reading smoke – the sequel

Reading Smoke – the Reading Smoke – the SequelSequel

Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com

““Sequel”?Sequel”?

““Reading Smoke” is Reading Smoke” is far from absolute – far from absolute – therefore there is therefore there is room for room for interpretationinterpretation

Many have “added” Many have “added” fingerprints to the fingerprints to the curriculum – helping curriculum – helping the information the information become more street become more street friendlyfriendly


Noted thanks to…..Noted thanks to…..

John Tanaka, John Tanaka, Captain, Everett, WACaptain, Everett, WA

Peter McBride, Peter McBride, Ottawa Duty Safety Ottawa Duty Safety OfficerOfficer

Dave Ross, Chief of Dave Ross, Chief of Safety for TorontoSafety for Toronto

Billy Goldfeder, Billy Goldfeder, Chief of Global F/F Chief of Global F/F Safety!Safety!

NIST: the National NIST: the National Institute of Science Institute of Science and Technologyand Technology

Bobby Halton, Ted Bobby Halton, Ted Nee, Mike West, Brian Nee, Mike West, Brian Kazmierzak, Ed Kazmierzak, Ed Hadfield, and Gerald Hadfield, and Gerald Tracy (and many Tracy (and many more)more)

You – and your emails, You – and your emails, videos, and pictures! videos, and pictures!


PowerPoint NOTEPowerPoint NOTE

This PowerPoint can serve as a good This PowerPoint can serve as a good teaching tool – but is best presented teaching tool – but is best presented with video examples. Those are with video examples. Those are NOT included here – you must find NOT included here – you must find your own examples. your own examples. www.youtube.com has many has many examples: search under “flashover” examples: search under “flashover” or “house fires.” or “house fires.”


The Sequel PlanThe Sequel Plan

Give you Give you something to help something to help at your next at your next structure firestructure fire

Review the basic Review the basic processprocess

Update/refocus Update/refocus some key pointssome key points

Offer some “short Offer some “short cuts”cuts”


The Basic ProcessThe Basic Process

Reading Smoke can help you answer 3 Reading Smoke can help you answer 3 questions:questions:

1.1. Where, specifically, is the fire?Where, specifically, is the fire?

2.2. How big or intense is the fire?How big or intense is the fire?

3.3. How fast is it changing? (rate and severity How fast is it changing? (rate and severity of fire spread)of fire spread)


Basic Process – the Basic Process – the ScienceScience

3 concepts help you 3 concepts help you read smoke:read smoke:

1.1. Smoke is Smoke is FUELFUEL

2.2. The fuels have The fuels have changed – changed – more more continuity and continuity and explosiveness than explosiveness than previously taughtpreviously taught

3.3. The smoke has trigger The smoke has trigger pointspoints


Smoke is Fuel - Particulates

70% of smoke is particulate

Soot (Black) Ash (White) Fibers/dust/pulp


Smoke is Fuel - Aerosols

Water Hydrocarbons

(black oil droplets) Some oils have

self-ignition temps as low as 460°F


Consider this…Consider this…

Gas Self-Ignition Temperature

Flammable Range

Acrolein 450°F 3-31%

Benzene 928°F 1-8%

Hydrogen Cyanide 1000°F 5-40%

Carbon Monoxide 1123°F 12-74%

The following gases create “ladder fuels” within smoke (remember, there are particulates and aerosols also).


Remember…Remember… Your gear TTP masks Your gear TTP masks

heat initially – you heat initially – you can’t feel 450°F for can’t feel 450°F for minutes – yet the minutes – yet the smoke you are smoke you are crawling in is crawling in is ignitable!ignitable!

The thicker the The thicker the smoke – the more smoke – the more continuity of fuel continuity of fuel between you and the between you and the fire.fire.


Concept #2 – Fuels have changed!

More syntheticsMore synthetics Lower density/massLower density/mass High surface-to-High surface-to-

massmass This adds up to This adds up to

MORE MORE smokesmoke


Concept 3: Triggers for Smoke Ignition

Right Temperature & Right Mixture


Temperature Triggers

Flashpoint = smoke explosionsFlashpoint = smoke explosions

Firepoint = rapid fire spreadFirepoint = rapid fire spread

Ignition Temperature = flashover and Ignition Temperature = flashover and backdraftbackdraftCourtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com

Mixture Triggers

Too Lean . . .Too Lean . . .

Too Rich . . .Too Rich . . .

