FYI – The information copied below is from last week’s Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram.
On June 14, 2024, Los Angeles County firefighters were dispatched to a burning construction vehicle. A firefighter was killed while trying to douse this fire when one of the vehicle’s nearly 7-foot tires exploded. While it is common for tires to build pressure and blow out in a fire, occasionally tires don’t simply blow, they explode. When rubber in the tire overheats, it can begin releasing highly flammable hydrocarbon vapors into the air within the tire in a chemical reaction called tire pyrolysis ( https://www.ihsa.ca/pdfs/safety_talks/tire_explosions_pyrolysis.pdf ). As the vapors are released, the air pressure and temperature within the tire increase dramatically. If the flammable vapor inside the tire meets oxygen at a high enough temperature, auto-ignition can occur. This reaction is powerful enough to create an explosion, accompanied by a violent shock wave and shrapnel. The larger the tire is, the larger the blast.
This month, L.A. County Fire Department issued a safety bulletin about large vehicle tire fires, instructing firefighters to maintain a certain distance from burning heavy-equipment vehicles. This bulletin was distributed to thousands of firefighters in California. The bulletin explains the mechanics of the explosive process, the explosive effects, and the appropriate risk management steps firefighters need to take, including establishing explosive hazard zones.
L.A. County and neighboring county firefighters in California were unaware of the risk of pyrolysis and explosion within vehicle tires, since the occurrence is relatively rare. This tragic line of duty death on June 14 served as a reminder of the risks. Please share this safety information widely with fire service personnel.
Please share this information with your emergency response team personnel and contractors.
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