Magnesium and its alloys present special problems in fire protection. When water is added to the extreme heat of a magnesium fire, the water evaporates into hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen the combines with the magnesium vapors and ignite. One firefighter was so badly injured in the resulting explosion that they are no longer able to work for the service. Take a look at firefighters at a magnesium car fire: The reactivity of Magnesium is explained by its atomic structure which makes it easy for the element to accept a pair of electrons (like those provided by Oxygen when it is reduced into ions). You can use the acronym PASS to remember the steps for using a fire extinguisher effectively: It takes just under 30 seconds to empty one of these extinguishers – if the blaze isn’t out by then, it’s time to step away and wait for the fire department. An audible alarm is activated prior to discharge. history lesson on the Hindenburg Disaster, Why And How Does Water Put Out Fire? Well, firstly, it’s cheap which makes it very economical to use in fire extinguishers, but also it requires very, very high temperatures to break the Sodium-Chlorine bonds, and thus, in metal fires such as a magnesium fire, it’s completely unreactive. Thanks for coming to my site! As you’ve seen, even trained firefighters can struggle to deal with a large-scale magnesium fire. Whenever you discover fire, the best thing that you can do is to alert others.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'firefighterinsider_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',186,'0','0'])); You can shout “Fire!” which will help to warn people who are nearby and if you have an alarm system within the building, it is important to trigger that before you do anything else. So, if you find yourself in a situation when magnesium has caught fire, what should you do? Yet, the fire department didn’t have an easy time of things – they had to prevent the fire from spreading and spent a whole night cooling down the area around the fire. They have assured me that if my oxidizer bay should go up, their job shifts to just making sure the surrounding buildings stay cool while the fire burns itself out sometime later that week. It’s always best not to take any chances with this kind of fire. What is the colour of magnesium metal? Thus, it is safe to extinguish a magnesium fire with sand, because it … Many EMTs find that after a few years on the ambulance that they want a change of scene. They are available with two different types of extinguishing agents, a copper powder or a sodium chloride. Remove the fuel – i.e. Many firemen have become familiar with the metal, too. Nor should you use a Class B extinguisher (Carbon Dioxide). Class D fire extinguishers are used to put out large combustible metal fires, such as a magnesium, lithium, or lithium alloy fires. This content may contain affiliate links to products and services (on Amazon or other sites) which may result in my earning commissions at no added cost to you. Examined. Magnesium reacts with the oxygen molecule in water to form Magnesium Oxide (as in our equation above) and that releases pure hydrogen gas. Here’s everything you need to know. Interrupting the chemical chain reaction of the fire will also extinguish the fire. We cannot guarantee any advice given on this site will lead to you getting hired as a firefighter or otherwise. To extinguish a magnesium fire, use sodium chloride (also known as salt). When you visit Clarion Events (and our family of websites), we use cookies to process your personal data in order to customize content and improve your site experience, provide social media features, analyze our traffic, and personalize advertising. The Friendly Swede Magnesium Flint Fire Starter – 3 Pack. By choosing “I Agree”, you understand and agree to Clarion’s Privacy Policy. The working principle of a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is that it starves a fire of oxygen. combines so readily with oxygen that under some conditions water applied to. Flammable Metals Not all metals are flammable. Extinguishing Magnesium Fires. It isn't that magnesium self-oxidizes, it's more like it is able to rip the oxygen out of the water (leaving hydrogen, which generates a secondary problem) when you try to use water to extinguish a magnesium fire. contain pyrophoric forms of plutonium should also contain an amount of magnesium. Also read: Does Metal Burn In A Fire? link to What To Do If The Fire Alarm Goes Off In Your Apartment? They don’t want to give up their skillset, but they just want to be able to apply those skills in a... What To Do If The Fire Alarm Goes Off In Your Apartment? Your life and safety are more important than property. The fire burned so hot (over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit) that it melted the trailer it was being held in. Once it appears you have control of the fire and it’s not spreading – you can increase the depth of the powder so that it forms a heavy seal over the powder. The letter … So, it’s important to realize that magnesium fires are not trivial. An alternative method of extinguishing the tire fire is to direct a stream of liquid nitrogen onto the burning tires. Class C fires, referred to as Class E in Australia, involve … Many vehicles use some magnesium in their construction and as the crew approached the blaze with their hose and let loose with the water – it hit the magnesium element. Both weight and strength are of extreme importance here, particularly in long-range and high-speed ships. Extinguish a Class A fire with water or monoammonium phosphate. Thus, this reaction can quickly become self-sustaining and it’s very likely to help push your magnesium fire all the way through the building you’re trying to save. