16 December 2018

Backdraft

A backdraft can occur when a compartment fire has little or no ventilation, leading to slowing of gas-phase combustion (due to the lack of oxygen); however, the combustible fuel gases (unburnt fuel vapor and gas-phase combustion intermediates such as hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide) and smoke (primarily particulate matter) remain at a temperature hotter than the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel mixture. If oxygen is then re-introduced to the compartment, e.g. by opening a door or window to a closed room, combustion will restart, often rapidly, as the gases are heated by the combustion and expand rapidly because of the rapidly increasing temperature. 
Nobody was killed during this incident.

3 comments:

  1. I was a firefighter during my time in the Air Force from 1995-1999. In addition to the better known backdraft (there was a Ron Howard-directed film called Backdraft in 1991 starring Kurt Russell), we were also warned about the dangers of a BLEVE- Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. Between backdrafts, BLEVEs, building collapse, aircraft munitions, and high temperatures, there was a lot of emphasis on things that could kill or injure us.

    If I'm not mistaken, this film clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0jtD_OWLU) is from the same video we were shown when training at Goodfellow Air Force Base.

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  2. one of numerous links about the fire in the video:

    https://ny.eater.com/2018/12/13/18139185/new-york-style-eats-sidetracks-zen-yai-fire-sunnyside-queens-nyc 12 People Injured and 3 Restaurants ‘Destroyed’ in Queens Fire - Flames began early Thursday morning inside the New York Style Eats diner, reports say

    I-)

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