Fighting Wildfires Australia United States South Africa - Passive fire-protection systems
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MARCH 2020 Fighting Wildfires • Australia • United States • South Africa Insurer Guide: Passive fire-protection systems • Restoring Notre Dame Cathedral • Protecting our mining assets • New fire exhibition launched • Advances in automated firefighting
CONTENTS 2 TRAINING FPASA fire-training courses for 2020 4 VIEW The Editor’s view on industry topics and the contents of this issue 6 WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 The 2019–20 Australian wildfire season has been described as cataclysmic and unprecedented 16 WILDFIRES: INDIGENOUS FIRE MANAGEMENT The future of Vol 46 No 1 • March 2020 bushfire management lies in embracing Indigenous expertise ISSN 0259 - 1766 18 WILDFIRES: S.A. FILM DOCUMENTARY New educational documentary highlights the complexity of wildfires in the Western Cape 20 WILFIRES: PRESCRIBED BURNS The tactic of prescribed burns encounters ongoing hurdles in America’s West 23 WILDFIRES: INVESTIGATION Startling negligence by a utility company caused a devastating wildfire 26 INSURER PROPERTY PROTECTION GUIDE Acceptability of BUILT TO passive fire-protection systems in the South African environment COVER: To tie in with our special Wildfires 30 FIRE EXHIBITIONS Securex 2020 is all fired up with the feature, the stunning cover photo is by MEET THE introduction of the new Firexpo exhibition Justin Sullivan of Cape Town-based Sullivan Photography, which has produced ‘Walking 32 LIBRARY Summaries of fire-related articles available from With Fire: A Wildfire Documentary’ for the the FPASA Library Western Cape Government Provincial NEEDS OF ALL Disaster Management and Fire and Rescue 35 REMOTE-CONTROLLED MONITORS An analysis of remote- Services. Read more about the controlled monitors for fixed firefighting systems documentary on pg 18 COMMUNITIES 40 COMMERCE Passive fire protection through fire compartments in construction and maintenance 42 COMMERCE A new range of smoke detectors for the South African market 44 PROTECTING MINING ASSETS Fire-protection systems are STORAGE TANKS AND WATER SOLUTIONS essential for high-value mining industry assets Australia’s Black summer ® SBS Tanks , a proudly South African company based in Pinetown, Kwazulu Natal, specialises in liquid storage solutions 47 FDIA MEMBERSHIP LISTING Cataclysmic and unprecedented wildfires within the South African market servicing a multitude of industry sectors including Mining, Fire Protection, Municipal, See page 6 Water Conservation, Food and Beverage, and Agriculture. The SBS Tanks® range has been designed, developed and engineered with expertise gained from over 20 years of Publisher Design and Production Advertising executive Fire Protection Association of De Roche Repro Barbara Spence experience within the international water storage industry. SBS Tanks® offers a broad product range of liquid storage Southern Africa Avenue Advertising Printing tanks for multiple applications, from 12 kilolitres in capacity to the largest single storage solution of it’s kind, the Incorporated Association not for gain Law Print P O Box 71308 Reg. No. 1973/000022/08 Bryanston 2021 South Africa impressive 3,3 megalitre capacity water storage tank. Manufactured from pre-fabricated Zincalume® steel panels, and Publisher’s Address: Tel: (011) 463-7940 Editor ƼWWHGZLWKDQDSSURYHGOLQHU6%67DQNV® are highly resistant to corrosion and proven to be an effective and reliable Mike Simpson PO Box 15467 Impala Park 1472 barbara@avenue.co.za product offering. mike@media-simpson.com Springbok Road Bartlett Boksburg www.avenue.co.za Telephone: (011) 397-1618 As a company, SBS Tanks® operates on a shared set of corporate values and principles, with customer focus and ongoing FPASA Consultant Satellite Tel: (011) 552-6908/9 Fire Protection is a membership magazine Renay Sewpersad Telefax (011) 397-1160 published quarterly by the FPASA. investment in research and development being key elements. We as a corporate entity believe that, not only is it possible or (086) 647-1633 to achieve our objectives through positive business practice, but we can equally take positive steps toward framing our library@fpasa.co.za The views expressed in articles by outside contributors are future simultaneously. www.fpasa.co.za not necessarily those of the FPASA. Permission must be obtained from the FPASA before AUDIT BUREAU material in this journal is reprinted or broadcast and LEVEL B-BBEE acknowledgement must be given. OF CIRCULATIONS Call +27(0)86 048 2657 or visit www.sbstanks.co.za for more information. Fire Protection • March 2020 1
TRAINING Fire protection training courses for 2020 he following are details of the Government SETA (LGSETA) or CFPA FPASA members and stakeholders T FPASA’s comprehensive range of Fire Protection courses on offer for the remainder of 2020. Europe. Training takes place at the FPASA facility near OR Tambo International Airport in Boksburg, or qualify for discounts of 5-30%. For more information, contact Renay on 011 397 1618. Or email her: All courses are accredited by an arrangements can be made for on-site renay@fpasa.co.za appropriate body – such as the Local training at the client’s premises. Course dates and details as follows: TITLE APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 1 Basic Fire-Fighting Module 07 16 03 05 2 Fire-Fighting & Evacuation 06 10 15 05 02 07 04 02 3 Workplace Fire-Fighting, &Evacuation 20-23 29- 02 24-27 26-29 30- 03 Breathing Apparatus Optional add-on or } Grass Fire-Fighting standalone course 4 Fire Risk Assessment & Prevention 11-15 06-10 14-18 19-23 07-11 Strategies 5 Advanced Fire Prevention 20-24 28- 02 & 27-31 & 05-09 6 Fire Appliance Reconditioning 20-24 18-22 22-26 06-10 03-07 07-11 12-16 09-13 07-11 7 Plan Appraisal: A detailed analysis of 08-12 07-11 SANS 10400 - Parts A, T & W 8 CFPA Principles in Fire Safety 23-27 Engineering 9 Fundamentals of Fire Investigation 25-29 20-24 12-26 10 Advanced Fire Investigation 16-19 Techniques 11 Sprinkler Pumps: Inspection and 13-15 02-04 Testing 12 Bylaws 22-25 09-12 13 CFPA Europe Fire Safety Diploma - 09 03 Technical Cycle Exam (Diploma) 14 Insurer Fire Impact Reduction 03 Strategy (InFIRes) Seminar NOTE: 1. Courses can be arranged on-site on request - subject to a minimum number of delegates and suitable facilities. 2. The Association reserves the right to postpone or cancel a course. 3. These dates may be subject to change without notice. The amended course dates will be available on our website www.fpasa.co.za. Diplomas on offer: Europe Fire Safety – Technical Cycle & Management Cycle Bookings: Library: college@fpasa.co.za or library@fpasa.co.za support@fpasa.co.za or marketing@fpasa.co.za Membership/Publication 011 397 1618/19 Enquiries: reception@fpasa.co.za Technical Enquiries: compliance@fpasa.co.za Finance: accounts@fpasa.co.za 2 Fire Protection • March 2020