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'firefighterinsider_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',144,'0','0']));Let’s take a look at flammable metal fires, what you need to know and how to handle them. extinguish magnesium fires may be decomposed into its constituent elements, oxygen and hydrogen. What type of fires can be extinguished with a MET-L-X powder extinguisher? Description: A small pile of magnesium is ignited on a flame-proof board. Once the pre- alarm period has passed, the extinguishing begins. Combustible and hazardous materials may explode at any given time. What Do Firefighters Use to Put Out a Fire? Indicative of the wide-spread use of magnesium is its application in the aircraft industry. Firehouse magazine recounts that in 1988, a tractor-trailer fire (and ensuing explosion) forced nearly 200 people to evacuate from two local factory compounds. Use other means to extinguish it. Magnesium cannot burn in sand, because it cannot reduce the silicon dioxide to silicon. However, as long as the fire is small and has no major risks of spreading, then you can grab a Class D fire extinguisher and if you feel confident to do so, you can extinguish the fire with it. The biggest problem though is that you can’t extinguish a magnesium fire with water, in fact, it’s extremely dangerous to do so. The trailer burned at 2,030 degrees Fahrenheit, which melted the aluminum and steel trailer. That powder is Sodium Chloride which you may recognize as common table salt. Do not crack this seal or otherwise interfere with it – let the fire department handle the rest. Explained. (1) The outer skin of several new aircraft is made largely of thin, sheet magnesium. This reaction Mg (Magnesium) + O (Oxygen) = MgO (Magnesium Oxide) is extremely powerful and fast and highly exothermic (releases quite a bit of bright light, which you may remember from high school chemistry lessons). In order to tackle a magnesium fire, you will need a Class D fire extinguisher, which contains MET-L-X Powder. Removal of any one of these elements will extinguish the fire. Some of the combustible metals are: magnesium, titanium, uranium, potassium, calcium, sodium, and lithium. Magnesium. On March 30, 1988, there was a tractor-trailer explosion in Chicago causing 200 people to evacuate from two different factories. Strangely, the finished product of Magnesium Oxide is quite useful and can be used in antacids as well as to deliver a mild laxative effect.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'firefighterinsider_com-box-4','ezslot_2',182,'0','0'])); However, because the reaction is heavily exothermic (that is it puts out huge amounts of heat). We will discuss rules for using fire extinguishers, types of fires (and the appropriate extinguisher to fight them), and the proper way to use a fire extinguisher. That even highly skilled and well-trained professionals can find themselves in a position where they struggle to deal with magnesium fires. MET-L-X POWDER (SODIUM CHLORIDE) FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Use for Class D Fires. Welcome to Firefighter Insider. Do not enter the dumpster, as the contents within are unknown. Year or vol: page: Keywords:, , , When handled incorrectly a magnesium fire can become incredibly dangerous to you and to everyone in the area. 11 Jobs. What Jobs Can You Get With An EMT Certification? The water, fire blanket and carbon dioxide fire extinguisher cannot be used for extinguishing magnesium fires. A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is trained on it, and fire continues to burn. Burning magnesium is usually quenched by using a Class D dry chemical fire extinguisher, or by covering the fire with sand to remove its air source. link to What Jobs Can You Get With An EMT Certification? What Type Of Fire Can Be Put Out Safely With Water? Stream a continuous supply of water from the hose to put out the fire. