Class A foam tests encouraging
Testing is underway in Canada to quantify the effect of Class A foam in direct fire attack. The project, “Quantitative Evaluation of Enhanced Water Fire Suppression,” is spearheaded by C. Bruce Edwards, research director of FireTech Engineering, Inc., deputy chief of the Wabasca (BC, Canada) Fire Department, and Fire Engineering editorial advisory board member, and is supported by Forestry Canada, the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal, various fire industries, and several fire departments.
The project seeks to answer fundamental questions about the effectiveness of various foam attack methodologies. A crib ignition test and eight preliminary burn trials were conducted at the Vernon Military Camp at Vernon, British Columbia, on October 2-17, 1992. Eight fuel cribs, each consisting of about 3,300 pounds of dried 2X4 lumber in UL-711 standard configuration, provided high-intensity, well-ventilated, reproducible fires. They were attacked with straight streams of water, aspirated lowexpansion Class A foam, foam solution, and standardand low-pressure water fog.
Preliminary test results have been encouraging. Although Edwards stresses that the tests were “strictly preliminary,” he believes they demonstrate that “it is feasible to quantitatively compare fire suppression systems.”
Full-scale testing currently is in the works. Any parties interested in participating in and/or contributing to the project should contact FireTech Engineering, Inc., 1373 East 15th Street, North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7J 1K9.