EDITOR’S VIEW Focusing on wildfire challenges from When safety and around the world quality matter elcome to the first 2020 issue climate has warmed just over 1°C since Services which is attracting positive most, trust the W of Fire Protection, your quarterly magazine for fire industry professionals in Southern 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events”. So a rise of only 1°C was a key, reviews (see our article on pg 18). Moving away from Wildfires, don’t miss another in our series of Insurer BSI Kitemark TM Africa. although certainly not only, contributor Property Protection Guides. Our article In South Africa we know a thing or to the wildfire carnage that devastated on page 26 deals with Acceptability of two about wildfires. They are, and Australian over the period now known Passive Fire-Protection Systems. always have been, a part of the local as Black Summer (see our extensive As always, Fire Protection features landscape. coverage from pg 6). It is indeed a many though-provoking and hopefully They occur as a natural frightening thought for the fire industry useful articles. Please enjoy your latest phenomenon in grasslands, woodlands, in South Africa! read, courtesy of the FPASA. fynbos, and sometimes in indigenous Speaking of frightening, I was forests. Often our wildfires are started certainly alarmed to read of the Mike Simpson by lightning or, in mountainous regions, experiences of one senior Australian by falling rocks. Many are started by firefighter, who told of raging fires so Editor accident by people being careless with huge that they created their own open flames and indifferent to the consequences of their carelessness. weather as they moved across the landscape, defying attempts to use The world’s leading standards, traditional weather forecasting methods According to Working on Fire, climate change is expected to increase to predict what the fires would do next. testing and certification organization. temperatures over parts of the interior of South Africa by as much as 3-5 Prescribed burns face • Fire System Installation and Maintenance (SANS 10139 / SANS 14520) degrees C by the end of the century. problems in the United States Longer dry spells may also occur more • Portable Fire Equipment (SANS 1910 / SANS 1567) Continuing our Wildfires theme in this frequently during all seasons. Rising issue, we’ve also examined the • Alarm Systems (EN 54) temperatures and increased drought experience in the Western part of the SA’s premier magazine • Fire Suppression (EN 15004) frequencies combine to exacerbate the incidence of fire risk. United States (see pg 20), where public for • Fire Equipment Maintenance (SANS 1475) opposition to the tactic of prescribed burns has played a part in several large Fire Professionals • Emergency Lighting Average temperature rise of fires there in recent times. Contact us: only just over 1°C was critical Editorial contributions • Hose reels (SANS 543) bsi.za@bsigroup.com Then we move back home to find By as much as 3-5-degrees C! It’s a out about a wildfire documentary are welcome bsigroup.com/en-ZA worrying scenario when you consider commissioned by Western Cape Send submissions to the New Schemes +27 (0) 12 004 0279 that the Australian Bureau of Government Provincial Disaster editor Mike Simpson • Service and maintenance of Wet- and Dry Risers Meteorology said in its State of the Management and Fire and Rescue E-mail: mike@media-simpson.com Climate 2018 report: “Australia's • Kitchen Fire Protection Scheme 4 Fire Protection • March 2020
WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 of going to Europe and burning every single square kilometre The catastrophic C ataclysmic; unimaginable; unprecedented; like an atom bomb. These are just some of the ways that the 2019–20 Australian wildfire season, now known of land in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia and Luxumbourg – with a bit to spare. Smoke from the fires was detected 11 000km away in South America. According to NASA, an estimated that 306-million tonnes of carbon reality of Australia’s colloquially as “Black Summer”, have been described. dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere. The startling figures bear this out. As of 9 March 2020 Around 3 700 Australian firefighters, most of them the fires had burnt an estimated 186 000 square kilometres volunteers, were involved in fighting the fires. The Australian (18.6 million hectares), destroyed more than 5 900 buildings military provides a further 3 000 personnel and approximately 300 firefighters came from other countries to Black Summer fires (including 2 779 homes), killed 34 people including several firefighters, and exterminated an estimated 1-billion animals. assist. Up to 500 aircraft and helicopters were involved. One air tanker and two helicopters crashed. To put the fire size into perspective, that’s the equivalent 6 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 7
WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 Overview of the causes of the 2019-20 attributed to record-breaking temperatures and drought, around 1% of NSW fires and 0.3% of Victorian fires by late recorded droughts occurred during the 21st century, the Black Summer wildfires accompanied by severe fire weather, are the primary causes January 2020. Police in the state of Queensland said only Australian Bureau of Meteorology said. of the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season. These causes are 114 out of 1 068 fires were found to be deliberately or Specific cause: Climate change An official Senate Enquiry by the Federal government is still likely to have been exacerbated by long-term trends of maliciously lit. collecting submissions until early April 2020 and will only Climate and fire experts agree that climate change is a warmer and dryer weather observed over the Australian land Specific cause: Drought and temperature make known its findings in late 2021. There will also be factor known to result in increased fire frequency and mass. independent enquiries by the states of Victoria and New According to Farm Online and the Sydney Morning Herald, a intensity in south-east Australia, and although it should not The political nature of the crisis and its associated issues likely contributor to the bushfire crisis was the ongoing be considered as the sole cause of 2019-20 Australian fires, South Wales, where the majority of the wildfires occurred. has also resulted in the circulation of large amounts of drought in eastern Australia – the most severe on record for climate change is considered very likely to have contributed However, there is already a large body of public evidence as to the likely causes. some fire-hit areas. Exacerbating the effects of diminished to the unprecedented extent and severity of the fires, said rainfall in this drought was a record-breaking run of above- the BBC and Guardian Australia in separate reports. average monthly temperatures, lasting 36 months to The crisis has led to calls for more action to combat October 2019. climate change. In December 2019, Australia had been The combination of heat and drought caused critical ranked worst in terms of policy, and sixth worst overall, out low-fuel moisture content, with Victoria Country Fire of 57 countries assessed on the Climate Change Authority response controller Gavin Freeman telling the Performance Index, with the Morrison government labelled Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the underlying an increasingly regressive force, Guardian