FirePhotography.net

Just prior to 5pm today crews were called to multiple reports of a house on fire in Gilingham St Woolloongabba. The Queenslander was well involved upon arrival and crews went into immediate action protecting exposures. A 2nd alarm was called with multiple appliances, control vehicle and senior officers responding. The fire was eventually brought under control and investigations continue as to the cause of the blaze.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

At approx 1pm fire crews were called to reports of a fire in the new bar of the Norman Hotel at Woolloongabba. On arrival a section of the hotel was well involved and a second alarm was called. Crews quickly went into action bringing the fire under control and preventing it spreading to the older historic part of the structure, which suffered smoke and water damage only. The bottle shop and beer garden however were destroyed. Initial reports indicate sparks from a grinder ignited a stack of polystyrene boxes in an area under construction. One worker was transported to hospital with minor burns.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

Recently I had the opportunity to watch some live fire training at the Live Fire Campus, part of the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy at Whyte Island. On this day a scenario was being conducted for Station Officers undergoing a tactical management course involving a MVC at petrol station with large fuel spill + nearby gas cylinders and storage tanks. Known as Armageddon because the participants get everything thrown at them.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

At about 1pm fire broke out in metal scrapyard at Rocklea. A 4th alarm was called with over ten appliances and specialist vehicles eventually on scene. Just working down the road I managed to get at the incident pretty quickly. There were no appliances around the rear when I arrived and after a short while the owner used his dozer to begin knocking down the fences. Crews then began attacking from the rear of the scrapyard.

Helitack 671 was brought in for observation only.

Although the incident was going to be quite protracted I had to leave shortly after to get back to work etc.

See Matt Hayes’ Website – Firecall for some shots later in the evening.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

At about 2.30pm firefighters were called to Overend St East Brisbane and upon arrival found a house well involved. A number of crews concentrated their efforts on protecting the houses on either side (exposures) both of which sustained fire damage to their roofs. The house were the blaze originated was destroyed. All of the buildings were unoccupied at the time.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

Over the last few days the Australiasian Road Rescue Organisation (ARRO) which is a leading body in our region for the development of knowledge and skills in road crash rescue has been conducting it’s yearly road rescue challenge.

The challenge has been hosted in conjuction with the QFRS (Queensland Fire & Rescue Service) and sees 22 teams from across Australia and South East Asia testing their skills in a four day event held at the Gold Coast Parklands. These teams are made of up fire services, ambulance services and other emergency services competing against each other for the title of Australasian Road Rescue Champion.

The event includes a learning symposium on heavy vehicle rescue and several challenges in a range of road crash rescue scenarios. The challenge was also open to the public allowing residents of Queensland the opportunity to witness some of the work that road rescuers undertake. To this end there was also a variety of displays and activities for the public such as mini fire engine rides for the kids, a range of emergency servics vehicles to explore, a cinema tent and a few static displays.

QFRS had four teams competing this year, Cairns, Caloundra, Moranbah and Lowood. These teams were the winners of the RCR State Challenge 2008 held recently at Ipswich. Caloundra did well and took out 3rd place, with Morrinsville UFBA (New Zealand Fire Service) collecting 2nd place whilst the team from Bacchus Marsh SES (Victoria) claimed the title of winner for 2008.

Baccus Marsh and Morrinsville now have the opportunity to represent ARRO at the 2009 World Rescue Challenge to be hosted by the Cherry Valley FD, Rockford Illinois.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

Over the weekend the weekend the Queensland Fire & Rescue Service has held it’s yearly Road Crash Rescue (RCR) State Challenge. Road Crash Rescue is difficult and stressful work that firefighters and paramedics would happily live without, however these types of events are necessary for them to stay up-to-date with the latest motor vehicle technology and developments in rescue techniques.

This year since Jan alone, QFRS has attended over 3,400 road crashes and extricated 507 people who were trapped in their vehicles.

