment If you decide not to, be sure to SA hole fight against fire with a blanket, you can remove and replace the descent and a fire extinguisher with a hose opening near the engine compartment feeds a fire with oxygen and make things worse, but you can investigate the smoke hole using the fight against fires as an inspection hatch.
Make sure you can cut the fuel supply and gas from Going cockpit could drop below would not be an option we discovered that the Crash Boat didnt a stop switch If any fuel we had not taken the recommended precautions, engine fire could have broken the primary fuel filter glass bowl and left of the value stream of a diesel tank in the engine compartment, literally adding fuel to the fire.
There are six types of fire extinguishers available for marine use, but different lights use different extinguishers.
Water extinguishes fire by neutralizing the heat It can be used on Class A fires, it probably doesn t justify a place on board a bucket on the side work as well and is cheaper.
The powder is most versatile extinguisher It covers fuel, denying him oxygen, but it doesn t cool if the fire re-ignition is possible if the fire is disturbed.
A fire blanket works by preventing oxygen getting to the fire, extinguishing the fire so it is important that the cover completely covers the pan to prevent oxygen from reaching the fire.
Foam or aqueous film-forming foam AFFF, is water mixed with a foaming agent The foam spread on fire and deny oxygen and off, but it did not cool the flame.
Carbon dioxide extinguishers work by preventing oxygen from entering the fire, but careful not to blow the fire too closely, which could spread the flames used in a confined space, choking or unconsciousness is a risk.
Halon in the green box, and now is a CFC prohibited It was replaced with FM200 in the red box.
The use of halon 1211 fire extinguishers Green extinguisher was banned in the UK in 1993, followed by 1301 in 1999 all Halon extinguishers should be decommissioned in 2003 FM200 in the red box is a replacement of halon , suitable for confined spaces such as engine rooms it doesn t remove oxygen it is also used as a propellant in metered against the FM200 asthma chemically reduces heat there are portable fire extinguishers FM200 in the United States, but is not coded for mobile in the UK.
powder extinguishers are measured in kilograms, which reflects the weight of the powder and foam extinguishers are measured in liters pressure volume stored a powder extinguisher 2kg about 30 will give about 7 seconds to fight against the fire, this which is quite a long time for anything but a fire engine price for 2 lighted foam extinguishers start at around 20.
Crash Test Boat - Fire, crash, test, ship, fire.