N.C. Firefighters Prepare For Flashover Training

Flashover -- a phenomenon faced by firefighters -- causes around 20 deaths a year, said Joe Starnes of Shelby, a volunteer firefighter for 33 years.

"Flashover is the simultaneous ignition of the whole room, temperatures can reach 1,500 degrees or more," Starnes said. "It is not understood."

"Project Kill the Flashover," a controlled burn Nov. 11 and 12 at 404 Polkville Road, Shelby, will help firefighters gain knowledge about how flashovers occur. Starnes and Albemarle Fire Chief Shawn Oke are partnering with more than 50 firefighting experts from the United States and England and vendors of safety equipment to conduct the field test. The Cleveland Community College fire burn class will observe the process and benefit from the experts, Starnes said.

"This is a professional trade test and will probably draw international attention," Starnes said.

Findings from the test will be published in the Fire and Rescue Magazine and reported at the Hazard Zone Management Conference at the University of Notre Dame.

Flashovers are becoming increasingly dangerous for firefighters because newer materials create faster ignition.

"Fires today are 10 times as hot," Starnes said. "What used to take 29-30 minutes to flash in older furnishings takes a couple of minutes now."

Starnes said each of the firefighting experts has a method for dealing with flashover. Today and Saturday, these experts will compare strategies and decide what works best. In addition, thermal imaging and other instruments will be used to collect critical data and capture detailed, technical, real-time burn conditions.

"This is one of the first field tests where we bring different tactics and compare them with each other in one spot," Starnes said. "We are trying to reduce injuries and death associated with fires."

Reach Jackie Bridges at 704-669-3337.