Re: $$ up in smoke

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:58:44 -0400, "Jerry" <Hello@xxxxxxxx>
wrote:

"FMB" <fmbb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:qvdZh.18147$Kd3.7966@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Ron Recer" <ron48@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:59ksncF2llba7U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Friday lightening started a fire in a refinery tank holding 2 million
gallons of gasoline. Before that was brought under control an adjacent
tank containing 1 million gallons of diesel caught fire. They can't put
the fires out, but have kept them from spreading and both fires are
expected to burn themselves out in the next few days. If you are
traveling on I-35 near Wynnewood, OK and see smoke to the east it is the
refinery fire.

Ron

I can't think of any reason beyond 'irresponsibility' to let them burn
out. There are just too many good companies out there that would put them
out. (Boots & Coots and Williams Fire are a couple) So many ways, so much
foam, large nozzles, LDH and pumps... oh well...

FMB
(North Mexico)

Do you really think that Boots & Coots could have gotten there in time to
make a difference? Let's just blame the local fire departments responding
to the disaster.


You and FMB both have it wrong. Calif Bill has it right.

First, everything depends on the details, and they change by the
minute. In general you can't put out a really large fuel fire
with tons of water without making a larger problem. Fuel floats
on top. You'll quickly push it elsewhere. The dikes can be
overwhelmed.

You can try to contain it. You cannot save what is already gone.

If you are very very damn lucky, and enough people and equipment
get there early enough, you can lay a layer of foam across the
top of a tank or pool and smother it. There are automatic
systems to do this in a tank, but obviously they failed in this
case. What you want most of all is for it not to spread. Most
of these tank farms contain many tanks. You can easily turn a
limited but serious problem into a godawful disaster.

You want to contain it. You want to protect exposures. You set
a defensible perimeter and get it to burn in a predictable and
measured and relatively safe way until the fuel is exhausted.

Don't panic. Don't be foolish. Define the problem and keep the
effects as small as possible. Think.

Remember what is important. Everyone goes home safe.

Bob


http://www.arcatapet.net/bobgiddings
.

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