FireWatch

FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.

Useful Electrical Safety Tips for the Homeowner

Useful Electrical Safety Tips for the Homeowner

"Home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly than 500 deaths, more than 1,400 injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage. Electrical distribution systems are the third leading cause of home structure fires. Each year in the United...

Fighting Fire with Fire Time Challenges

Fighting Fire with Fire Time Challenges

"As flames spread up the hill toward million-dollar homes, the firefighters scrambled to keep pace. “It’s starting to move up the trees!” shouted Jason King as Steve Zieba raced ahead with a hose, slipping on the steep incline before aiming his nozzle at a burning...

US Navy Releases Report on Loss of USS Bonhomme Richard

US Navy Releases Report on Loss of USS Bonhomme Richard

"On 12 July 2020, a fire set USS BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD-6) ablaze for more than four days, and left the ship damaged beyond economical repair. Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire. In the 19...

Shutting Down Fire Sprinklers Too Soon

Shutting Down Fire Sprinklers Too Soon

"Warehouses are often lost because of failure to adhere to three basic principles. We evaluated eight total loss warehouse fires where sprinklers were controlling the fire, or where the fire was thought to be completely extinguished, and yet ended in a total loss....

Storage Tank Concerns and Inspections

Storage Tank Concerns and Inspections

"American Petroleum Institute (API) created the API 650, 651 and 653 to provide standards for the safe storage of petroleum products. These standards were designed to protect employees, the public and the environment. However, it is the tank owner’s responsibility to...

Fire Researcher Opines that the World is in An Age of Fire

Fire Researcher Opines that the World is in An Age of Fire

"In fire historian Stephen Pyne’s opinion, we’re living in an age he calls the Pyrocene, a period of rising global temperatures and wildfires on an unprecedented scale. “If we think about adding up all the ways we’re using fire, we’re creating the fire equivalent of...

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