fire extinguishers/engine compartment fires

[Fred Munro]

I put out an engine fire in my '63 Volks bug with a 6" long, 1.5" diameter
1950's vintage carbon tet "glovebox" fire extinguisher and an old sock. The
hose barb had come out of the fuel pump and it pumped gas all over the
engine until it lit off, so it wasn't a trivial fire. I was totally amazed
at how well that little dribble of carbon tet worked. The phosgene gas it
produced was a different matter. I beat out what the carbon tet didn't
extinguish with an old sock. Since all my worldly possessions were in the
car at the time, I felt compelled to extinguish it somehow.
Spent the next hour rewiring the engine since all the wires were burnt off.
Fortunately I carried a full tool kit and lots of spare wire. Had an OPP
officer looking over my shoulder for the last half hour - he was totally
amazed when it fired up.
I now carry a dry powder extinguisher but have never had (and don't want)
the chance to use it. Carbon tet is now, of course, a designated substance
and no longer available to the public.

Fred Munro
'94 S4

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Selby" <gselby4x4 at earthlink.net>
To: <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2001 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: fire extinguishers/engine compartment fires


> 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.
>