It’s the dead of winter in much of North America and in many locations heating units in commercial and industrial buildings have been working hard. Unfortunately some of these units won’t make it to spring: Each year many commercial/industrial heating units malfunction keeping local fire departments busy. These incidents range from the simple (a failed blower motor that produces only a smoky odor) to the complex (a well-involved oil-fired boiler). By preplanning and training you can successfully control heater fires while staying safe.
Battling the Boiler
Commercial and industrial buildings can be heated by a number of different mechanisms. The building may be conditioned by individual heating/cooling units which are often mounted on the rooftop or around the building (either inside or outside). Central boilers or water heater units can also be used to send steam or hot water to individual heating units throughout the building. In the case of these remote heating units unless they rely on a blower there’s little opportunity for a fire to occur at a remote unit. The primary hazard is in the main boiler/furnace room.
Codes typically call for boiler/furnace rooms to be separated from the surrounding occupancies by at least a 1-hour fire separation. During inspections and preplan walk-throughs firefighters should keep a keen eye on these separations to verify that they haven’t been compromised. These separations buy critical time for building occupants to evacuate and for firefighters to set up to battle the fire.
Tip: You can use positive-pressure ventilation to help contain smoke in the boiler/furnace room although you will need to identify a suitable place to vent the smoke.
Straight to the Source
To successfully handle fires involving burners and furnaces you must shut down the fuel source. Once you control the source the fire may simply go out. If it doesn’t you may be able to extinguish any remaining fire with fire extinguishers or a small handline.
Remember: Dry chemical extinguishers can be extremely effective on these types of fires but wherever possible try to use a carbon dioxide extinguisher to finish extinguishing boiler/furnace fires. This will help minimize any additional damage. You may need to use foam if spilled fuel is on fire around the boiler/furnace.
Natural gas or fuel oil typically fire industrial and commercial boilers/furnaces though some units use propane. Also many fuel oil burners use propane to fire their pilot flames. There are also many dual-fuel units that can burn fuel oil and a gaseous fuel. Following are tips to keep in mind when dealing with each:
- Gas: Burners and furnaces fired by gas will be connected to the gas train by one or more valves. A main gas valve may also lead to the building or the room. It’s important to know where these valves are located and which pieces of equipment they control so that you can quickly stop the flow of gas when necessary. You should also know what other equipment will be affected when you shut the valve.
- Oil: If the unit is fired by oil there will be one or more supply valves. Fires involving oil-fired units may result in fuel spills which you will need to control to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the incident area.
- Electricity: There are some electric-powered industrial/commercial heating units (typically water heaters). When responding to incidents involving this type of equipment you will normally need to shut off the power to the unit.
- Alternative Fuels: You may find boiler/furnace units that use alternative fuels including wood solid waste corn cobs methane or some other more exotic material. In addition wood- and coal-fired heating units are still being used. Both types of units require fuel to be stored nearby. You must be familiar with the location of the stored fuel and must be prepared to protect it from a boiler/furnace fire. If the fire has already involved the fuel supply wetting agents such as compressed air foam can prove useful for deep-seated fires.
We can expect commercial and industrial users to continue experimenting with innovative fuels. As firefighters we must be prepared to handle incidents involving these fuels.
Whether you’re able to control any fire involving a boiler/furnace can hinge on your ability to shut down the fuel source especially if a gaseous fuel is involved. Remember: Any boiler or pressure vessel especially those that use some type of gaseous fuel has the potential to explode which can throw parts across the room.
Rooftop & Ground Units
Some commercial/industrial facilities are heated by rooftop or ground-mounted individual units scattered around the building. Many of these use natural gas to generate heat while some use electricity. Although not common some units are fueled by propane.
Often fires involving these units can be quickly controlled by shutting down the flow of gas fuel or electricity to the unit. The shutoff valves are often close to the units. To get close enough to the valve to shut it down you might need hoseline protection. It may be more appropriate however to find the main gas or electric supply and shut down all of the equipment to control the fire in the involved unit.
Getting to the roof may be vital so truck companies or properly sized ground ladders must be in place. Fires involving rooftop units could spread to combustible roofing materials so firefighters going to the roof must be prepared to deal with a fire involving these items.
Before You Go
Preplanning for fires involving heating equipment is essential to success. Following are a couple of things to determine before you go on a call:
- The location of emergency stop or kill switches to shut down commercial/industrial boilers and heating units. These may be located on or near the equipment or they may be located in a control room or in a location far from the unit. You might need tools to operate fuel valves or other shutoffs. Preplanning can help you identify these switches and learn what tools you will need to operate them as well as what they control.
- The locations of boiler or furnace rooms and equipment. These are generally located at the sides or rear of the building. An effective attack may be better launched from those areas rather than from the front of the building. Proper initial apparatus placement based on preplans is critical to rapid incident control.
Conclusion
Fires involving commercial/industrial heating equipment present many hazards but they can be controlled quickly. By controlling the utilities to the unit preventing the incident from spreading and knowing where equipment is located and how to use built-in controls and safeties firefighters can safely and successfully extinguish heater fires.
