Fire Effects on High Efficiency Compact Florescent Lighting

Richard J. Meier, CFEI, CFII, CVFI
Staff Fire and Explosion Analyst
John A. Kennedy and Associates
Fire and Explosion Analysis Experts, USA

Presented at International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2012

ABSTRACT

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 has mandated that most of the incandescent lights currently in use will be phased out by 2014 and replaced with more efficient means of producing light. Many manufacturers have begun producing compact fluorescent and LED lighting to replace the incandescent bulb. While this is a boon for energy conservation, what will it mean for the fire investigator? For years investigators have used heat distorted light bulbs to help determine the origin and intensity of fires. The purpose of this study is to establish a base of information on the effects of fire on new styles of lighting, and how the effects of fire can aid the investigator in his or her work.

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Wind Turbine Fire Origin Investigation

Timothy L. Morse, Ph.D., P.E.
Robert W. Whittlesey, Ph.D., CFEI
Exponent, Inc.

Presented at International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2014

ABSTRACT
Wind turbines and wind farms have become increasingly widespread in the United States. Due to the combination of potential ignition sources (electrical failure, overheating of rotating components, lightning strikes) and multiple fuel loads (fiberglass, bearing grease, gearbox oil, hydraulic oil) wind turbine fires are a regular occurrence. Since wind turbine fires often occur in the nacelle, which can be 200 feet or more above the ground, firefighting options are limited. Wind turbine firefighting efforts are usually directed at preventing the spread of the fire to adjacent land or structures, such as by falling flaming debris, rather than extinguishing the fire. As a result, wind turbine fires often burn until the fuel uptower is exhausted and the fire self-extinguishes. This can present a challenge to a fire origin investigation. Many fire patterns that are observed in a nacelle can provide misleading or conflicting information as they may indicate a fuel load or a source of ventilation, rather than the fire origin. Therefore, attempting to use fire patterns alone to identify the origin is often unsuccessful.

A wind turbine fire origin investigation can be greatly assisted by the large amount of data that is recorded regarding the operation of a wind turbine. Wind turbines are heavily instrumented, with sensors throughout the turbine. Position sensors monitor the blade pitch position, the nacelle yaw position, and the rotational speed of the high speed and low speed shafts. Temperature sensors monitor the gearbox oil temperature, the hydraulic oil temperature, and the brake temperature (as well as other temperatures). The performance of the electrical systems (generator, transformer, inverter) are carefully monitored. Wind turbines also often have vibration sensors in various locations. The data from these sensors are used to control the operation of the turbine through the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. This system logs the states of all these sensors as often as once every second and records any alarm states.

A detailed review of this logged data can provide essential guidance to the wind turbine fire investigator. The logged data can indicate which systems or components are having problems prior to the fire, identify any rapid changes in operational state proximate to the time of the fire, or show which systems or components are still functional during the fire and when they lose functionality. A full understanding of the location of the different sensors, and where their communication lines run may also provide indications of the direction of fire spread. Any fire origin that is considered must be consistent with the timing and nature of the SCADA data and SCADA alarms.

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Port Chicago Disaster, July 17, 1944

An ammunition ship explodes while being loaded in Port Chicago, California, killing 332 people on this day in 1944. The United States’ World War II military campaign in the Pacific was in full swing at the time. Poor procedures and lack of training led to the disaster.

Port Chicago, about 30 miles north of San Francisco, was developed into a munitions facility when the Naval Ammunition Depot at Mare Island, California, could not fully supply the war effort. By the summer of 1944, expansion of the Port Chicago facility allowed for loading two ships at once around the clock. The Navy units assigned to the dangerous loading operations were generally segregated African-American units. For the most part, these men had not been trained in handling munitions. Additionally, safety standards were forgotten in the rush to keep up frenetic loading schedules.

On the evening of July 17, the SS Quinault Victory and SS E.A. Bryan, two merchant ships, were being loaded. The holds were being packed with 4,600 tons of explosives–bombs, depth charges and ammunition. Another 400 tons of explosives were nearby on rail cars. Approximately 320 workers were on or near the pier when, at 10:18 p.m., a series of massive explosions over several seconds destroyed everything and everyone in the vicinity. The blasts were felt as far away as Nevada and the resulting damage extended as far as San Francisco. Every building in Port Chicago was damaged and people were literally knocked off their feet. Smoke and fire extended nearly two miles into the air. The pilot of a plane flying at 9,000 feet in the area claimed that metal chunks from the explosion flew past him.

