Each year voluntary fire fighters and citizens die in South Africa as a
result of raging veld fires. Some die while fighting veld fires others
when trapped by flames while trying to protect their personal belongings
or in many cases they are just swamped by flames trying to flee from
the inferno. These people die as a result of smoke inhalation, hot
gases and serious burns. Several people died this year trying to extinguish veld fires.
The main
reason for these deaths appears to be the sudden change in wind
direction whereby people get trapped and then engulfed by flames and
smoke. The sudden change in wind direction is not a rare occurrence when
fighting fires. I am not going to go into detail here but one should
always have several escape routes when fighting fires. What happens if I
am trapped and there is no way out?
In the US all fire fighters working to extinguish bush and veld fires
are issued with a Fire Shelter. No bush or veld firefighter (farmers,
farm workers, voluntary fire fighters) should be without a personal fire
shelter! I am the opinion that a Fire Shelter must be mandatory equipment for every person fighting a veld fire even for families that live in areas where veld fires are a frequent occurance. In an emergency situation, the fire shelter could save a
life. The new-generation fire shelter provides increased protection
from radiant and convective heat in bush and veld firefighter
entrapment situations.
It must be clearly understood that a fire
shelter is safety device of last resort and that general safety when
fighting fires are of the utmost priority.
Protection of human life, both firefighters and civilians, is first
priority. When arriving on a scene a fire crew must establish a safety
zone(s), escape routes, verify communication is in place and designate
lookouts. This allows the firefighters to engage a fire with options for
a retreat should their current situation become unsafe. Although other
safety zones should be designated, areas already burned generally
provide a safe refuge from fire provided they have cooled sufficiently,
are accessible, and have burned enough fuels so as to not reignite.
Briefings must be done to inform new fire resources of hazards and other
pertinent information.
Great emphasis is placed on safety and preventing entrapment, or a
situation where escape from the fire is impossible. Prevention of this
situation is reinforced with a list of watch out situations for
firefighters to be aware of, which warn of potentially dangerous
situations. South Africans fighting veld fires should in future carry a
fire shelter as a last resort. In this inescapable situation, the
shelter will provide limited protection from radiant and convective
heat, as well as superheated air.
A fire shelter is a safety device of last resort used by bush and veld
firefighters when trapped by wildfires. It is designed to reflect
radiant heat, protect against convective heat, and trap breathable air
(most firefighters deaths are from inhaling hot gases) in an attempt to
save the firefighter's life.
Fire shelters are constructed layers of aluminum foil, woven silica, and
fiberglass. When deployed, its maximum dimensions are approximately
218.44 cm x 39.37 cm x 78.74 cm and is shaped like a mound.
When the
shelter is packed into its carrying case, its dimensions are
approximately 21.59 cm x 13.97 cm x 10.16 cm. The New-Generation fire
shelter was developed in 2002 to replace the old style fire shelter
which is shaped like a pup-tent and has a carrying case. Its dimensions
are smaller than that of the old-Generation shelter.
Although fire shelters might save lives in South Africa, we should bear
in mind that voluntary fire fighters should at all times focus on
safety and preventing entrapment, or a situation where escape from a
fire is impossible. Take care out there when fighting veld and bush
fires in South Africa!!
The first known use of a fire shelter was in 1804, when a boy was saved
from a prairie fire when his mother covered him with a fresh bison hide.
Clark noted in his journal that the fire did not burn the grass around
the boy.
- SAWXREP + MSBWX
