W2: Major Fire in the United States’ History
General Slocum’s excursion steamship fire is one of the significant fires in the history of the United States. The incident occurred on June 15th, 1904, when a ship with a capacity of 1358 persons caught fire (“General Slocum Steamboat Tragedy,” n.d.). All the individuals were members and friends of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, heading for an annual picnic to Locust Grove, Long Island. A small fire that started in the ship’s forward hold was the leading cause of the tragedy, even though it remains mysterious what was the specific cause of the fire. The smoke from below the deck attracted the attention of some crew, who opened the hatch for an investigation. Unfortunately, their action allowed much oxygen into the room, transforming the tiny spark into a raging fire.
The crew’s effort to extinguish the blaze was unsuccessful after finding that fire hoses in the ship were leaky or rotten. Additionally, none of the crew was trained on fire safety tactics. By the time they were notifying the captain about the incident, the fire could not be conquered. Fearing that the fire could spread to the nearby oil and lumber piers, the captain accelerated the ship to full speed, further fueling the fire. As a result, 1030 individuals died while others sustained injuries (“General Slocum Steamboat Tragedy,” n.d.). Opening of the hatch, lack of fire safety skills, delayed reporting of the incident and acceleration of the ship to full speed were the main factors that contributed to the spreading of the fire. The fire could have been avoided if two important things were done. First, the crew should have informed the captain about the smoke before investigating its cause since the former could have known the best ways to handle the situation. Second, the ship’s fire hoses were well-maintained and functioning.
W3: Classes of Fire Extinguishers
The five basic classes of fire are A, B, C, D, and K, comprising ordinary combustible, flammable liquids and gases, electrical equipment, combustible metals, and cooking oils and fats, respectively. Fire from materials often found around houses such as wood, paper, plastic, rubber, and cloth are underclass A (ordinary combustibles). While flammable liquids in class B include gasoline, most oils, paints, and alcohol, flammable gases in this category are butane, hydrogen, methane, and ethylene (Chris, n.d.). Class C (electrical fires) is associated with electrical equipment. The most common electrical appliances that cause a fire in the United States are wiring and cords, cloth dryers, and space heaters. Combustible metals are fuel for the fire in class D fires. These metals encompass sodium, lithium, calcium, uranium, potassium, and plutonium. Cooking oils and fats are the main materials involved in class K fires (Chris, n.d.). Vegetable oils may include butter, canola oil, and others used in cooking. Cooking grease that accumulates under and behind cooking appliances is also associated with class K fires. Notably, different agents are used to controlling or extinguishing each class of fire.
Fire extinguishers are categorized into A, B, C, D, and K, depending on the kind of fires they control. The common agents used to extinguish class A fires include water, dry chemicals, and fire blankets. Dry chemical fire extinguishers and foam are agents used for class B fires. Notably, the dry chemical is also the only agent used to extinguish class C fires (Chris, n.d.). The effective agent that is used against combustible metals is a dry powder. The substances used to subdue class K fires include water mist, foam, and fire suppression blanket.
W4: Article on Fire Behavior
This article “Ventilation-Limited Fire: Keeping it Rich and Other Tactics Based off Science,” is about fire behavior. Norwood and Ricci (2021) note that the traditional fire behavior model is still adequate for a limited fuel fire, such as burning piles of pallets in the building. Nevertheless, most contemporary fires encountered by individuals are not fuel limited, leading to a new model. Modern fires are increasingly becoming ventilation limited, which contributes to the rapid acceleration of heat and energy. Norwood and Ricci (2021) define limited ventilation fire as the rate of releasing heat and its growth regulated by the oxygen available within the space. The article provides several recommendations for dealing with fire.
The first recommendation is to position the attack line at the fire’s main body when venting for the former. The second is minimization of energy available for the fire by controlling the air entrained in structures and flow paths. The third recommendation is stretching charged lines from the fire floor’s entry point. The fourth and fifth ones are about abandoning old tactics of checking deterioration with doors open and isolating your position when venting for fire, correspondingly (Norwood & Ricci, 2021). Other endorsements provided in the article are related to fire attack and the truck, modern structure fire attack, staffing, playing water on smoke, and vertical ventilation.
The implications of understating the information provided in the article can significantly positively impact behavior on the fire ground. It provides strategies for preventing the spreading of fire by regulating the amount of air flowing into modern structures and how to contain it. Additionally, the information can help firefighters be more effective when handling fire and guarantee their safety and that of their equipment.
W5: Line Choice
Advantages of 1.75 inches line
- It is rapidly deployable
- It is maneuverable inside structures
- It requires minimal staffing to advance
- Effectively flows up to 180 GPM
Disadvantage
- It can be stretched on fires that are beyond its capabilities.
- Delivers less volume of water compared to the 2.5 inches line
Advantages of 2.5 inches line
- The line flows from 250 to 350 pm, making it suitable for large fires.
- It has better reach and potent knockdown than 1.75 inches line
- Minimizes premature water vaporization in fire areas with high temperatures
Disadvantages
- The attack lines have considerable weight
- They make it difficult to maneuver inside structures
- It requires numerous staffs to operate
Situations Where Fire Companies Can Use 1.75 Inches and 2.5 Inches Attack Lines
The choice to use either of the lines depends on the size of the fire and occupancy. The 1.75 inches attack line is suitable for small fires and residential buildings since it is lighter and more maneuverable, allowing firefighters to move through corridors and small roams (Downie, 2018). Conversely, fire companies would use the 2.5 inches line on commercial buildings and large exterior fires due to its size and ability to deliver a large volume of water.
Staffing is an essential factor that influences the productivity of every organization. Inadequate staffing in fire companies can hurt the ability to deploy and use large attack lines. Every attack line should be appropriately deployed for optimal outcomes (Downie, 2018). The standard procedure for deploying the two attack lines involves four phases. The first phase is about preparation, followed by sizing up. While the third phase encompasses stretching, the last state is advancing to attack the fire. The following link contains more information about different line sizes: https://www.fireengineering.com/firefighting/a-guide-to-selecting-the-attack-line/#gref.
References
Chris. The 5 Classes of Fire Explained (A to E) – firefighter garage. Firefighter garage. Web.
Downie, B. (2018). A Guide to Selecting the Attack Line. Fire Engineering.com. Web.
General Slocum Steamboat Tragedy. Guides.loc.gov. Web.
Norwood, P., & Ricci, F. (2021). Ventilation-limited fire: Keeping it rich and other tactics based off science. Fire engineering.com. Web.