FIREGROUND PHENOMENA

Continued from page 94.

through-the-roof.” Your other choice on the foreground is to let the air get “sucked” into horizontal openings you make to complete the explosive triangle and have the vectors of force pound against building and firefighter. By opening the roof of a structure (or above the enclosure trapping the backdraft condition), you can choose where the explosive force that is going to happen will occur. The opening in the roof lets the gas and heat rush out to mingle with the air it needs. The triangle completed outside the building, the force vectors are just as strong but now go off relatively harmless into space as “fire

Smoke explosion. The fire building is opened and firefighters have entered and are operating an aggressive interior attack. Suddenly there is an explosive, flaming force in a cockloft or attic “blowing" ceiling material on firefighters below it, or the occurrence involves a remote (cold smoke) area. What is that? Is it forceful? Yes! But certainly not as forceful as a true backdraft. “Hey! Great pull,” one firefighter screams to his partner as one opening with a hook (or pike pole) blew down 200 square feet of lath and plaster ceiling material.

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