Prepared By Operations Division April 2, 2007 FIREFIGHTER NEAR MISS Auto Fire with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fuel Tank Explosion

Seattle Fire Department 2 Arson: Incident #26564 Dispatch 0230 hours for car fire (E10) E10 arrived and requested FIB for multiple vehicles with possible structural exposures (freeway columns and overpasses) 12 vehicles damaged or destroyed Firefighter near miss when CNG vehicle exploded as E10 crew approached with a handline (approximately 50-75’ away)

Seattle Fire Department 3 Fire Garage

Seattle Fire Department 4 Royal Brougham 8th Ave South Access Gate E10

Seattle Fire Department 5 E10 parked outside the gate here Debris from the explosion was thrown up to 100’ in all directions including on the over-passes above the incident.

Seattle Fire Department 6 Backhoe Fuel tank (original location) Trunk lid Bumper frame Roof debris Roof debris 100’

Seattle Fire Department 7 Honda CNG Vehicle

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Seattle Fire Department 9 Rear of vehicle

Seattle Fire Department 10 Roof is blown completely off vehicle and doors blown open

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Seattle Fire Department 15 Metal mounting straps for CNG tank

Seattle Fire Department 16 Trunk lid

Seattle Fire Department 17 Tank landed here, moved down hill to here for extinguishment

Seattle Fire Department 18 Rear bumper frame 90’+ away

Seattle Fire Department 19 Bumper shrapnel Note burn marks on ground.

Seattle Fire Department 20 Roof section about 75’ away

Seattle Fire Department 21 This is your only warning of a CNG – fueled vehicle. Typically located on the trunk lid or bumper

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Seattle Fire Department 23 Composite tank is carbon-fiber / fiberglass wrapped for strength – similar to our SCBA tanks.

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Seattle Fire Department 28 Tank blown approximately 95’ from the vehicle

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Seattle Fire Department 30 August 07, 2003 Airport Taxis, Shuttles Convert to Natural Gas New contract requires fleet conversions to improve air quality The Port of Seattle Commission today authorized the renewal of contracts with two major providers of ground transportation at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The contracts, with the Seattle Tacoma International Taxi Association (STITA) and Shuttle Express, will require the two organizations to make major investments to convert their fleets to clean-burning natural gas. Under its new contract, STITA will be required to convert its entire 160-cab fleet to natural gas in the next three years. By converting more quickly, STITA will earn the right to extend the contract from five to seven years.

Seattle Fire Department 31 Historical Information Several NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) investigations Example: January 27, 2003; Ford Crown Victoria on fire with flame impingement on CNG tank. The tank failed catastrophically prior to Pressure Relief Device (PRD) functioning. Vehicle recall with dealers installing additional insulation behind back seat. Number of vehicles still needing repair???

Seattle Fire Department 32 Code of Federal Regulations CFR 49, Part 571 Standard 304 Compressed Natural Gas Fuel Container Integrity Flame Test Standard: Flame impingement generating 1550-1650° F. at the surface for the length of the cylinder for 20 minutes or until fuel is completely vented through PRV.

Seattle Fire Department 33 CNG Properties Compressed to 3,600 psi in fuel cylinder CNG rated at 117 octane fuel BTU per # = 22,800 (gasoline = 18,900) Not a liquid when compressed (it becomes a very close dense gas) Not the same as Liquified Natural Gas – LNG (cryogenic: -260° to become liquified) Lighter than air when released ( .6 air)

Seattle Fire Department 34 CNG Properties LEL / UEL = 4 – 16% (gasoline = 1.3 – 7.6) 1 cubic foot of CNG = 245 cu.ft. of natural gas at sea level (uncompressed) 1 cubic foot of CNG weighs 13# 5.66# = 1 Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE) Honda Civic tank = 8 GGE Note: 1 gallon of gasoline properly vaporized has the explosive equivalency of 83 pounds of dynamite (CDC).

Seattle Fire Department 35 Cylinder Properties Four Cylinder Types: Type 1: all metal (steel or aluminum) Type 2: hoop wrapped steel or aluminum Type 3: fully wrapped steel or aluminum Type 4: all-composite (non-metallic)* *Early model Honda Civic uses Type 4; later models use Type 3

Seattle Fire Department 36 Honda Civic Tank Design

Seattle Fire Department 37 Honda Civic Tank Design Note: The PRD (pressure relief device) activates similar to a fusible link (it fails versus resealing like a spring-assisted pressure reducing valve – PRV). The gas is vented out the vent tube until the tank is empty. Discharge time depends on fuel level.

Seattle Fire Department 38 Lessons Learned /Best Practices Approach from 45° angle to vehicle ends Be aware of CNG vehicles Cabs, city vehicles, shuttles Look for CNG placards Watch for other hazards, i.e. bumper struts; hood and tailgate struts; airbags; burning fuel runoff; hazardous vehicle contents; exploding tires; other traffic Consider cooling streams from a distance