Australia reported. dryness of the bush had led to exceptionally high fire danger. Originally downplaying the role of climate change in Although Australia has naturally experienced high rainfall causing the fires, the Bloomberg news agency said Prime variability and hot summers for millennia, the country has Minister Scott Morrison eventually conceded that climate recorded an increase of nearly 1.0°C in average annual change was one of many factors involved and added that temperatures since 1910, decreases in average rainfall in Australia was “playing its part” in the international effort south-eastern Australia since 1990, and the country's worst against climate change. Towering inferno. Smoke and flames approach a town in rural Australia According to Australian Geographic magazine, Australia is disinformation regarding the causes of the fire activity. This one of the most fire-prone countries on earth, and bushfires unfortunately contributed to the neglect of credible form part of the natural cycle of its landscapes. However, scientific research, expert opinion and the results of previous factors such as climate trends, weather patterns and government inquiries into the country’s numerous major vegetation management by humans can all contribute to wildfires. the intensity of bushfire seasons. The most destructive fires Specific cause: Ignition in Australian history have usually been preceded by The major cause of ignition during the 2019-20 fire season extremely high temperatures, low relative humidity and in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria was strong winds, which combine to create ideal conditions for lightning strikes, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the rapid spread of fire. said. It reported that arson, which at the time was popularly The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Guardian believed to be a key factor, was actually of little impact. Australia report that scientific experts and land management While there were certainly arson incidents and a number agencies agree that severely below-average fuel moisture of people were charged, arson had accounted for only Soldiers help to evacuate people to a safer area on the other side of a river (Photo credit: Australian Department of Defence) 8 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 9
WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 Specific cause: Lack of prescribed burning? little to stop bushfires and save property in south-eastern Conservative politicians and media primarily blamed a lack Australia, with climate and weather conditions having of prescribed burning and fire break management, although primary influence. such assertions have subsequently been heavily criticised According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the effect of and disproven by scientific experts, said the Canberra Times previous prescribed burns in slowing the 2019-20 Australian and Guardian Australia. fires and assisting fire suppression efforts remains unclear, Accompanying this was the assertion that environmental although in many instances the fires were observed to burn groups were responsible for the crisis by inhibiting prescribed through cleared agricultural land and forest recently affected burning, despite environmental groups holding relatively by unplanned and prescribed burns, owing to the extreme negligible political power compared to the main political weather conditions and dryness of vegetation. Of particular parties. Furthermore, the amount of prescribed burning in note, the damaging Currowan fire burnt though a large area PHOTO CREDIT: DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES Volunteer firefighters mop up one of the thousands of blazes south-eastern Australia has been stated to have increased in of Morton National Park, which in 2017 was subjected to recent years, following the recommendation for increased one of the largest prescribed burns ever successfully prescribed burning from the 2009 Black Saturday Fires Royal conducted in NSW. Commission, reported Guardian Australia. Specific cause: Prevention of hazard reduction? Experts suggested that prescribed burning has been more Throughout the Black Summer fire season there was public difficult to achieve given recent trends towards warmer and speculation that hazard-reduction strategies on public land dryer conditions, said the Canberra Times. Experts have also and in national parks had been blocked by activists from the cast doubt on the effectiveness of fuel-reduction treatments, Greens movement. citing research which suggests that prescribed burning does However, the Guardian Australia newspaper disputed this, Fire Protection • March 2020 11
WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 saying: "Despite the [contrary] evidence, a claim persists that Dickman's calculation had been based on highly a major contributing factor [to] Australia’s devastating fire season ... is not climate change but a conspiracy by environmentalists to 'lock up' national parks and prevent hazard-reduction activities such as prescribed burning and conservative estimates and the actual mortality would therefore be higher. The figure provided by Dickman included mammals (excluding bats), birds, and reptiles; and did not include frogs, insects, or other invertebrates. Other Wildfires ‘created their own weather’ clearing of the forest floor”. estimates, which include animals like bats, amphibians and invertebrates, also put the number killed at over a billion, the Devastating Ecological effects Huffington Post reported. Prof. Chris Dickman, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Ecologists feared some endangered species were driven Science from the University of Sydney, estimated on to extinction by the fires, said The Washington Post. Though bushfires are not uncommon in Australia, they are usually of cientific modelling used by height of the fires that some Fires do what they want S 8 January 2020 that more than one-billion animals were killed by bushfires in Australia; while more than 800-million a lower scale and intensity that only affect small parts of the firefighters to predict how communities had fires approaching Gillham said as the fires built they animals perished in New South Wales. overall distribution of where species live. Animals that wildfires behave was ineffective from almost all directions.“Everybody's created their own weather, so data survived a bushfire could still find suitable habitats in the because the fires were so big that they saying the same thing; and that is that The estimate was based on a 2007 World Wide Fund for from the weather bureau became less immediate vicinity, which was not the case when an entire created their own weather patterns, an a lot of the scientific modelling that we Nature (WWF) report on impacts of land clearing on relevant. “We know roughly what's distribution is decimated in an intense event. incident controller told the Australian use to try and predict where fire might Australian wildlife in New South Wales that provided happening, but the fires are basically Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). run is not coping with what's estimates of mammal, bird and reptile population density in doing what they want in the Andy Gillham, from the Bairnsdale happening in the landscape, just purely the region. landscape,” he said. incident control team in Gippsland, because of the fire load,” he told ABC Gippsland. Gillham added that the Victoria, said in an interview at the PHOTO CREDIT: EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY A European Space Agency satellite image captures smoke and flames from multiple fires in New South Wales Research Sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Guardian Australia newspaper Australian Bureau of Meteorology Huffington Post newspaper Australian Geographic magazine NASA Canberra Times newspaper Sydney Morning Herald newspaper CNBC broadcasting The Washington Post newspaper Farm Online website Wikepedia Some of the fires were so big that they created their own weather patterns 12 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 13
