Vehicle Fires – Hazards, Fire Safety and Fire Extinguisher Demonstration

Why Vehicle Fires Are So Dangerous

Vehicle fires can develop rapidly and become extremely dangerous. Modern vehicles contain a wide range of combustible materials, including petrol or diesel, plastics, upholstery, electrical wiring, batteries, hydraulic components and airbags. Together, these can make a vehicle fire unpredictable and difficult to control.

As a fire develops, components may fail violently, producing loud bangs as airbags deploy or pressurised components rupture. Burning plastics, upholstery and other materials can also produce toxic smoke and gases, making it unsafe to remain close to the vehicle.

Vehicle Fire Demonstration

For this demonstration, an estate car with its complete interior was used to replicate the type of vehicle that may be encountered on the road. The fire was allowed to become fully established before firefighting began.

During the demonstration, the sounds of airbags deploying and components failing could be heard as the fire intensified, illustrating the hazards presented by a fully involved vehicle fire.

Using the Zenova FX Fire Extinguisher

A Zenova FX fire extinguisher was used to tackle the fire under controlled demonstration conditions.

Initially, the flames appeared to remain unchanged as the extinguishing agent was applied. However, the FX fluid was absorbing heat from the burning materials, gradually reducing the temperature until the flames began to diminish.

As hidden pockets of fire became accessible, the firefighter continued applying the extinguishing agent until the visible flames were brought under control.

Hidden Fire Risks Inside Vehicles

Vehicle fires are particularly difficult to extinguish because flames can spread into areas that are not immediately visible, including behind trim panels, inside the dashboard, beneath seats and within the engine compartment.

These hidden pockets of fire can continue to burn after the visible flames have been reduced, requiring continued cooling to prevent reignition.

Environmental Considerations

Traditional firefighting methods often require large quantities of water to extinguish and cool a fully involved vehicle fire. Water run-off from vehicle fires may become contaminated with fuel, oils, plastics and other hazardous substances, potentially affecting drainage systems and the surrounding environment.

In this controlled demonstration, the use of the Zenova FX extinguishing agent required significantly less liquid than would typically be used during a conventional firefighting response, reducing the amount of contaminated run-off generated during the test.

Firefighter Safety

Reducing heat quickly can improve control of the incident and may help reduce exposure to some hazards. However, firefighters and anyone attempting to tackle a vehicle fire must still be aware of the risks posed by exploding components, toxic smoke, structural collapse and hidden fire pockets.

Vehicle fires should only be tackled if it is safe to do so, a suitable extinguisher is available and there is always a clear escape route.

Key Safety Advice

If a vehicle is well alight, move everyone to a place of safety, call the fire and rescue service and keep well away from the vehicle.

Portable fire extinguishers are intended primarily for dealing with small fires in their early stages or for helping create a safe means of escape. They should never be used if personal safety is placed at risk.

Key Learning Points

• Vehicle fires can spread rapidly and involve multiple fire hazards.
• Burning vehicles can produce toxic smoke, exploding airbags and failing pressurised components.
• Hidden pockets of fire may continue burning even after visible flames have been reduced.
• Cooling is essential to reduce the risk of reignition.
• Always maintain a safe distance and a clear escape route.
• Call the fire and rescue service immediately if the fire cannot be controlled safely.