fire extinguishers/engine compartment fires

[George Selby]

At 02:01 PM 11/21/01, you wrote:
>Problem is, I just can't see how effective a small gaseous unit would
>be either, same with dry chemical.  Any volunteer or pro emergency
>personel or track workers who have actually had experience with
>engine compartment fires and the best agents to use/how to use them
>for the layman?  I've always been told "never, ever open the hood
>unless you want your face melted off."

I was riding with my grandparents on I-95 and we were the first to stop for
a single woman with her engine on fire.  She had already popped the hood
and flames were licking out the front of the hood, she had already
determined it was beyond her control and was attempting to salvage her
possessions from the car.  My grandfather ran to the car with his
moderately car sized fire extinguisher (the average mid-size extinguisher
sold for cars and boats, I think 10 pounds,) and discharged it into the
opening.  The fire scoffed at his feeble efforts.  Fortunately (I suppose)
we in their conversion van with a CB.  My grandmother had already put the
alert out by the time my grandfather was attempting to put out the
fire.  By the time his extinguisher was done, there were about 50
18-wheelers parked on both sides of the road, and all the drivers were
running to the car with very large fire extinguishers (25-50 pound units,
the tanks were the same size as air tanks firemen use, or scuba tanks.)  It
took approx. 15 of these to put out the fire, which they did very quickly.
This was in 1984.

OTOH, I have put out several carb fires on my Jeep Cherokee with nothing
but a large towel.

My guess is the severity of the fire determines what you need, but if you
are driving down the road while the fire starts, it is likely to get beyond
one fire extinguisher time quickly.  If you catch while very small, you can
have some success.

George Selby
83 Audi Coupe GT
gselby4x4 at earthlink.net