WILDFIRES: AUSTRALIA 2019-20 unpredictable nature of the fires, and spark new fires, conjure fire tornadoes “They are a combination of a the fact that some communities could and make fighting existing fires much regular thunderstorm that everybody is see fires approach from multiple more challenging. very familiar with, but with the directions, meant staying to defend explosive heat source from the fire properties was only an option for the few extremely well-prepared people who were experienced and understood Smoke-infused thunderstorms which actually makes them very peculiar,” Fromm said. PRIORITY: CNBC said the rising heat from the These storms are capable of fire. But even then, he urged them to intense fires generated massive, powerful clouds called producing cyclone-like winds, one of which lifted up a 10-tonne fire engine FLEXIBILITY think twice. “We want to reinforce that pyrocumulonimbus, which produced operated by the New South Wales Rural message; just leave. There's no sugar- smoke-infused thunderstorms. Fire Service and flipped it onto its roof, coating on this; there is no safe place, trapping the crew inside. One volunteer Mike Fromm, a meteorologist at the [just] safer places.” firefighter died as a result. US Naval Research Laboratory who has Meanwhile, broadcaster CNBC researched these clouds extensively, reported that the fires created violent told the broadcaster that he likened the weather systems that were able to process to a volcanic eruption. Insurance industry hit is smaller than expected Although the Australia wildfires burned “These bushfires are significant in there is the possibility that the across an extremely large area, their terms of duration and geographic reinsurance impact will not be as reinsurance impact is proving to not be breadth of burnt area,” Aon said in a significant as [in] some previous as significant as some previous fires, statement. “Definitions applied to events.” according to major insurance company bushfire events in reinsurance contracts The main reason that insurers Aon. limit recoverable damage either by time expect to pay less is that 90% of The impact on the built (i.e. a maximum duration) or damage was in national parks. Only 8% environment has been significantly less geographical extent (i.e. distance or of damage was in what is classified as than what might have been expected. territorial boundary). The nature of the urban areas, while 2% occurred in what This is because the fires burned through current losses from the bushfires means is classified as residential areas. large remote areas, with the majority of BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE, BL LE, impacted towns having populations of FORWARD THINKING. less than 10 000 inhabitants, the Aon The all-new ED DW WA enough ARDS EST4 is flexible en analysis found. to adapt to many building configurations, no matter More than 23 000 bushfire-related insurance claims were lodged across the how complex, and versatile enough to tolerate a wide states of New South Wales, variety of wiring needs and mediums. Queensland, South Australia and Victoria between November 2019 and Meet the EST4 at Edwar EdwardsFireSafety.com/Flexibility dsFireSafety y..com/Flexibility .c February 2020, with an estimated value of 1.9-billion Australian dollars. The biggest insurance claim from a wildfire is 2.16-billion Australian dollars for the so-called Black Tuesday fires in the UTC Fire and Security South Africa (Pty) Ltd Insurance claims are lower than anticipates as most blazes occurred in national parks 29 Angus Crescent – Longmeadow Business Park East Fax: +27 11 579 7301 state of Tasmania. Edenvale, 1609, South Africa sales.ssa@carrier.com Tel.: e +27 11 579 7 7300 za.firesecurityproducts.com 14 Fire Protection • March 2020
WILDFIRES: INDIGENOUS FIRE-MANAGEMENT Aboriginal cultural burning near Parnngurr in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia An Aboriginal man sets a fire at Fish River in Australia’s Northern Territory (Photo credit: Nature Australia) originating in human activity) climate change is impacting “In recent years, there’s been renewed interest in The future of bushfire the frequency and intensity of the fires on this continent, changing the weather and the vegetation we can expect in a location, and often increasing the fire risks.” The key message from recent social science research into Aboriginal peoples’ fire practices and knowledge, thanks in part to books such as Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu; however, it is interesting to note that non-Indigenous scientists have been influenced by these ideas for some time.” management is to bushfire is, given that we cannot completely control fire and there are no absolute fixes, there is a need to create a better and more honest relationship of coexistence with traditional landowners, he believes. Neale notes that if we look at early ideas of fuel reduction burning, developed at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in the 1960s and 1970s, they were drawing on ethnographic and fully embrace “Agencies and communities are already doing a lot in this direction, seeking to know more about the positive and negative outcomes of fires in the environment and to understand the risks different communities face. However, archaeological evidence about how, when and why Indigenous Australians used fire in the landscape. Regrettably, that influence was not matched with any real engagement with contemporary Aboriginal peoples. Indigenous expertise there is much more to do, including engaging much more extensively with Aboriginal peoples,” Neale says. The many benefits of engaging with Knowledge sharing is sometimes negative and exploitative “That said, the mistake that many government and other Indigenous Australians agencies can make, in Australia and overseas, is that they can ustralia’s recent out-of-control wildfire season that, for millennia, have regularly experienced bushfires. This “A major aspect of my research is looking at the [numerous] be too focused on what Aboriginal peoples might have to A seems to have shown us that modern science and means that many things people care about – like houses, benefits from engaging with Traditional Owners and tell non-Indigenous peoples. We have to understand that, in technology