2.18 Fires

2.18 Fires

Truck fires can cause damage and injury. Learn the causes of fires and how to prevent them. Know what to do to extinguish fires.

Causes of Fire

The following are some causes of vehicle fires:

After accidents. Spilled fuel, improper use of flares

Tires. Under-inflated tires and duals that touch

Electrical system. Short circuits due to damaged insulation, loose connections.

Fuel. Driver smoking, improperly sealed or loaded, poor ventilation.


Fire Prevention

Pay attention to the following:

Pre-trip inspection. Make a complete inspection of the electrical, fuel, and exhaust systems, tires, and cargo. Be sure to check that the fire extinguisher is charged.

En route inspection. Check the tires, wheels, and truck body for signs of heat whenever you stop during a trip.

Follow safe procedures. Follow correct safety procedures for fueling the vehicle, (stay with the vehicle and watch the nozzle while fueling to prevent spills), using brakes, handling flares, and other activities that can cause a fire.

Monitoring. Check the instruments and gauges often for signs of overheating and use the mirrors to look for signs of smoke from tires on the vehicle.

Caution. Use normal caution in handling anything flammable.

Fire Fighting

Knowing how to fight fires is important. Fires have been made worse by drivers who didn’t know what to do. Know how the fire extinguisher works. Study the instructions printed on the extinguisher before you need it. Here are some procedures to follow in case of fire:

Pull off the road. The first step is to get the vehicle off the road and stop. In doing so:
• Park in an open area, away from buildings, trees, brush, other vehicles, or anything that might catch fire.
• Don’t pull into a service station!
• Notify emergency services of your problem and your location.

Keep the fire from spreading. Before trying to put out the fire, make sure that it doesn’t spread any further.

• With an engine fire, turn off the engine as soon as you can. Don’t open the hood if you can avoid it. Shoot extinguishers through louvers, radiator, or from the underside of the vehicle.
• For a cargo fire in a van or box trailer, keep the doors shut, especially if your cargo contains hazardous materials. Opening the van doors will supply the fire with oxygen and can cause it to burn very fast.

Use the right fire extinguisher.

• The B:C type fire extinguisher is designed to work on electrical fires and burning liquids. The A:B:C type is designed to work on burning wood, paper, and cloth as well.
• Water can be used on wood, paper, or cloth, but don’t use water on an electrical fire (you could get shocked) or a gasoline fire (it will just spread the flames).
• A burning tire must be cooled. Lots of water may be required.
• If you’re not sure what to use, especially on a hazardous materials fire, wait for qualified firefighters.

Extinguishing the fire. Here are some rules to follow in putting out a fire:
• Only try to extinguish a fire if you know what you are doing and it is safe to do so.
• When using the extinguishers, stay as far away from the fire as possible.
• Aim at the source or base of the fire, not up in the flames.
• Position yourself upwind. Let the wind carry the extinguisher to the fire rather than carrying the flames to you.
• Continue until whatever was burning has been cooled. Absence of smoke or flame does not mean the fire is completely out or cannot restart.

Safety First!
Jayson Z