Just Right . . .Just Right . . .Courtesy of www.firefighterclosecalls.com

Other Prerequisites to Reading Smoke

You must be able to determine...You must be able to determine...

The Rate of Change – getting better The Rate of Change – getting better or worse in seconds or minutes.or worse in seconds or minutes.

Is the Is the ““boxbox”” absorbing heat? absorbing heat? Laminar vs. TURBULENT flowLaminar vs. TURBULENT flow


The “Reading Smoke” The “Reading Smoke” Process Process

Process Rules:Process Rules:

1.1. Nothing is absoluteNothing is absolute

2.2. Compare ventilation Compare ventilation openings openings (restricted or (restricted or unrestricted, smoke or unrestricted, smoke or no smoke)no smoke)

3.3. Watch the smoke –not Watch the smoke –not the flames!the flames!


The “Reading Smoke” Process

Don’t Forget:• Turbulent vs. Laminar• Measure Rate of Change• Smoke is FUEL!


The 3-Steps for “Reading Smoke”

1.1. Inventory & compare Inventory & compare

smoke attributes: smoke attributes: volume, volume,

velocity, density, and colorvelocity, density, and color

2.2. Factor in influences that Factor in influences that

change the meaning of change the meaning of

VVDCVVDC

3.3. Answer the questionsAnswer the questions: Fire : Fire

location? Size of fire? location? Size of fire?

What will it do next? What will it do next?

(better or worse/seconds (better or worse/seconds

or minutes)or minutes)


STEP 1: Inventory and compare the key attributes

Volume Velocity

(Pressure) Density Color


VOLUME

Gives an impression Establishes relativity

to the “box” Remember: a small

volume of smoke from a very large box is significant

Volume is a source of pressure (velocity)


VELOCITY (Pressure)

How fast is the smoke leaving?

Turbulent or Laminar?

Is laminar smoke heat or volume pushed?

Compare velocity from like-sized openings to find fire location


Density Most Important

Factor Tells you the Tells you the

futurefuture Continuity of FuelContinuity of Fuel Likelihood of an Likelihood of an

EventEvent ““Degree” of the Degree” of the

EventEvent


Color Tells Stage of Heating Should compliment

velocity to find location of fire

“Brown” Smoke is usually unfinished wood being heated

Remember, smoke color can be filtered over distance or through resistance


STEP 2: Factor in Influences

Container Container (defines (defines the significance of the significance of VVDC)VVDC)

WeatherWeather

Courtesy of www.firefighterclosecalls.com

STEP 3: Answer the Questions

Where’s the fire?Where’s the fire? How big or Intense How big or Intense

is the fire?is the fire? How fast is it How fast is it

changing? changing? (Getting (Getting better or worse – in better or worse – in seconds or seconds or minutes?)minutes?)


Update/RefocusUpdate/Refocus

Velocity trumps Velocity trumps colorcolor

ANYANY thick, fast thick, fast moving smoke is moving smoke is ignitableignitable

Zero visibility Zero visibility makes you a makes you a slave to your slave to your environmentenvironment


Update/Refocus

Turbulent smoke Turbulent smoke is is ready to flash – ready to flash – and indicates that and indicates that floor temperatures floor temperatures are past human life are past human life thresholds (zero thresholds (zero rescue profile!)rescue profile!)

Manage it – but Manage it – but reduce your risk-reduce your risk-taking!taking!


Update/RefocusUpdate/Refocus

Opinion:Opinion: Ventilation Ventilation has never been has never been more important more important and needs to be and needs to be our #1 tactical our #1 tactical priority priority (make the (make the building behave!*)building behave!*)

*Tom Brennan – we’ll *Tom Brennan – we’ll never forget you! never forget you!


Short Cuts (not absolute)

Black/Thick/Fast = Black/Thick/Fast = heat and explosiveheat and explosive Black/Thin/Fast = Black/Thin/Fast = flame nearflame near White w/Speed = White w/Speed = hot – but fire is distanthot – but fire is distant Uniform speed/color (steady flow & light Uniform speed/color (steady flow & light

color)from many places = color)from many places = deep seated fire deep seated fire Brown = Brown = unfinished wood being heatedunfinished wood being heated Turbulent = Turbulent = FlashoverFlashover


Practice Time!Practice Time!


Don’t Just Be SafeDon’t Just Be Safe – – Make it Make it Safe!Safe!


reading smoke – the sequel

Documents

chief of safety

smoke explosionsfirepoint

taughtthe smoke

chief of global ff safety

basic processreading

continuity of fuel

fuel particulates70

ladder fuels