is unable to successfully predict or cope towns, humans, pets and farm animals – are put at risk. Indigenous Australians about bushfire management. Many Australia and elsewhere, many Indigenous peoples’ past and with everything that nature can throw at us. Indigenous Australians have immense pride in their long present experiences of sharing their knowledge have Human and ecological timescales are history of skilful fire use, and we have solid evidence about frequently been negative and exploitative. It’s pretty galling, Given that we cannot completely control fire and there if you think about it, to follow up centuries of dispossession are no absolute fixes, we need to create a better and more vastly different the clear ecological, economic, social and health benefits to being engaged in caring for [the countryside]”. by asking for more,” he explains. honest relationship of coexistence with the traditional One of the key difficulties, he points out, is that human and owners of the land, says Dr Timothy Neale of the According to Neale, most early European settlers in “There are better alternatives, and one has to think in ecological timescales are very different. “Someone can live in Cooperative Research Centre, an Australian government- Australia saw Aboriginal peoples’ fire practices as an terms of respectful partnership. As Indigenous scholars and a landscape for years and never experience a significant funded scientific research programme. annoyance or a threat. Only a few settlers, often farmers, activists have been saying for a long time, non-Indigenous bushfire, and therefore reasonably not think of it as a high- saw the positive effects these practices could have on peoples have to give up some of their power and control if In an article for Fire Australia magazine, Neale notes that risk area. But that landscape’s rhythm is actually ticking promoting regrowth and reducing the fuel available for they want to work together. We have to start from the since the end of the Second World War in 1945, Australians away on a timescale of decades or centuries, preparing itself future fires. Even fewer respected the importance of premise of Aboriginal peoples’ rights, as the First Peoples of have increasingly aspired not only to own their own homes, for a major fire.” Aboriginal’ fire practices in hunting, ceremony and this place, to speak authoritatively about Country. They must but to own homes close to coastlines and forests – close to He adds: “In addition to these mismatched timescales, communication. be supported to use their own knowledge and be treated as nature. Unfortunately, these same landscapes are places anthropogenic (environmental pollution and pollutants leaders in the management of their Country.” 16 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 17
BUSHFIRES: S.A. FILM DOCUMENTARY Sullivan believes that fire is everyone’s fight and, and learning from!” Good Things Guy called it “incredible”. New educational film therefore, South Africans should be doing everything in their power to prevent bushfires. They should also assist the men and women who fight bushfires and to come forward to ‘Walking With Fire: A Wildfire Documentary’can be viewed on YouTube, the Good Things Guy website, The South African news website, or the SullivanPhotographyZA Facebook page. documentary highlights the report anyone who is responsible for them. The organisation Garden Route Fire Watch called the film an “absolutely awesome documentary! Well worth watching All photographs by Sullivan Photography complexities of bushfires in the Western Cape South African documentary film about bushfires in the Photography, which produced the documentary, it only A Western Cape is receiving positive reviews following its release in late 2019 by the Western Cape Government Provincial Disaster Management and Fire and Rescue scratches the surface of the complexities associated with bushfires in the province. The content includes interviews with firefighters and examines how many of these wildfires Services. start. Some start naturally, but most are a result of human The 33-minute film is entitled ‘Walking With Fire: A activity. Wildfire Documentary’. It is an educational video aimed at Sullivan and his small team spent four years putting the creating awareness and educating the public on the dangers documentary together. of wildfires, and was born out of a larger dream to conserve “This has been one hell of a journey and at times I environments globally from frequent and destructive thought it wasn’t going to happen… Through all the sweat wildfires. and tears (there were definitely tears), the countless camera According to Justin Sullivan of Cape Town-based Sullivan errors, close calls, [a] vehicle catching alight and [the] absolute amateur approach at the start, it’s finally out there. It’s not the original film I wanted, but it evolved into Need a workplace hopefully a beneficial educational video that will contribute in its own way,” he told the Good Things Guy website. fire risk assessment? We can help The Association offers an array of fire risk management, consulting and engineering services, including legal compliance reviews, fire safety audits, investigations and evacuation procedures and plans FIRE PROTEC TION A S SOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRIC A Incorporated Association not for Gain. Reg No 1973/000022/08 VAT Registration No.: 4110103100 Tel: (011) 397-1618, Satellite Tel: (011) 552-6908/9, Fax: (011) 397-1160, www.fpasa.co.za 18 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 19
WILDFIRES: PRESCRIBED BURNS and public opposition,” Associated Press “Overcoming public fears by because of hot, dry conditions. Relaxing reported. teaching about good smoke, bad smoke, environmental restrictions has cleared After a 2018 wildfire largely levelled out-of-control fire and prescribed fire is the way for more prescribed fires in the city of Paradise and killed 86 just one hurdle before firefighters can some cases,” Associated Press reported. people, the state of California put match to kindling,” Mohler told the prioritised 35 brush and other news agency. “It's the difference New laws help fast-track vegetation-reduction projects that between fire under our terms and the burn process could all involve some use of fighting fire on Mother Nature's terms.” The state of Oregon recently changed intentional fire, said Mike Mohler, It can take years to plan and clear air quality rules for planned fires to Deputy Director of the California federal, state and local environmental strike a balance between smoky winter Department of Forestry and Fire and air pollution regulations. A burn skies and bad summer blazes. California Protection. among giant sequoia trees once took proclaimed a state of emergency to 13 years to accomplish, said Michael allow it to fast-track brush clearing. Public concern is preventing Theune, a spokesman for the Sequoia Most states and federal agencies in more prescribed burns and Kings Canyon national parks in the U.S. West have ambitious goals they California. But public concern is one of the reasons don't achieve, said Crystal Kolden, a that burns don’t always happen. In “In the American West, where the University