Fire Prevention
Going
Up In a Puff of Smoke.....
One of those cool, crisp, clear winter
days. A perfect day to take the Classic
for a cruise. The motor is smooth and
quiet and the road is clear and
straight. Your lateral vision picks up a
wisp of something drifting from beneath
the bonnet. Before you have time to
react, the wisp becomes an ominous black
cloud. You pull over to the side of the
road and notice the smoke from beneath
the bonnet is now pouring from every
aperture. Your pride and joy is quickly
engulfed in flames. Beyond salvage, you
can only regret that you didn’t double
check that little wiring job you had
done a week before. Perhaps a fire
extinguisher might have been a better
investment than the new radio.
Cars, particularly older cars, are
susceptible to fire. The electrical
systems, whilst well protected with
fuses, are the most frequent cause of
fire, usually because the basic
precautions have not been taken. Correct
fuses, checks to ensure the integrity of
insulation and protection where wiring
is prone to movement or abrasion, all
assist in ensuring electrical systems
continue to function. Is the battery
held securely in place in your car? Are
the cover plates likely to short across
battery terminals? All these factors can
lead to a car fire.
What about your fuel system? Does it
leak? Are all the fuel lines in good
condition and all connections tight and
sealed? Is the carburetor prone to
backfire and/or leakage? Exhaust systems
are the other major cause of vehicle
fires. Is the exhaust sealed, firmly
attached to the vehicle and with
adequate space between the exhaust and
bodywork to ensure cooling and reduce
transmission of heat? Is it clear of
cables and wires.
There are a number of actions which can
minimize the likelihood and impact of
fire in a car. First and foremost every
vehicle should be fitted with a fire
extinguisher. The most suitable
extinguisher for your vehicle is a
dry
chemical powder extinguisher. This
extinguisher is suited to fires in
flammable liquids and electrical fires,
and is considered to be the best
lightweight general purpose
extinguisher. It should be located in a
position which makes it readily
accessible in the event of a vehicle
fire. Most extinguishers are mounted and
firmly affixed to the body inside the
cockpit. The trunk provides a
satisfactory alternative. One in both
places is ideal.
An extinguisher installed in the engine
compartment will not be accessible in
the event of a beneath-hood fire. It is
also not recommended to lift the hood in
the event of a fire in the engine
compartment. The inflow of air will only
accelerate the fire and make it more
difficult to extinguish. If smoke is
seen coming from the engine compartment
of your car, the hood should be released
and only raised to a level which allows
accurate operation of the extinguisher
on the seat of the fire. This ensures
maximum effectiveness of the available
extinguishing agent.
In all vehicles, a
battery isolation
switch which is conveniently located
will ensure rapid isolation of current
from faulty wires or burning electrical
equipment. In older vehicles this
isolator switch is essential due to the
likelihood of wiring deterioration.
Fuses should be checked and correct
fuses installed for the designed
purpose. Higher calibration fuses should
not be installed, so that circuits do
not overload causing heat and
deterioration of wiring.
A car fire, particularly one fuelled by
gas will be difficult to extinguish by
the contents of a single extinguisher.
It is essential that the fire be
extinguished. In the event of a critical
situation and without the appropriate
extinguisher, a garden hose is an
excellent backup. Quite large fires can
be extinguished by utilizing the spray
function on your garden hose. Water
damage will always be less than the
results of an uncontrolled fire.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly,
many cars are lost as the result of
garage fires. Normal precautions within
your garage can minimize the risk of
fire particularly the use of solvents,
fuels and chemicals which may result in
fire. Faulty electrical systems can also
lead to fire as can grinding, welding
and other activities carried out in
rebuilding, modifying or maintaining
your car. Install smoke alarms in your
garage, a fire extinguisher and a fire
blanket and you minimize the risk.