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'firefighterinsider_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',143,'0','0'])); You can put out a magnesium fire, if you are trained and confident doing so, by using a Class D fire extinguisher that is specifically designed to extinguish flammable metal fires. Magnesium has a very low ignition point and it is a very reactive element. Magnesium metal is silver/white in appearance. Water is squirted on it, and fire continues to burn. Firefighters on scene could not extinguish the fire and instead let the fire burn through the night so it could burn itself out after it had made its way through all the mag… Rating: Source: UW Card Catalog. I am passionate about helping to share what I have learned and assisting those who are pursuing a career as a firefighter. Firefighters could not extinguish the blaze and it had to be left to burn out by itself. A fire will burn as long as there is oxygen, fuel and heat available. By spraying CO2 on a magnesium fire, you are just adding fuel to it, since magnesium will burn in CO2. Here is a look at what happens when you use a water extinguisher on a magnesium fire: A magnesium fire is a Class D fire and fighting one is not as simple as you might think. Magnesium fires can spread very quickly to anything around them. If you cast your mind back to school chemistry lessons or the history lesson on the Hindenburg Disaster, then you will know that hydrogen burns very well in the presence of oxygen. Magnesium burns really hot, and becomes explosive when you add water. Extinguishing Plutonium Fires. A B-36, for instance, contains some 16,000 pounds of this metal in the airframe, landing gear, turrets, power plants, propellers and miscellaneous equipment. In fact, the fire service has often struggled with magnesium fires. Class K. Class K fires are fires in cooking oils and greases such as animal and vegetable fats. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'firefighterinsider_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',195,'0','0']));Why And How Does Water Put Out Fire? In order to tackle a magnesium fire, you will need a Class D fire extinguisher, which contains MET-L-X Powder. 55B). Then it’s important to realize that you only tackle a fire if you feel confident to do so. 11 Jobs. I run a HAZMAT warehouse on a US Submarine Base. You can bury the fire in sand, or you can use a class D fire … The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Glove boxes which. Then sweep the nozzle back and forth so that it applies a thin layer of powder over the base of the fire. Most of the time, you don’t. It just takes a little longer to cool the magnesium. Then you squeeze the discharge lever whilst keeping the body of the extinguisher in a vertical position. Granulated fire extinguishing powders can be used in place of extinguishers if the fire is on a level surface. You hold the nozzle above the fire (the maximum reach of the nozzle is approximately 6 feet, no more). My name is Chase and I am a professional Firefighter/Engineer - Paramedic with a Fire Department in Northern California. A: It's because magnesium eats water for breakfast and makes the fire stronger. You should never tackle a fire unless you are completely certain that it is safe to do so. Carbon dioxide won’t do the job either: while it will extinguish a regular fire by depriving it of oxygen, some burning metals can react with carbon dioxide to fuel the flames. In the case of a magnesium fire, it is very important that you understand what you are dealing with, the risks involved, and why the best decision, when combating a magnesium fire, maybe to leave the job of putting the fire out to the professionals. We had a class D extinguisher, but it was easier/safer to seal the furnace, shut the power off, and flood it with argon. How do you extinguish burning magnesium?In this video from the Royal Institution, science presenter Steve Mould demonstrates what happens when you try to extinguish a metal fire with a CO2 fire extinguisher or water—both bad ideas that don’t work and could be very dangerous. Why? Light weight combined with strength provides a strength-weight ratio favorable for many applications in transportation, construction, and other areas. How do you put out a magnesium fire? The larger the number, the bigger the fire the extinguisher can extinguish (under test conditions). We value your privacy. Extinguishing Magnesium Fires THE rapid development of magnesium as one of our most useful metals has been nothing short of phenomenal. Fire extinguishers would have been a preferred method of attacking the burning magnesium, Leland said, but it was raining, and that diminished their usefulness and aggravated the fire. how to put out a magnesium fire, ... versus titanium, and beryllium over magnesium, and then sit up all ... observed at one point. Upon fire detection the extinguishing process is initiated. Then again in 2011, in North Carolina, a fire crew was called to a vehicle fire. Why can't you use water or a fire extinguisher to extinguish a magnesium fire? Explained. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. These firefighters were using only 1% F-500 EA, and yet you will see there were no magnesium explosions. Applied with a long scoop or shovel, granulated sodium chloride, copper and graphite can be applied to smother fires involving titanium, magnesium, potassium sodium and aluminium. If you are in any doubt, move to a safe place, pull the fire alarm and call 911. In fact, it reacts with magnesium at room temperature, though it does so slowly enough that you won’t really notice it unless you allow large amounts of damp magnesium to sit around in an enclosed space, in which case things will eventually turn explosive. A fire in your home is the stuff of nightmares, but it is better to be prepared for what to do in the event of a fire than to bury your head in the sand. 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