Although it is a crying shame looking a brand new Territory with 70km on the clock being torn to shreds, the RCR provided a very good opportunity for the firefighter and paramedic teams to work on more current vehicles with Ford Australia kindly donating a large number of vehicles for the event. During training more often than not the firefighters are working on older vehicles however with newer cars being involved in crashes there can be extra considerations to be made such as access to the patient. Eg improved strength of the pillars with materials such as carbon fiber may require more powerful hydraulic tools and altered technique.

The winning team for RCR State Challenge 2008 was Cairns. The teams from Cairns, Caloundra, Moranbah and Lowood teams now have the opportunity to compete in the Australasian Road Rescue Challenge 2008 to be held in June.

I don’t have very many photos of the day as I had the rural firefighter hat on helping out and for a part of the day playing patient with a nice head wound.. Cut myself shaving, Bumped into a door, yes yes by the end of the day I’d heard them all… Anyway gave me a good chance to give the helmet cam a run, one of the ARRO (Australian Road Rescue Organisation) assessors was kind enough to wear it for me, so I do have some interesting footage of myself being extricated from a vehicle..

The rurals play an important role in the event, spending a number of days prior rendering the vehicles safe by removing such things as batteries fuel tanks etc and preparing them for them for the position they will be in. By this I mean, when you see a car wrapped around a pole for example and the car is half caved in, that doesn’t happen because the car and the pole are impacted together, the damage to the car is done prior using heavy machinery, and then the vehicle and pole are placed together at the commencement of the scenario. Rural firefighters also operate forklifts, positioning the vehicles etc as required and also man the pit area cleaning up any debris and ensuring the area remains safe.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set

The Queensland Fire & Rescue service operates a Kitchen Fire Display where they demonstrate the potential results from leaving items on the stove unattended and in how little time you can have ignition.

Cooking still represents the most significant cause of fire. (Consider that Canberra lost ~600 homes in devastating bushfires only a few years ago, and yet bushfire still represents only 10% cause of fire)

42% Cooking
18% Faulty electrical
10% Bushfire
8% Accidental indoors fire
5% Flammable liquid / gas leak
5% Other
4% Don’t know
3% Candles/oil burners
3% Open fire
2% Wood heater
2% Cigarettes

This sequence of photos demonstrates the explosive consequences of trying to extinguish an oil fire with water, a common mistake. In this case, using just one cup of water.

What’s actually happening here is this. The oil is left unattended and heats up to it’s ignition temperature, somewhere between 310-360 degrees, at which point it spontaneously combusts. When water is thrown onto the oil fire in attempt to extinguish, the water molecules come into contact with 300+ degree oil and instantaneously become steam. The same amount of water converted to steam will occupy 1700 times more volume, so when water is instantly converted to steam under these conditions, it is literally an explosive reaction. As the water expands to 1700 times it’s own volume this mass of tiny explosive reactions sprays the oil out of the top of the pot, virtually atomising the oil into a fine mist, which is effectively a volatile fuel air mixture that now ignites, the resulting fireball enveloping the kitchen, searing the lungs, burning the hair off the head etc.

The correct practice is to turn off the stove and leave the item where it is, place a fire blanket over the object to smother, back that up with a dry powder extinguisher if required and always call the fire brigade on 000 to report the fire. They will ensure the scene is safe and provide you with an official fire incident number which tends to make insurance claims go a bit quicker. If you are unable to contain the fire, turn off the source of heat, close off doors and windows to seal the fire in, evacuate the premises and account for occupants, call 000 and wait for the fire brigade to arrive. If you are unable to turn off the source of heat at the stove itself, turn off the supply, be it electrical or gas.

Note the tea towel hanging from the top of the frame.

QFRS Scientific officers have spent the night monitoring air quality around the scene of a factory fire in Salisbury. A total of 12 appliances (48 firefighters) and two teams of Scientific officers attended the blaze which broke out just before 9pm in Textile Cr, Salisbury.

The single storey building, approximately 60 by 30 metres, was believed to have been used to store foam and construct foam mattresses. It took firefighters about two-and-a-half hours to bring the fire under control and fire investigators and Police scientific officers will be on scene this morning to determine a cause.

Personnel from Police, Energex, Brisbane City Council and Work Place Health & Safety were also on scene during the incident.

Visit photo gallery album for complete set