KTF 2013 Thumbnails
Kill the Flashover Project Youtube Channel
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19-4 is a test burn in the A/B Division. The window is removed prior to ignition on the A Division. The room loaded with furniture and carpet. As the fire develops, the wind speed is 8 MPH plus with gusts. The room begins to exhibit extreme fire behavior characteristics demonstrated at 17:29. The wind forces the high temperatures to the floor below the window sill and the lower temperatures are seen at ceiling.
At the 17:28 the crew begins to apply pulsing stream into the fire compartment with the stated conditions. The crew failed to cool as they approached the door. The nozzle person is faced with approximately 1500 degrees with extreme heat flux. Pulsing is not sufficient to kill the fire growth. Full flow wide pattern with the nozzle provides the flow and the protection to kill the fire. |
Published on Mar 7, 2013
This video demonstrates the use of the door to control the air intake to reduce thermal insult to fire personnel and better control the fire. When you watch this video observe the area inside the door and above the attack position. The fire attack was done with a low expansion foam tube flowing 20 gpm of 0.40% Novacool solution through a 1" attack line. When the door is open the fire continues to grow as the amount of air flowing into the room allows the fire to overcome the 20 gpm Novacool solution stream. The thermal insult to the firefighter is great during this attempt to control the fire. When the door is totally closed there is no visible fire in the attic area. The lack of an air intake greatly slows the fire spread in the attic. When the door is cracked the fire in the attic becomes visible and grows. The nozzle is placed into the opening of the cracked door flowing towards the bottom of the room. The fire attack with the door cracked allows the 20 gpm Novacool solution stream to overcome the fire and nearly eliminate the thermal insult to the firefighter. |
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This video, as seen from an ISG E-380 thermal imager, shows the fire attack during Kill the Flashover 2012. The fuel load was a couch located in the kitchen area of the house. The fire attack was done through an exterior window using a Novacool wetting agent solution. This test was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a transitional fire attack which began on the exterior of the building.
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This video shows the exterior thermal imaging video as seen from the ISG E-380 thermal imager during Kill the Flashover 2013 Burn 19-2. This fire attack was a traditional fire attack using an 1 3/4" attack line flowing 40 gpm of 0.40% Novacool solution. A total of 7 gallons of foam solution was utilized to control the fire. The fog stream was moved aggressively around the fire room which allowed the fuels to be quickly cooled, reducing the thermal insult to the firefighters. The interior thermal imaging video can be found on the KillTheFlashoverProject YouTube page. As time progresses we will be posting numerous angles from this burn as we had 19 cameras recording on each burn we conducted during Kill the Flashover 2013.
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Command to Ladder 1 - "Close up Division A"
The effectiveness of closing up vs opening up is a very difficult discussion in our service. At the test, the front door is closed which forces the fire to get its air from the D side window (bi-directional flow). As the window is removed on the D side, the velocity of the exhaust increases creating increased air intake (under-pressure) on the bottom sash of the window. An agent stream is flowed into the under-pressure side while advancing to the window. The front room and hall way are cleaned by the change in flow path and the fire is quickly extinguished and the crew then checks the thermal signature at the front door and enters with low temperatures and completely extinguishes the fire. This fire is attacked with 3 firefighters in the first 6 minutes and 3 additional firefighters added at the 6 minute mark. Extinguishment and overhaul took 10 minutes.
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Faces of Fire
Many times the fire will present itself in a window with a small circular opening either in the smoke or flame. This is an air intake that is supporting the needs of the fire/flaming to support combustion. Once the compartment has fully pressurized and the extreme fire behavior is happening, the air intake (circle in this scenario) will move to the side of the opening that is closest to the flaming (needing the air). I refer to this as the "short circuit" (you don't have to, just me).
The air is taking the path of least resistance. As the fire cycles inside of the vent limited cycle, the fire starves for air and symbolically inhales and then chokes itself back and repeats the cycle until it receives additional air.
Often as the fire grows and then retards as it is needing more air, the window will become a full smoke or flame front, choke back and then seek the air it needs for a few seconds. You will see the opening appear and then disappear.
The point of this iteration is that the air intake is literally pointing at the direction of the flaming.
