Chicago Fire Department Incident Analysis

This paper is going to discuss an incident that was handled by the Chicago Fire Department. The incident involved a gasoline tanker that struck a dumpster and started to lose product, which then ignited. This paper will also discuss gasoline, as it was the primary fuel involved with this scene. Time will be spent looking at gasoline to understand its characteristics and determine if the fire department used the correct suppressant and tactics for this call. The Chicago Fire Department used water and foam on this fire, so this paper will analyze which type of foam was most likely used and how it was applied. Lastly, this paper will discuss if the foam used for this type of fire was appropriate and effective. On May 29th of 1989 the Chicago Fire Department was dispatched to an incident involving a fully loaded gasoline tanker that struck a dumpster and sustained damage to the tanker. This damage occurred about midway up the tanker and was spilling gasoline onto the street which then ignited. When the first …show more content…
Large quantities can be found in bulk storage containers or transport vehicles on any street or interstate. Gasoline is a hydrocarbon fuel with a very low flash point and is easily ignitable. Fires involving gasoline are unique because they cannot be extinguished by water alone. “The ability of water without additives (foaming agents) to put out a fire is limited on low-flash-point flammable liquids” (Cote & Bugbee, 1988, p.168). The reason that water alone cannot be used on flammable liquid fires with low flash points is that the water will probably sink to the bottom of the fuel. If the fire was contained in a tank, the water would sink and cause the fuel to rise in the container and overflow. Cote & Bugbee (1988) also tell us that “in case of a spill fire, water probably will cause the fire to spread”