of Idaho forest and fire 2012, for example, a prescribed burn in landscape is steep and downed trees, science professor whose study the state of Colorado got out of control brush and other fuels have built up over concluded that not enough prescribed and killed three people and destroyed decades of fire suppression, the so- fires are being done in the region. more than two dozen homes. called burn window can be short Firefighters retreat as a fire front approaches near the city of Carlsbad in California A water-bombing aircraft attacks a wildfire near Mendocino Tactic of prescribed burns encounters ongoing hurdles in America’s West he prescribed burn, a low- According to a late 2019 report by “Prescribed fires are credited with T intensity, closely managed fire intended to clear out undergrowth and protect national parks and other land, is considered one of the best ways to the Associated Press news agency, a study published in the journal Fire found prescribed burns on federal land in the last 20 years across the West has stayed level or fallen, despite calls for making forests healthier and stopping or slowing the advance of some blazes. Despite those successes, there are plenty of reasons they are not set as often as officials would like – ranging prevent catastrophic wildfires in the more such burns. from poor conditions [in which to] to American West. safely [set a] burn, to bureaucratic snags 20 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 21
WILDFIRES: PRESCRIBED BURNS WILDFIRES: INVESTIGATION “They know they need to be doing conservation organisation, said shrubs, and that's the model these more prescribed fire; they want to be doing more prescribed fire,” she said. “They are simply unable to accomplish that.” reintroducing fire through prescribed burns is appropriate in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where more frequent lightning-sparked fires and prescribed burning advocates have used,” Halsey told Associated Press. “They say if we have younger fuels on the landscape, we'll have less fires or Startling negligence by utility company caused devastating wildfire egligence and failure to maintain could have prevented the blaze from company said it accepted the N equipment by a now-bankrupt utility company was the cause of the deadliest wildfire in the state of occurring, they believed. “The identified shortcomings in PG&E’s inspection and maintenance of conclusions. “We remain deeply sorry about the role our equipment had in this tragedy, and we apologise to all California’s history, an investigation has the incident tower were not isolated, those impacted.” found. but rather indicative of an overall PG&E noted that it has accelerated Among the findings of the pattern of inadequate inspection and inspections and “completed an California Public Utilities Commission maintenance of PG&E’s transmission unprecedented process to inspect every investigation was that a tower and facilities,” the commission said in its element of our electric system within hook which held an electrical findings. the high-threat fire areas”. It has transmission line in place had not been Failure to replace the hook was a checked almost 730 000 transmission, checked in 17 years. The hook failed contravention of PG&E’s own distribution and substation structures and the live wire then fell to the ground maintenance manual, which stated that and more than 25-million electrical and started a blaze. “this is a hazardous Priority A condition components in those areas. The resulting out-of-control wildfire which requires immediate response and Editor's Note: For more information on in November 2018 all but destroyed continued action until the condition is the devastating wildfire at Paradise in the town of Paradise, a community of repaired”. California, see our article about around 26 000 people. A total of 85 In its response to the findings, the Prescribed Burns on page 20 people died and 18 800 buildings were destroyed. Only 5% of buildings in the town remained without serious damage after the fire. Saddled with crippling debt as a A ruined mobile home park near the town of Paradise, where a runaway wildfire killed 83 people in 2018 result of its fire-related liabilities, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company Opposition from blazes historically set by Native lower intensity fires, and we can use (PG&E) filed for bankruptcy. It has environmentalists Americans are believed to improve those areas to protect communities. subsequently been determined that all forests by clearing brush to allow taller And that has never happened in wind- victims will still be compensated by the According to the Associated Press trees to thrive and opening sequoia driven fires.” company. report, opponents cite the threat to seed pods so they can reproduce. The state of California wildlife and release of greenhouse gases. In California, some But Halsey said prescribed fires acknowledged in a draft environmental Degraded hook should have environmentalists opposed intentional don't help much of the rest of the impact report that clearing vegetation been replaced state. The fire that tore through may not slow or halt extreme fires. burns because they can destroy natural During the investigation into the causes Paradise showed how ineffective But successful prescribed burns can drought-tolerant shrubs and replace of the Paradise wildfire, investigators clearing underbrush can be – it roared save property from some future fires, them with flammable invasive weeds found that if the PG & E crews had across 11 km that had burned just 10 supporters said. and grasses. checked the hook and tower they years earlier. Rick Halsey of the California would have seen that the hook was Inadequate maintenance by an electricity utility caused the most devastating wildfire in “It was still grasses and weeds and badly degraded. Its timely replacement Chaparral Institute, a non-profit California's history 22 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 23
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INSURER PROPERTY PROTECTION GUIDE another room, or from one building to 1. SUITABILITY OF PASSIVE FIRE integrity, insulation ability and the Acceptability of passive another by means of minimum safety distances. The requirement to minimise the spread of fire within and between buildings is clearly defined in the PROTECTION (FIRE RESISTANCE): With the exception of spatial separation, the fire rating of passive material’s own resistance to fire. PRINCIPLE 2 In the case of fire doors, as an example, fire-protection systems fire-protection measures is provided as National Building Regulations. See the intention of the door is to protect a factor of time, in minutes. The time Principle 2 of Part 2 of this article. the area of the opening the door is factor is concluded following the covering, to the same specification as In Part T of SANS 10400, several testing of fire-separating elements such the level of protection the fire wall is sections provide passive fire protection as fire walls and fire doors. In South intended to provide. The fastening deemed-to-satisfy requirements. These Africa, the standard for testing is the methods as well as the frame must include