The air is taking the path of least resistance. As the fire cycles inside of the vent limited cycle, the fire starves for air and symbolically inhales and then chokes itself back and repeats the cycle until it receives additional air.
Often as the fire grows and then retards as it is needing more air, the window will become a full smoke or flame front, choke back and then seek the air it needs for a few seconds. You will see the opening appear and then disappear.
The point of this iteration is that the air intake is literally pointing at the direction of the flaming.
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The video on the left is a traditional attack with agent stream. The fire is in the A/B corner. The attack team enters from the front door (A) moves down a short hall, turns to the left. Notice the traditional application of the stream in the upper thermal layer. Although this is an excellent application of a traditional attack, our tests are evaluating the importance of applying the stream on the combustible level first (48 inches or below) to stop the off gassing and quickly reducing the flaming when suppressing contents of a compartment. The service has taught the stream application to begin in the upper thermals and we see most firefighters use that principle in most all applications. Not all applications are equal. |
The below thermocouple chain was located in the fire compartment. The chain had 5 thermocouples spaced from 12 inches below the ceiling to 18 inches off the floor.
Lessons from KTF 2013
1. All agents are not created equal and are not understood
2. Thermal Imager should be used for tactical decision making for entry or advancing attack in an IDLH (thermal) environment
3. Flow Paths can be managed and reduce the risk to the suppression crew
4. Fire Curtains work very effectively to support slowing fire growth
5. Fire stream skills need further study for effective application
6. Size up skills should include thermal image data
7. Blocking air intakes reduce fire growth and reduce flashover potential
8. Closing a door is very effective in slowing fire growth
9. Go / No Go using thermal information had very positive results
10. Agent streams need to be applied differently than non agent streams
11. Agent stream in the under-pressure flow path are very effective cooling and appear to allow faster access to the access path for the crew (more study)
12. The 1" line with agent is an effective quick cool / prevent fire growth line whne staffing is small (=<4)
2. Thermal Imager should be used for tactical decision making for entry or advancing attack in an IDLH (thermal) environment
3. Flow Paths can be managed and reduce the risk to the suppression crew
4. Fire Curtains work very effectively to support slowing fire growth
5. Fire stream skills need further study for effective application
6. Size up skills should include thermal image data
7. Blocking air intakes reduce fire growth and reduce flashover potential
8. Closing a door is very effective in slowing fire growth
9. Go / No Go using thermal information had very positive results
10. Agent streams need to be applied differently than non agent streams
11. Agent stream in the under-pressure flow path are very effective cooling and appear to allow faster access to the access path for the crew (more study)
12. The 1" line with agent is an effective quick cool / prevent fire growth line whne staffing is small (=<4)
Random Pictures from the test.
South Carolina Fire Academy
KTF 2013 was held the week of February 18th 2013 at the South Carolina Fire Academy in Columbia, SC. Our schedule began on Monday the 18th with technical preparations. Tuesday the 19th provided a half day of orientation and teaching to prepare the participants for the burns that will begin Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday evening we held a special program facilitated by Chief Alan Brunacini in the auditorium. Friday in the morning was a staff debriefing. The schedule ended at noon on Friday.
The burns were on campus at the 1 1/2 story burn building. The building was framed inside to emulate a residential dwelling.
The burns were on campus at the 1 1/2 story burn building. The building was framed inside to emulate a residential dwelling.
Eleven test burns were conducted. Two traditional room and contents, two using some UK techniques, two VEIS burns, one concealed / indirect hit test, and one minimu
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Don't delay the stream! Less air takes less water! Short air track takes less water! Tight is right! Go with the flow! Turn Red to White. Close the door! Flame contained! Condition as you go!
Learning to diagnose fire location????
When a fire enters into the decay phase with pushing smoke from the inside of the compartment/s, there is a need to locate the main body of the fire, the smoke/fuel plugs and the flow path/s. Size up includes the 360 lap with the TIC. The structure may or may not provide a thermal signature hint or visible clues. If the seat of the fire is not obvious, opening an orifice temporarily to view the response of the overpressure and under-pressure areas of the compartment will provide clues to the location of the fire. This test will use a curtain at the Division A door to maintain control of the air exchange at the opening if tactical operations are using this openings. Hopefully we will be able to demonstrate some of these behaviors captured on video.
