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Foam aids efforts in extinguishing huge Tenn. tire fire

Fire department made an emergency purchase of 1,250 gallons of FireAde 2000 following incident

Extinguishing a chicken coop fire was only a small part of the challenge for responding firefighters in Sale Creek, Tennessee, in December. While they quickly doused the flames on the structure itself, a large pile of shredded tires nearby had also ignited, creating a toxic, smoldering blaze.

While it took three days to fully extinguish, Chief Tony Reavely of the Hamilton County Emergency Services, said without the use of FireAde 2000 — a Class A and B firefighting foam — it would have taken much longer.

The tires — in some places up to 15 feet deep — covered an area of about 3 to 4 acres, according to Chief Reavely, with the Sale Creek department being joined by the Soddy Daisy Fire Department and Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department in responding.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do, so we contacted Fire Services Plus regarding FireAde 2000 and made an emergency purchase of 1,250 gallons,” Chief Reavely said.

Their purchase got them more than just the FireAde. They also got two Fire Services Plus employees who drove up Fayetteville, Georgia, with the foam to work with the local firefighters in applying it to the fire. Jeff Shirk, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Fire Services, was one of those who joined the effort.

During the incident, rotating crews were set up that sprayed the foam at .25 percent concentration on the fire while a bulldozer and backhoe worked to spread out the piles of highly flammable tires. That last part is important, Shirk said, because rubber tires essentially provide a continuous fuel that will continue to burn if not fully extinguished. “You can bury them and they end up smoldering for years,” he added.

FireAde 2000 is highly effective because it acts as a better penetrant, according to Shirk. Designed to offer better heat absorption, FireAde 2000 essentially makes water wetter, he said.

“What would have taken one week to 10 days to fight and who knows how much water ended up taking between 36 and 48 hours,” Chief Reavely said. “I think it’s a great product.”

Georgia-based Fire Service Plus manufactures environmentally friendly and cost effective firefighting foam agents. FireAde 2000, their premier product, resulted from 30 years of research and development and rigorous environmental testing.

Drew Johnson’s contributions to the FireRescue1 editorial lineup focuses on new fire products, services, and technologies. A native of Oklahoma, Drew has previously written for both print and online media outlets on a wide range of topics, including finance, education, real estate, and politics. Contact Drew at drew.johnson@praetoriangroup.com.

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