and are not limited to the SANS 10177 suite of documents, as carry the same fire rating as the door. following: well as SANS 428. Test certificates must be provided by the supplier. Stability. Stability indicates the ability ▲ Spatial separation by means of of the fire wall or door to remain stable minimum safety distances; The four main aspects which are for that specified minimum period of ▲ Division-separating elements and evaluated during testing are stability, time, and not collapse or disintegrate maximum division areas; ▲ Occupancy separating elements; ▲ Tenancy separating elements; ▲ Partition walls and partitions; ▲ Fire stopping between floors; ▲ Protection of openings; ▲ Raised access floors and suspended floors of combustible materials; ▲ Emergency routes; ▲ Openings in floors; ▲ Fire stopping of inaccessible concealed spaces; ▲ Protection in service shafts; ▲ Services in structural or separating elements; ▲ Surface-finishing materials: floors, walls, ceilings; ▲ Lightning-protection systems and fire retardants. Fire doors in a hospital. The intention is to protect the area of the opening the door is covering, to the same specification as the level of PRINCIPLE 1 protection the fire wall is intended to provide Photo credit: ArchitectProjects UK Passive fire protection is provided for in Part T of SANS 10400. These systems form part of the building structure with 1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: “The passive form of the verb is protection and its acceptability which the sole purpose of minimising the There are two distinct approaches to used when the grammatical subject is will be explored here. spread of fire within and beyond the fire-protection systems implemented in the thing that experiences the effect of building. Most of these systems are the built environment, namely active an action, rather than the thing that 2. REQUIREMENTS OF PASSIVE FIRE-PROTECTION SYSTEMS: provided for during the construction and passive fire protection. This article causes the effect.” phase of the building as part of the will consider the acceptability of This implies that passive fire Passive fire-protection requirements are main structure, passive fire protection passive fire-protection systems. protection experiences the effect of a provided for in Part T of SANS 10400. in the form of, amongst other, fire walls, fire rather than causes the effect. It is The fundamental approach is to provide The term ‘passive’, according to the fire stopping and the provision of fire this response to the effect of fire which suitable separation between rooms that Cambridge Dictionary, is described as doors. provides the usefulness of passive fire may contain a fire origin in order to Passive fire-protection systems must minimise the spread of fire within and between the following: prevent the fire from spreading to buildings 26 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 27
INSURER WIND PROPERTY TURBINES PROTECTION GUIDE PRINCIPLE 4 Various combinations may be applied these materials. This allows for guidance The fire rating of finishing materials as informed by the heat-, smoke-, and flexibility, as provided by SANS contributes in various specific ratios to flame-, surface flame spread- and 10400, of where certain finishing the use of these finishing materials. toxicological certified test results of materials may be used or not. Pouring a concrete base for a firewall to form part of the new building’s passive fire-protection system due to radiation impingement resulting materials of the fire door or fire wall. In SANS 10177. Test certificates must be from intense heat or other effects of other words, how long the wall or door provided by the supplier. fire such as flame impingement. In itself will resist being ignited by the fire. The following inputs inform the fire other words, the door opening, as an example, will remain covered or enclosed for that specified minimum PRINCIPLE 3 The four aspects – namely stability, rating of a finishing material: Heat index, smoke index, flame index, surface flame spread and toxic fume FPA FIRE COLLEGE integrity, insulation and resistance – as period of time. tested for, contribute in various specific generation. Fire courses acknowledged Integrity. Integrity indicates the ability of the fire wall or fire door to remain ratios to the fire rating or fire resistance SANS 10400 provides tables where for quality and professionalism of the particular fire wall or fire door. the above indexes are provided for intact for that specified minimum floor, wall and ceiling finishes. Various combinations may be applied, period of time, and not form cracks or such as high insulation time but SANS 10177 has various parts holes through which fire can spread or COURSE BOOKINGS average stability, etc. This allows for which provide suitable testing standards warp, allowing heat to pass through. various options for the provision of for the above. The fire rating then FIRE PROTECTION Insulation. Insulation indicates the suitable fire walls and fire doors as a determines a coded serial sequence ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN ability of the fire wall or fire door to functional precaution based on the which is displayed on the underside of AFRICA resist being heated by the fire on the actual fire load of the room(s) or carpets used in hotel rooms, for Telephone (011) 397 1618 one side for that minimum period of compartment(s) they enclose. instance. The coded sequence covers Fax (011) 397 1160 or (086) 647 1633 time, until the other side of the wall or the following in this specific order: Satellite Tel: (011) 552-6908/9 door reaches the same temperature as 2. SUITABILITY OF PASSIVE FIRE Combustibility- Non combustibility FPA Web page: http/www.fpasa.co.za that of the fire side, also known as the PROTECTION (FIRE RATING): / Surface properties of combustible – thermal penetration time. Fire rating is provided following suitable Non-combustible materials / Resistance. Resistance indicates the testing of finishing materials in terms of Limitations on use of materials / non-combustibility of the construction Application identification of materials. 28 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 29
