Methods for treating “plunge zone,” heavy liquid, large tank, structural impediment and timing issues, when extinguishing tank fires

摘要

A method for extinguishing a full, or substantially full, surface liquid tank fire including addressing large tank, difficult fuel, structural impediment, timing and plunge zone issues, the attack including throwing at least one primary stream over a tank wall, the stream landing with a force of impact in, and defining, a plunge zone; the method including potentially achieving flame collapse leaving a plunge zone flame and subsequently, at least for a period of time, diminishing force of impact per unit area of a primary stream upon said plunge zone flame; alternately the method includes achieving a partial flame collapse including collapse against back tank wall portions and subsequently diminishing stream impact force upon a plunge zone including moving a plunge zone forward in the tank; the method also includes extinguishing a full surface heavy liquid tank fire by teasing the fire prior to employing a non-feathered stream to create a foam blanket; the method may include restaging to create a secondary footprint, and/or coordinating the timing of addressing plunge zone, smiley face and secondary footprint issues; the method may also include teasing and/or rooster tailing structural impediments.

主权项

1. A method for extinguishing an at least substantially full surface industrial scale hydrocarbon tank fire in a tank having a diameter greater than 300 feet, comprising:
applying an effective gpm of foam over the tank wall with one or more nozzles initially staged exterior to and generally upwind of the tank to create at least one primary landing footprint at least at or within 80% of theoretical foam run from a downwind back tank wall portion and greater than 100% of theoretical foam run from an upwind front tank wall portion, the gpm effective to establish and maintain a foam blanket; and subsequently, prior to flame collapse, restaging at least one of said one or more nozzles to create a secondary staging of nozzles such that said at least one primary landing footprint is altered to a secondary landing footprint landing at or within 75% of theoretical foam run from an upwind front tank wall portion.