Preparation is key in dealing with fires during a disaster situation. People need to know how to turn off utilities that may fuel a fire. They need to have and know how to use a fire extinguisher. And they need to know when to leave to keep themselves safe.
Dave Van Beek, Marysville’s assistant fire marshal, gave the presentation to the Community Emergency Response Team Oct. 20. Van Beek talked about extinguishing small fires, preventing additional fires by removing fuel sources and shutting off utilities. He explained that fires need heat, fuel and oxygen. To put out a fire, one of the three needs to be taken away, such as by suffocating a blaze with dirt.
There are five classes of fuel for fires: A. Ordinary combustibles like wood and paper. B. Flammable liquids such as gas. C. Energized electrical equipment such as a heater. D. Combustible metals. E. Cooking oils. Most extinguishers work on the three most-common sources: A, B and C.
Reducing electrical hazards can help avoid fires. Don’t plug too many items into an outlet, run cords under carpet or let cords become frayed, without replacing. Also, know where shutoff valves are for appliances, circuit breakers and fuse boxes.
Natural gas can be a problem, as an explosive and asphyxiant. A rotten egg smell will show there is a leak. Be sure to install natural gas and carbon monoxide detectors, test every month and replace batteries every six months, just like with smoke alarms. If you need to shut it off at the meter, turn the valve closest to the ground a quarter of a turn.
Likewise, people should store liquids remembering the acronym LIES (Limit, Isolate, Eliminate, Separate). That means some chemicals can be dangerous to mix in a spill, such as during an earthquake, so it is safer not to store a lot of that material close together.
When sizing up a fire, people need to determine if they have the right equipment, if there are other problems such as downed lines that could be even more dangerous, is the building structurally damaged, if there is an escape route and if the fire can be fought safely?
A hose and water can put out some fires, but a fire extinguisher works better on many fire sources. Labels say not only what type of fire the extinguisher works on, but how many square feet it can put out. Such as one that says 40A can put out a fire with paper as its source up to 40 square feet.
When using an extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). People have to pull out the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the trigger and sweep it across the bottom of the blaze. Move closer as it starts to die out.
Van Beek said that more people die from smoke inhalation than burns, and people should only try to battle a blaze with a partner.
Hazardous materials are something people don’t want to mess with, he said. They can explode. Water cannot put them out and can sometimes make them worse. There is a rating system, with red 4 being the most dangerous. There are many types of warning signs. If you see one, it’s like seeing a stop sign.
“Don’t go there,” Van Beek said. “The rule of thumb is if you can’t block it out by holding up your thumb you are too close.”
He suggested everyone go online to SMART 911 and enter as much information as you want, which will help responders in the event of a disaster.
Steve Powell is the managing editor of The Marysville Globe-The Arlington Times. He is writing a weekly series on CERT training so others can know what to do if a disaster occurs.
