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2.18 Fires

Truck fires can cause damage and injury. Learn the causes of fires and how to prevent them. Know what to do to extinguish fires. Following are some causes of vehicle fires:

• After accidents - Spilled fuel, improper use of flares.
• Tires - Underinflated tires and duals that touch.
• Electrical system - Short circuits due to damaged insulation, loose connections.
• Fuel - Driver smoking, improper fueling, loose fuel connections.
• Cargo - Flammable cargo, improperly sealed or loaded, poor ventilation.

Fire Prevention

Pay attention to the following:

• Pre-trip inspection - Make a complete inspection of the electrical, fuel and exhaust systems, tires and cargo. Be sure to check that the fire extinguisher is charged.
• Enroute inspection - Check the tires, wheels and truck body for signs of heat whenever you stop during a trip.
• Follow safety procedures - Follow correct safety procedures for fueling the vehicle, using brakes, handling flares and other activities that can cause a fire.
• Monitoring - Check the instruments and gauges often for signs of overheating, and use the mirrors to look for signs of smoke from tires or the vehicle.

Use normal caution in handling anything flammable.

Fire Fighting

Knowing how to fight fires is important. Fires have been made worse by drivers who do not know what to do. Know how the fire extinguisher works. Study the instructions printed on the extinguisher before you need it. Follow these procedures in case of a fire:

Pull off the road:

The first step is to get the vehicle off the road and stop.

• Park in an open area, away from buildings, trees, brush, other vehicles or anything that might catch fire.
• Do not pull into a service station.
• Notify emergency services of your problem and your location.

Keep the fire from spreading:

Before trying to put out the fire, make sure it does not spread any further.

• With an engine fire, turn off the engine as soon as you can. Do not open the hood if you can avoid it. Shoot extinguishers through louvers or radiator or from the underside of the vehicle.
• For a cargo fire in a van or box trailer, keep the doors shut, especially if your cargo contains hazardous materials. Opening the van doors will supply the fire with oxygen and can cause it to burn very fast.

Use the right fire extinguisher:

• The B:C type fire extinguisher is designed to work on electrical fires and burning liquids. The A:B:C type is designed to work on burning wood, paper and cloth as well.
• Water can be used on wood, paper or cloth, but do not use water on an electrical fire (you could get shocked) or a gasoline fire (it will just spread the flames).
• A burning tire must be cooled. Lots of water may be required.
• If you are not sure what to use, especially on a hazardous materials fire, wait for qualified firefighters.

Extinguish the fire:

• Only try to extinguish a fire if you know what you are doing and it is safe to do so.
• When using the extinguisher, stay as far away from the fire as possible.
• Aim at the source or base of the fire, not up in the flames.
• Position yourself upwind. Let the wind carry the extinguisher to the fire rather than carrying the flames to you.
• Continue until whatever was burning has been cooled. Absence of smoke or flames does not mean the fire is completely out or cannot restart.