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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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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.”
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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”
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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)
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
Smoke is Fuel - Particulates
70% of smoke is particulate
Soot (Black) Ash (White) Fibers/dust/pulp
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
Smoke is Fuel - Aerosols
Water Hydrocarbons
(black oil droplets) Some oils have
self-ignition temps as low as 460°F
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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).
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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.
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
Concept 3: Triggers for Smoke Ignition
Right Temperature & Right Mixture
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
The “Reading Smoke” Process
Don’t Forget:• Turbulent vs. Laminar• Measure Rate of Change• Smoke is FUEL!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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)
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
STEP 1: Inventory and compare the key attributes
Volume Velocity
(Pressure) Density Color
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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)
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
STEP 2: Factor in Influences
Container Container (defines (defines the significance of the significance of VVDC)VVDC)
WeatherWeather
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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?)
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
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
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com
Practice Time!Practice Time!
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Don’t Just Be SafeDon’t Just Be Safe – – Make it Make it Safe!Safe!
Courtesy of Battalion Chief Dave Dodson & www.firefighterclosecalls.com