EXHIBITIONS FIRE PROTECTION Midrand. It is set to take place from 2-4 Securex 2020 June 2020. “As a tradeshow that has a long- standing history, it’s important that we all fired up with continually look for ways to keep Securex fresh and reflective of the greater industry,” explains Sven Smit, Event Director at Specialised introduction of Exhibitions, part of the Montgomery Group. Firexpo will focus solely on Premium Aluzinc ® steel new Firexpo the fire and rescue sector “Firexpo will focus exclusively on suppliers representing the fire and rescue market, a critical component not fire sprinkler and hydrant tanks only of security, but also within facilities management and occupational S ecurex South Africa, the continent’s leading security exhibition, will see visitors getting hot services, Firexpo will add a new dimension to the 27-year Securex pedigree, the organisers say. health and safety (OHS). “This is in keeping with our ‘2020 Vision’ theme for this year across the three expos,” he adds. “We are and bothered at the 2020 show, with Securex will be co-located with delighted to advise that Firexpo will be the addition of a new sub-section, both the A-OSH EXPO and the supported by the Fire Detection namely Firexpo. Aimed at showcasing Facilities Management Expo at Installers’ Association (FDIA), which has the latest fire and rescue products and Gallagher Convention Centre in a long-standing reputation of providing The FPA Fire College POS representation and leadership to the fire detection and gaseous The FPA Fire College offers a wide range of courses. Among TPO extinguishing system industries for these are the Confederation of Fire Protection Associations (Europe) Diploma in Fire Prevention and the CFPA Europe unti NED more than 20 years. It is our opinion Principles of Fire Engineering course. that the backing of Firexpo by the FDIA l Au FPASA’s Insurer Fire Impact Reduction Strategy (InFIReS) cements our planned initiatives for the incorporates The National Fire Information Resource gus introduction of the new section to the (NatFIRe) facility to improve the collection, collation and t local market.” More than 10 000 people availability of National Fire Loss Statistics. expected to attend Companies operating within the fire protection, prevention and detection sector interested in supporting Firexpo will benefit from the more than 10 000 visitors drawn in by the combination of Securex, A-OSH EXPO and Facilities Management Expo. accredited For more information, visit www.securex.co.za/, or contact Specialised Proud BBBEE Level 2 Exhibitions, part of the Montgomery Group, on Supplier +27 (0) 11 835 1565. FIRE PROTEC TION A S SOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRIC A www.rainbowtanks.co.za Incorporated Association not for Gain. Reg No 1973/000022/08 VAT Registration No.: 4110103100 PO Box 15467 Impala Park 1472 sales@rainbowres.com Tel: (011) 397-1618, Satellite Tel: (011) 552-6908/9, Fax: (011) 397-1160, www.fpasa.co.za +27 (0)11 965 6016 • +27 (0)83 226 8572 30 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 31
OUR LIBRARY New building fire The rapid shift in Changing climate NFPA 13: Water- NFPA 101: Life safety Grenfell Phase safety-rating system building-design for emergency based fire- in new and existing Two inquiry materials management protection systems structures Fire Risk Management underway Justin Francis Fire Risk Management Fire Australia NFPA Journal NFPA Journal June 2019 Bob Glendenning Alana Beitz Jonathan Hart Kristin Bigda hase Two of the Grenfell Tower Justin Francis presents his outline of a June 2019 Issue 1, 2019 Jan/Feb 2019 May/June 2019 P Inquiry into the causes of the new fire and safety-rating system blaze that killed 72 people and To keep pace with the rapid shift in Fire and emergency services deal with Understanding terminology is Balancing the long-standing focus of designed for medium- and high-rise injured 70 more in June 2017 got building-design materials and extreme weather on a daily basis. While important when applying codes and occupant life safety from fire events buildings worldwide. This article underway in London on 27 January specification, the fire-protection fire, flood, storms and heatwaves are all standards. Equally important is with the growing need for security from outlines a Building–Fire and Life Safety 2020. industry is changing. Bob Glendenning naturally occurring hazards, climate understanding the relationship between non-fire related events, continues to be Rating (B-FLSR) system aimed at both examines the subject. Across towns and change increases their frequency, different codes and standards that a common theme running through the Broadly, Phase One sought to old and new medium- and high-rise cities, architects have been creating severity and complexity – putting apply to a single building. These two proposed changes and technical determine what happened on the buildings. The rating provides more interestingly shaped buildings, additional stress on fire and emergency factors are demonstrated in the committee discussions during the first night and its hearings concluded in information to occupants of the often fully glazed with the steel frame services. The impact and flow-on effect application and use of quick-response stages of developing the 2021 edition December 2018, with the report building on the level, type of fire, and on show. You need only look at the of climate changes are of significant sprinklers in health-care occupancies of the NFPA 101 life-safety code. published in October 2019. life-safety protection within the London skyline to see how these concern for emergency personnel and and requirements of NFPA 101 (Life Providing guidelines for how to safety- building. In this way, it encourages a Phase Two’s purpose is to find stunning buildings have grown in the communities they operate in. safety code) and NFPA 13 (Installation lock classroom doors in schools, proactive approach to building fire and out what happened, why, and what popularity and imagination in recent of sprinkler systems), as well as in the daycare facilities and office buildings is life safety. can be done to prevent it from years. This is due in part to intumescent difference between the terms a recent example of how the code has coating, which protects the steel in a Choosing the right ‘compartment’ and ‘smoke addressed a specific need to balance life happening again. It is not certain how long Phase Two will take, but building by forming a char in the event fixed fire protection compartments’. safety alongside fire and occupant the hearings are expected to of fire. security. However, are we at a point for buildings where fire and safety drills have conclude sometime in 2021, with become excessive? Do we risk the report to follow thereafter. Fire Risk Management discouraging the appropriate occupant It is likely that the findings of Gary Howe response, thereby diminishing the value both Phase One and Phase Two of of all drills? the inquiry will inform any future November 2019 An installed automatic fixed firefighting legal proceedings, whether criminal system is a highly effective element in or civil. the fire-protection strategy of a One of the surprising aspects of building because it is immediately Phase One was that changes to available and is designed specifically to fire-safety regulations in the UK meet the defined fire hazard. Selecting relating to building cladding– the the appropriate form of fixed fire primary problem in the Grenfell protection for complete building Tower fire – were implementing protection will require the input, help before the Phase One findings were and specialist knowledge of a published. competent person who will be faced with the challenge of not only This was because Phase One satisfying the requirement of the took far longer to complete than current building regulations and the anticipated. To date there are local fire authority (which are already 75 000 documents that predominately life-safety need to be considered during Phase requirements), but also the property- Two. protection requirements of the building insurer. 32 Fire Protection • March 2020 Fire Protection • March 2020 33
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