Firefighter Vs. Exploding Boat

[Guest]

Check out this video. A firefighter is lighting a boat on fire for a demonstration, thing is he is on the boat, and when he lights it on fire the whole boat explodes with him on it...luckily he gets out alive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ7WLMf2nPY

[HFD750 6]

lucky to be alive.Why would he lite it from inside the boat? Where was he going to go once the boat was on fire?

Edited July 24, 2006 by HFD750

[llm60 0]

That is one lucky SOB!!!

[irishfire2491 24]

did any one ever think about throwing a flare in to the boat from a safe distance ???????

Luck he did not get killed!!!!!

[xfirefighter484x 234]

My understanding of this incident:

A regular drill, this FD does a boat fire drill. This firefighter was in the process of setting the accelerant (gasoline) to speed up the fire. Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten that it is the fumes of gasoline that burn, and did not realize that the fumes had accumulated underneath the canopy of the boat, and when he threw the torch, it flashed, resulting in, well, this video.

A thing to keep in mind, always, that the vapors burn, not the liquid itself!

I can not stess it enough either,

FULL PPE!!!

FULL PPE!!!

FULL PPE!!!

One reason that this individual escaped with as minor injuries as he did (I believe only minor burns to one wrist, due to his glove being off).

[Guest alsfirefighter]

That clip has been around for some time, if I remember correctly that occurred in the mid to late 80's. This was a training exercise for lifeguards.

The biggest thing that could have prevented this is following NFPA 1403 Standard for Live Fire Training Evolutions.

Flammable liquids are prohibited and only limited quanitites of combustible liquid is allowed in the standard. Diesel fuel is even difficult to ignite with a road flare and simple hay would have done the trick.

[BIGRED1 71]

I have to wonder why he was on the boat at all. the job could have been done by setting a small fire say in the bow and then get off and let it grow to a bigger fire. As seen in the video, throwing a bucket of gasoline on wood and rags might not have been the smartest thing to do. i am guessing but it looks like the wood/rag combo take up about a 15' x 20' area. the boat couldn't been more then a 30' boat, was all that really necessary? of course not.

goes to show how wearing you PPE can really save your butt cause that was a fairly good shot he took. lucky a peice of wood from the fuel or from the boat itself didn't get him. It is all common sence. if he had stepped off the boat onto the dingy and just threw a flare and gunned it out of there it would have been alot smarter, but i guess he just had tunnel vision on that one.

stay safe guys

[Guest Rich DD]

Well, another video to teach new instructors what NOT to do!!! Its amazing how stupid people are able to live through some thing like that.

[Bunkers 0]

being out on the water in turnout gear is a brilliant idea. if you go in, you float like a rock.

this guy was extremely dumb, but extremely lucky. A boat fire drill should never be conducted like this.