Source: History.com

 


Optimization of Carbon Monoxide Detector Layout in Residential Structures

Derek Engel, Scott Davis
GexCon US, 8433 Rugby Ave. Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814

Presented at International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2012

ABSTRACT
The current NFPA 720 code requirement for carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in residential structures requires placement outside of each separate sleeping area and on each floor of the residence. There is however no further guidance to specific placement of the detector (high, low, near or within furnace closets, etc.), as well as no acknowledgement to different housing and HAVC styles (forced hot air, hot water, etc.). As the concentration of CO approaches several hundred parts per million, the time for detector alarm can be as little as a few minutes, much smaller than the characteristic mixing time of the residence. The general basis for detector placement requirements assumes that once the flue gases cool CO is generally neutrally buoyant in air, and becomes well mixed and distributed evenly throughout the residence. Previous investigations have concluded that the CO is well mixed for residences with forced hot air heating systems and the CO in hot flue gases stratifies due to buoyancy for systems without an air-handling device to cause mixing.

Using the CFD software FLACS, a study was performed to evaluate how CO would disperse and migrate in various residential structures and various HVAC designs. The goal would be to evaluate the migration of CO originating from hot flue gases, which are improperly vented into structures, and assess the validity of the well-mixed assumption as well as study the general dispersion patterns. In addition, the study will provide further guidance as to optimal places for detector placement to allow early detection, while minimizing nuisance alarms.

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Did Nero play the fiddle while Rome burned?

AD 64, Jul 18th:  Nero’s Rome burns

The great fire of Rome breaks out and destroys much of the city on this day in the year 64.  Despite the well-known stories, there is no evidence that the Roman emperor, Nero, either started the fire or played the fiddle while it burned.  Still, he did use the disaster to further his political agenda.

The fire began in the slums of a district south of the legendary Palatine Hill.  The area’s homes burned very quickly and the fire spread north, fueled by high winds.  During the chaos of the fire, there were reports of heavy looting.  The fire ended up raging out of control for nearly three days.  Three of Rome’s 14 districts were completely wiped out; only four were untouched by the tremendous conflagration.  Hundreds of people died in the fire and many thousands were left homeless.

Although popular legend holds that Emperor Nero fiddled while the city burned, this account is wrong on several accounts.  First, the fiddle did not even exist at the time. Instead, Nero was well known for his talent on the lyre; he often composed his own music.  More importantly, Nero was actually 35 miles away in Antium when the fire broke out.  In fact, he let his palace be used as a shelter.

Legend has long blamed Nero for a couple of reasons.  Nero did not like the aesthetics of the city and used the devastation of the fire in order to change much of it and institute new building codes throughout the city.  Nero also used the fire to clamp down on the growing influence of Christians in Rome.  He arrested, tortured and executed hundreds of Christians on the pretext that they had something to do with the fire.

Source: History.com 


Ignition Propensity of Cannabis Cigarettes

Zachary J. Jason, PE, CFEI
Dennis E. Shelp, MS, PE, CFI, CFEI
John L. Schumacher, MChE, PE, CFI, CFPS
Todd J. Hedglin, CFI, CFEI
AEI Corporation
Littleton, CO, USA

Presented at International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2014

ABSTRACT

It is well known that cigarettes are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that in 2011 alone, there were over 90,000 smoking-related fires, contributing to over 540 civilian deaths, 1,640 civilian injuries, and $621 million in direct property damage. However, the NFPA statistics, collected from The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the NFPA annual survey, define “Smoking Materials” as lighted tobacco products (typically tobacco cigarettes). There is little to no data regarding fires caused by cannabis, or what will hereafter be referred to as marijuana cigarettes.

With the recent legalization of marijuana in the states of Colorado and Washington, pending potential legalization in 13 other states, and 20 states with medical-marijuana systems already in place the availability and usage of marijuana is becoming more commonplace. This raises many interesting questions with regard to fire safety as it relates to marijuana cigarettes. For example, what are the burn times and smoldering capability for marijuana cigarettes? How do marijuana cigarettes compare with tobacco cigarettes in their ability to initiate smoldering combustion in upholstered furniture and mattresses? To date, research regarding these questions has been difficult due to the illegal status of cannabis, and currently very little is known about the ignition propensity and combustion characteristics of marijuana cigarettes. Given the recent changes in Colorado law, however, AEI Corporation has performed some of the first scientific testing of its kind looking at the smoldering and burning behavior of marijuana cigarettes.

