Ethanol: How do we put it out?

[Future Fireman 4]

Alright, being that I don't have explorer post until next week, my question is how do we put out ethanol fires? I remember a type of foam or a chemical agent is needed, but what EXACTLY is needed?

This could also be a refresher for those who forgot this stuff already (although I would would hope you didn't )

Mike

[lad12derff 283]

ETHANOL - Major New Hazard

Ethanol fuel spill or fire is a new concern for the fire service. Ethanol can be found in its pure state or mixed with gasoline and both can be found in transportation. Ethanol is also called Ethyl Alcohol or Moonshine.

Ethanol is mixed with gasoline. E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, while E10 is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. E10 is commonly found in cars. Ethanol is now the #1 rail transported product, with 350,000 annual railcars, usually rail cars carry pure ethanol. MC306 Tanker trucks generally care either E85 or E10 with approximately 8,400 tanker trips annually. Which is about 10% of the total tanker trips.

Ethanol is a polar solvent which means it mixes with water. Gasoline is a non-polar solvent, when gasoline and ethanol are mixed they create a unique series of problems for the fire service.

If it is burning the only effective extinguishing agent is Alcohol Resistant AFFF (AR-AFFF) which is the only foam that works. Never MIX Different brands of AR AFFF, they will eat one another. Additionally, foam if not gently applied will sink in ethanol and it will not come back to the surface, so it must be banked off a wall or dropped onto the street in front of it and eased into it. The other concern is how much foam is needed, which is dramatically more than with other flammables. The 1% / 3% (Hydrocarbons / Polar Solvents) AR-AFFF that we have is considered the most appropriate for Ethanol and should be set at 3%.

15 gallons from a car tank that has spilled on the ground and ignited will require approximately 10-16 gpm of foam concentrate for a minimum of 15 minutes, which is 150 to 230 gallons of concentrate or 30 to 46 foam buckets. If an M306 gasoline tanker were to spill its entire load the requirements would be approximately 80,000 – 128,000 gallons of concentrate or 16,000 to 25,600 foam buckets. I do not believe that much concentrate exists in the entire region. Airport Crash Trucks are not an option, they do not carry Alcohol Resistant Foam. The Federal Response Teams (EPA & USCG) have yet to formulate a plan. If the fire occurs in a loading dock the flow rate needs to be doubled. If the spill is contained in a diked area, the application time doubles, but the amount of foam needed maybe less based on total square footage.

Best bet is protect exposures with master streams and try to prevent it from getting into storm drains.

If it has spilled, with no fire, it needs to be contained, which includes using foam for vapor suppression and vacuumed up by a licensed clean-up company. Absorbents (speedy-dry, pads, socks, etc.) will absorb the gasoline but not the ethanol, leaving 100% ethanol.

Just received this from our safety division hope it helps.

Edited April 3, 2008 by lad12derff

[Bnechis 3,961]

"How to put it out"?

Tell congress to stop subsidizing it.

It is not Environmentally friendly....they use patrolium based furtilzers and coal to process. it uses more energy than it makes.

It's caused price increases in corn, & wheat....raising the price of food.

We need alternative energy...but this is not it.