Smoke build-up in hidden spaces = deadly surprises
The video report above is short segment from a larger video report within MSB's 90 Sekunder Educational Video Series.
Smoke buildup in hidden spaces is one of the most dangerous situations in structural fire fighting. A large attic or a warehouse attached to other buildings are prime examples of when a fire gas explosion can take a firefighter's life without even a moment's notice.
By Bjorn Ulfsson & Terri Casella / CTIF NEWS
The sudden rush of fresh air can re-awaken a smouldering fire and create a backdraft, or like in this tragic case from Belgian Rochefort: it can serve as a pre-ignition for a large volume of cold fire gases, causing an attic to explode.
The violence of a fire gas explosion can be compared to that of a gasoline vapor explosion; the same force, the same rapid development.
Tactical ventilation from a save distance, fire gas cooling from the outside, and - most importantly - pre study and pre-planning in order to expand upon your own knowledge of fire gas behavior in complex structures - is key to preventing these kinds of deadly, sudden surprises.
No nozzle or any amount of water can stop the development, once ignition has started in a premixed volume of smoke.