This paper outlines the first phase of our research into the overall fire hazards of marijuana cigarettes and compares the ignition characteristics of marijuana to those of tobacco, when tested in accordance with current test methods adopted for the tobacco industry. More specifically, our testing quantifies the ignition strength of marijuana cigarettes and their propensity to ignite soft furnishings based on the parameters set forth in American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard E2187-2009, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes.  The results of our tests evaluating ignition propensity of marijuana cigarettes are presented in comparison to those of tobacco cigarettes tested under the same conditions. In addition, the effects of different variables on the burning, smoldering, and ignition propensity of marijuana cigarettes will be examined.

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ISFI Proceedings Flash Sale

Flash Sale

on past ISFI Proceedings (2004 – 2014)

All past electronic
(CD or Thumb Drive) editions
are just $25

July 11 – 15 ONLY

http://isficonference.com/publications-flashsale.html


Chicago Fire of 1874

The Chicago Fire of 1874 was a conflagration in Chicago, Illinois, that took place on July 14, 1874. Reports of the extent of the damage vary somewhat, but sources generally agree that the fire burned forty-seven acres just south of the Loop, destroyed 812 structures and killed 20 people. The affected neighborhood had been home to Chicago’s community of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland, as well as to a significant population of middle-class African-American families; both ethnic groups were displaced in the aftermath of the fire to other neighborhoods on the city’s West and South Sides.

The fire insurance industry’s National Board of Underwriters responded to the fire by demanding widespread changes in Chicago’s fire prevention and firefighting efforts, and ultimately encouraged fire insurers to cancel all coverage of buildings in the city in October. Many insurers did halt their activities in Chicago, and only returned to issuing policies in the city after the municipal government adopted many of the suggested reforms.

Source: Wikipedia


Metallurgy and Fire Investigation

Elizabeth C. Buc, PhD, PE, CFI
Fire and Materials Research Laboratory, LLC, USA

Presented at International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2012

ABSTRACT

NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations recognizes the need for specialists for certain aspects of fire cause investigations. One such area is metallurgical failure analysis. Examples of metallurgical aspects that overlap the fire investigation field include vessel and pipeline failures from corrosion or welded joint failures causing loss of containment (i.e., natural gas); wear and mechanical breaks or failures that generate sparks or frictional heating that cause ignition; and elucidation of heat or fire versus electrical arc damage to current carrying components, such as conductors, motor windings, contacts, and fuses. Equally important, metallurgy can be used to determine the effects of fire on low-melting temperature alloys, such as brass and brazed joints, to determine when damage occurred and if it contributed to the cause of a fire or was a result of fire exposure. Like fire investigation, metallurgical root-cause failure analyses are performed according to a recognized professional standard methodology that meets the criteria for admissibility. Here, key elements of a metallurgical-based failure analysis are highlighted with specific metallurgical-based fire cause investigation case studies.

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Be safe this 4th of July

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that fireworks cause an average of 20,000 reported fires every year.

During 2007-2011, 91% of the average of 19,700 fires associated with fireworks per year occurred outside any structure or vehicle. The largest numbers of these outdoor fires associated with fireworks involved grass fires (6,800 per year), brush fires (4,500), dumpster fires (1,700), unclassified or unknown-type natural or vegetation fires (1,300) and other outside trash, rubbish, or waste fires (1,200).

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that in 2014, about 10,500 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with fireworks. Sixty-seven percent of these estimated injuries occurred in a one-month special study period (June 20, 2014 – July 20, 2014) around July 4. During the 2014 special study, more than half of the fireworks related injuries were burns. Most of the injuries involved hands and fingers, the head (including face, eyes, and ears), legs and arms. Children under the age of 15 years old accounted for 35 percent of the estimated injuries.

In 2007-2011, four people per year were killed in fires started by fireworks, while data from death certificates show that five people per year were killed directly by fireworks. These estimates may overlap, because fireworks can directly kill someone while also starting a fatal fire.

On Independence Day in a typical year, fireworks account for two out of five of all reported fires, more than any other cause of fire.

Clearly, the hazards associated with the use of fireworks by other than professionals are many and should cause responsible parents to seek safer ways to celebrate the 4th of July.

Source: SafeJuly4th.org