California Fire
Someone did not move fast enough.......
Forum Discussion
IT was pointed out to me by several people that this was not the correct wording to use in such a situation, especially if I had no idea where the fireman was, that the propane might have already burned from those tanks, ect.
What I should not have written:
That fireman is really stupid to stand that close to a fifth wheel, when there might be propane tanks inside it!
Yes it is a sad day when someone can not know the smoke is in the air, and get in the truck and move it a day ahead of the fire showing up.
You have to be really stupid to wait and think "I know it will not come my way" when the fire is only a mile from me, I would be gone. I would not wait for a Sherriff to stop by and say you have to evacuate now. And when it is only 5 miles away, I would be starting up the RV and moving it. I know that ash and fire can fly more than a block in a minute. With 35 MPH winds, can you expect the fire to move slower?
WHy would a fireman risk his life to put out a fire on a vehicle that is already half burned? It would be much more productive to be at a house that is not yet on fire, and protect it instead. Good thing the fireman did not die from a exploding propane tank. He needs to go back to school!
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What might have been a better pick of words.
That fireman is going alfully close to what might be dangerous propane tanks. He is very brave, and his training will keep him from being injured.
The accident review board will say "He was a very brave man". If he survied a propane tank explosion, he would even testify "I saved a lot of RV's that day, and if I had not gone in there, one after another would have overheated the propane tanks, and the whole RV storage area would have become a melted mess of tangled wreckage"
If all the tanks vented properly, we will all know that he was not in any danger at all, because they vent at 375 PSI, well below the pressure required to explode a tank. And venting propane will not bring back memories of the Pacific war, flame throwers in all, because he was wearing a safety suit, and his training will protect him.
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However in a private conversation with a person who's son is going to fire training now in another state, he suggested taking this picture to the training officer, and asking for advice on what to do if the training officer was in this situation.
That is a conversation I would like to have with my buddies at the airport fire station, where they play with diesel fuel all the time, controlled burns of about 40 gallons at a time. They have learned from others mistakes, not to get down wind, and give each other tips on how to put out the flames safely.
The fire Department will not rush into a plating plant, unprotected, like happened in Newport Beach California. Police officers trying to control traffic a mile downwind of that plating plant fire now have long term lung problems, because they did not get the proper training, or any resportary equipment. Is it a lesson we would want to train all the other officers on? You bet! We trained our people to avoid situations such as this, look at the dangers. As a fireman, he will get much closer to the burning RV's, and will be protected from the exploding tanks by his training and thick coat.
Perhaps I sould have said "This looks like a silly mistake - to be so close to the propane tanks".
Still I think a lot can be learned from this event. Perhaps they will say "you did it by the book, got in there and saved 10 rows of RV's from catching fire, the whole city might have burned down if more RV's had caught fire"
And they did interview a homeowner with a t-shirt to protect himself trying to save his home. He had a garden hose, and was spraying down the house. His thoughts might have been I want to stay to the end, and save my largest investment from burning. He might have had the same thoughts as the three that burned up in a car in Oakland in 1992, as the fire raced across the hillside, and smoke coaked the engine, the car would not move any further.
Once the power lines catch fire, there is no magic electricity that will keep the pump station working, and keep water pressure to the house water meter way up that hill. Many times after a neightborhood has caught fire, there is no water pressure for a few days. The houses that burned to the ground are leaking out lots of water onto the ground, and the pump stations are not working either. That is why it is critical to get out of the way, and not keep the fire men tied up trying to save homeowners to silly to think they can save a house with a 3/4" line that flows 25 galons a minute. The true fireman has a 2" line capable of flowing well over 300 GPM per hose.
Fred.
What I should not have written:
That fireman is really stupid to stand that close to a fifth wheel, when there might be propane tanks inside it!
Yes it is a sad day when someone can not know the smoke is in the air, and get in the truck and move it a day ahead of the fire showing up.
You have to be really stupid to wait and think "I know it will not come my way" when the fire is only a mile from me, I would be gone. I would not wait for a Sherriff to stop by and say you have to evacuate now. And when it is only 5 miles away, I would be starting up the RV and moving it. I know that ash and fire can fly more than a block in a minute. With 35 MPH winds, can you expect the fire to move slower?
WHy would a fireman risk his life to put out a fire on a vehicle that is already half burned? It would be much more productive to be at a house that is not yet on fire, and protect it instead. Good thing the fireman did not die from a exploding propane tank. He needs to go back to school!
____________________________________________________________----
What might have been a better pick of words.
That fireman is going alfully close to what might be dangerous propane tanks. He is very brave, and his training will keep him from being injured.
The accident review board will say "He was a very brave man". If he survied a propane tank explosion, he would even testify "I saved a lot of RV's that day, and if I had not gone in there, one after another would have overheated the propane tanks, and the whole RV storage area would have become a melted mess of tangled wreckage"
If all the tanks vented properly, we will all know that he was not in any danger at all, because they vent at 375 PSI, well below the pressure required to explode a tank. And venting propane will not bring back memories of the Pacific war, flame throwers in all, because he was wearing a safety suit, and his training will protect him.
____________________________________________________
However in a private conversation with a person who's son is going to fire training now in another state, he suggested taking this picture to the training officer, and asking for advice on what to do if the training officer was in this situation.
That is a conversation I would like to have with my buddies at the airport fire station, where they play with diesel fuel all the time, controlled burns of about 40 gallons at a time. They have learned from others mistakes, not to get down wind, and give each other tips on how to put out the flames safely.
The fire Department will not rush into a plating plant, unprotected, like happened in Newport Beach California. Police officers trying to control traffic a mile downwind of that plating plant fire now have long term lung problems, because they did not get the proper training, or any resportary equipment. Is it a lesson we would want to train all the other officers on? You bet! We trained our people to avoid situations such as this, look at the dangers. As a fireman, he will get much closer to the burning RV's, and will be protected from the exploding tanks by his training and thick coat.
Perhaps I sould have said "This looks like a silly mistake - to be so close to the propane tanks".
Still I think a lot can be learned from this event. Perhaps they will say "you did it by the book, got in there and saved 10 rows of RV's from catching fire, the whole city might have burned down if more RV's had caught fire"
And they did interview a homeowner with a t-shirt to protect himself trying to save his home. He had a garden hose, and was spraying down the house. His thoughts might have been I want to stay to the end, and save my largest investment from burning. He might have had the same thoughts as the three that burned up in a car in Oakland in 1992, as the fire raced across the hillside, and smoke coaked the engine, the car would not move any further.
Once the power lines catch fire, there is no magic electricity that will keep the pump station working, and keep water pressure to the house water meter way up that hill. Many times after a neightborhood has caught fire, there is no water pressure for a few days. The houses that burned to the ground are leaking out lots of water onto the ground, and the pump stations are not working either. That is why it is critical to get out of the way, and not keep the fire men tied up trying to save homeowners to silly to think they can save a house with a 3/4" line that flows 25 galons a minute. The true fireman has a 2" line capable of flowing well over 300 GPM per hose.
Fred.
