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What are
the environmental risks from the water used to put out a house fire … an
automobile fire … a chemical plant fire? These were the primary questions
addressed in three reports (The Ecotoxicity of Fire-Water Runoff )
prepared for the New Zealand Fire Service Commission. Part 1 is a
literature review
http://www.fire.org.nz/more_info/reports
/fund/reports/Report_17.htm ; Part 2 has the results from several
incidents that were monitored
http://www.fire.org.nz/more_info/reports
/fund/reports/Report_18.htm; Part 3 sets
forth a
framework for risk
management
http://www.fire.org.nz/more_info/reports
/fund/reports/Report_19.htm. As one might predict, the house fire
represented the least amount of damage to the environment. In several
structural fire incidents that were monitored, the runoff from an
automobile shop fire was the most hazardous to aquatic life. A fruit shop
fire runoff had metal concentrations comparable to but smaller than that
when data from a large industrial plastics warehouse that occurred outside
of New Zealand were reviewed. The water runoff from the fire
scene could be acutely toxic to the
aquatic ecosystems. The severity of the problem depends upon the types and size of the structures involved, the extent of the burn, and the contents within the structures. Fire authorities and the environmental authorities are encouraged to work together to create a framework for risk management by using available computer based tools, for example, Geographic Information System, to locate critical areas to assist in implementing prevention and management plans.
For information, contact Jefferson Fowles at jeff.fowles@esr.cri.nz
Or Dr. Paula Beever, Principal Fire Engineer, at paula.beever@fire.org.nz
One of three reports sponsored by the New Zealand Fire Service Commission.
NIST, through the U.S. Embassy in Chile, played a key role in an historic achievement in Chile, according to John A. Harris, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago.
Following a dramatic increase in building construction in Chile during the last 10 years, fire losses also increased. Chile was a country that lacked local fire testing capabilities. In 1998, working through the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, a concept for a fire laboratory was developed to meet three objectives:
To provide product fire testing to meet U.S. and international standards (a vital commercial benefit to Chile); to serve in educating and training fire professionals by Chilean and American experts; and, to conduct research and development in the field.
From NIST, David Evans, Anthony Hamins, Walter Jones, and Randy Lawson of Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) and Ileana Martinez and Harry Oppermann of Technology Services (TS), were instrumental in providing technical support and advice. Other U.S. experts also were involved.
In March 2002 the concept became a reality. A one-of-a-kind fire laboratory, integrating many U.S. products—controls, burners, and thermocouples—and the most important, U.S. knowledge and expertise, opened for business. The design of the laboratory is unique, with a rotating furnace that can test items of different sizes.
It complies with and applies U.S. and international standards, including those of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).
For more information, contact: Ileana Martinez, (1) + 301-975-2766, ileana.martinez@nist.gov.
Installation of The Materials Testing Oven for Chile's new fire testing laboratory.
