Oil Burner Emergencies:
Responding and operating at an oil burner incident is a common, everyday occurrence for many in the fire service. During the colder weather months, firefighters will respond to numerous emergencies that involve oil-fired heating systems. For fire departments that experience challenges from oil fire heating systems, fire officers need to be prepared to deal with the common delayed ignition, and the not so common white ghost.
This training bulletin is not designed to turn you into a heating system technician. It is designed to provide the firefighter and fire officer with a few operational tips with oil burner incidents.
Delayed Ignition: Delayed ignition, puff backs, kick backs, or as they are also called, blow backs, can occur in a heating system when unburned atomized fuel is ignited at the start of a burner cycle resulting in an explosion. The explosion itself can vary in size and effect. It can be as minor as a small thud quickly followed by a puff of smoke. This is the most common. It could also be more intense resulting in the dislodging of the heating units flue pipes filling the basement with smoke, or it can blow open the fire box door sending fire across the room. Well-maintained systems have protective systems in place to prevent such occurrences, but as in any mechanical system, faulty or poor maintenance is a high possibility.
OPERATIONAL TIPS for DELAYED IGNITIONS
Enroute/Arrival Steps:
- Ensure all members are in full PPE/SCBA – delayed ignition incidents have the potential to be dangerous to say nothing of the hazards of the oil-saturated smoke.
- Observe conditions and odor upon arrival – With a delayed ignition, there is often a distinct odor that identifies the incident. Also be aware of heavy smoke coming from the chimney, or smoke that may indicate more than a simple puff back. Be prepared, you may actually be entering into a basement/structure fire.
Action Guideline:
- Assign members to bring in a few fire extinguishers – Extinguisher options should include a CO2, dry chemical, or AFFF extinguisher.
- Order a hose line stretched – Fire extinguishers by themselves are not enough. Stretch a 1-3/4 hose line as a backup.
- Prior to entering the basement/cellar area, shut the remote control switch to the heating unit – This is usually identified as a red electrical switch/box installed outside the burner room.
- Ventilate the affected area.
- Shut off the fuel supply from the oil tank into the burner. If approachable, this will generally be a copper hose line that is goes directly from the tank to the burner. It can be strung along the wall, floor or attached to the underside of the first floor joists. Trace out the line and find the shutoff valve.
- Avoid operating in front of or near the burner unit – the heating unit can violently pulsate and force the firebox door open injuring a firefighter
- Extinguish any fire outside the burner.
- Monitor any fire in the firebox and allow it to burn itself out – Applying any water in the fuel box can result in devastating steam/oil burns to your firefighters.
- Search all floors for any overcome building occupants.
- Check for any fire extension – Thoroughly check and remove any affected combustibles in the basement and around structural members in the basement area.
- Check for any fire extension in and around the flue pipe.
- Check for a possibly chimney fire.
- Check for fire extension on the floor directly above.
- Always use utilize thermal imaging when checking for fire extension.
- Once under control – advise the homeowner of findings and the service needs of the heating system
- Check CO levels prior to allow occupants and owner to re-occupy the building.
- If the building cannot be reoccupied due to a loss of heat, assist the building owner/tenants with relocation to a warm shelter. (i.e. Red Cross, etc.)
White Ghost: A white ghost is a situation that describes a lethal combination of vaporized oil, heat and air, all in a confined space. The right combination of the three can produce an explosion and accompanying fireball that can relocate the structure’s walls. Although their occurrences are few and far between, they are the type of incident that you will never forget.
A white ghost is a white cloud of super heated vaporized oil that is released from the combustion chamber of a heating unit. As we mentioned above, when a heating unit fails to ignite the vaporized oil in the fire box, a delayed ignition or puff back can occur dislodging the units flue pipe or forcing opening the combustion chamber’s door. These openings will allow the highly heated oil cloud to escape into the basement/cellar of the structure. As the vapor escapes from the openings, it will expand as it is heated by the chamber walls and flue pipe. This release of oil vapor creates an explosive atmosphere that is seeking the right combination of air and heat to ignite. If it finds one, the results can be devastating.
OPERATIONAL TIPS for WHITE GHOSTS
Enroute/Arrival:
- Ensure all members are in full PPE/SCBA – These can be devastating incidents causing severe damage and death.
- Observe smoke color, location and any accompanying odor. A strong smell of oil accompanied by what appears to be a white cloud from the basement is indicating a white ghost.
Action Guideline:
- Evacuate all members from the area/building – This should include the basement area as a minimum.
- Evacuation may include the entire building – If conditions indicate the need to evacuate the structure, treat the incident as a defensive operation until sufficient ventilation and cooling can take affect.
- Ensure protective hoselines are stretched and charged.
- When possible, attempt to shut down the heating unit at the remote switch.
- Attempt to eliminate all ignition sources.
- All mitigation steps must be done under the protection a stretched and charged hoselines.
- Ventilate the area.
- Operate a fog stream to cool the vapor cloud and space.
- Be prepared to deal with an explosion, extending fire, and a possible structural collapse.
Incidents that involve super heated, vaporized oil are just two more examples of situations that fire fighters and fire officers need to be prepared for. Stay safe!
- For more information go to fireopsonline.com
- For more information on routine emergencies, see “Responding to Routine Emergencies” by BC Frank Montagna, FDNY, Fire Engineering books.
- For more operational guides, see “Fire Ground Operational Guides” by DC Frank Viscuso Kearny, NJ, and DC Michael Terpak, Jersey City, Fire Engineering Books.
