Original scientific paper
Extinguishing Chimney Fires
Marijan Šipuš
; Vatrogasna postrojba grada Siska, Sisak, Hrvatska
Abstract
Chimneys exist since people started to build dwellings, after they stopped living in caves and started using and building fire. In order for the smoke not to spread around rooms, they had to carry it out of their homes via channels. That alone proves how important chimneys are in everyday life. However, chimney fires (fires of the soot in the chimney) are very common due to irregular maintenance or improper construction, which is why ceilings and roofs of buildings could ignite. With the help of a research based on theoretical knowledge and practice acquired at the Fire Department Sisak, a new method of extinguishing chimney fires was developed. Basically it requires the same equipment (as extinguishing conventional chimney fires), but the approach is different. This method of extinguishing fires leads to a faster temperature drop in the smoke channel; shorter exposure of the smoke channel to high temperatures; shorter duration of the intervention, and what is most important, it reduces the loss of firmness of the binding material which is most fragile in chimneys made of brick and mortar used as constructing material. This research has led to some conclusions which might prove useful for further studies which could lead to some important measurable parameters, as stated in this paper. However, we must not rule out the need for developing a standard operating procedure for this type of intervention that will determine the process of action and the use of appropriate safety equipment and devices in order to increase the safety of firefighters on the one hand and on the other the safety of occupants.
Keywords
chimney fires; extinguishing; chimney bombs
Hrčak ID:
146390
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2015.
Visits: 10.120 *