French Bonfire

[TomHoward]

Here's a little bit of event safety news for a Sunday morning

 

France carnival explosion injures many

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39469112

 

Rather blunt video to go with it

[Ynot]

Wow!!

That was a classic example of rank amateurs trying to run a public event.

Liquid fuel like that is NEVER a suitable option for this sort of thing - my best guess here is that they'd not only used the petrol as a 'fuse' but probably doused the physical fuel with it as well, and judging by the speedy explosion, doused it a LOT!

So I'd say the actual explosion was very likely the fumes, at least initially, that meant it was an uncontrollable and severe flash-fire...

 

What numpties.

[Simon Lewis]

It doesn't look like they followed their version of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations.....

 

 

 

[Stuart91]

Wow!!

That was a classic example of rank amateurs trying to run a public event.

 

The staggering thing is that of all the people involved, nobody said "Hold on...", or if they did they weren't listened to.

 

Even if you are a rank amateur, it's not hard to type "how to light a bonfire safely" into Google if you're not sure.

 

It would be interesting who the lawyers decide to chase for compensation.

[bigclive]

"The fire marked the end of the carnival."

 

Yes it did.

[kerry davies]

It was indeed a silly thing to do and even before pressing play the proximity of a bunch of fuel laden vehicles had the hairs on the back of my neck rising. They were mad and also inexperienced to use plain petrol that way especially within a structure which could contain the fumes to make it a bomb.

 

However, in response to Ynot, liquid fuel is used all the time in fire shows and very safely indeed. Mostly it is paraffin/lamp oil but I have used a mix of petrol and paraffin quite extensively.

 

As with nearly everything in our business if you know what you are doing it looks great and is safe. If you don't know what you are doing then don't do it 'cos it could easily kill you as well as Mr and Mrs Innocent Bystander.

[Jivemaster]

It's not the name of the fuel it's the skill and experience using it that matters. Liquid fuels are used probably daily in SFX of some sort.

[Ynot]

However, in response to Ynot, liquid fuel is used all the time in fire shows and very safely indeed.

Really? You surprise me - IF you mean that you would use liquid fuel to the extent that there's effectively a reservoir of it inside such a bonfire creating a fume-bomb...

 

I don't actually think you would, but then I could be wrong. :)

 

What I actually said was

Liquid fuel like that is NEVER a suitable option for this sort of thing

meaning precisely that - NEVER to be used as the primary fuel source over and above the stuff you actually want to burn...

 

 

 

[paulears]

Liquid fuel always scares me. Preparing illusions I really don't like doing. Lowering things into containers of lighter fuel (naphtha) then covering to prevent evaporation, then once lit, snuffing them out. Only a couple of weeks ago, mid show, I got thrown the flaming torch went to snuff it out and somebody had taken the snuffer! Fifteen seconds later I need two hands to strike the heavy set of 8 flaming spikes. Painted plywood took the flaming torch for the time it took to snuff the big one. Then I found the missing snuffer - removed to hold open a door backstage! I preset it 2 minutes before I needed it.

I hate flames.

[ImagineerTom]

You'll want to have a word with your illusionists then about the builders they use. Any fire-utilising effect built by one of the major/reputable builders will have suppression systems built in (if it doesn't then it doesn't comply with fire safety laws in many jurisdictions) and accessible to all so that you should NEVER find yourself having to look for an external gadget or widget that someone else has borrowed.

[adam2]

It is foolhardy in the extreme to use petrol or similar volatile liquid fuel to ignite a bonfire. Volatile fuels emit a lot of highly flammable vapour which is liable to explode, as seen in the video.

 

It is much lower risk to use a non volatile liquid fuel such as paraffin or diesel fuel. Proper care should be taken of course, but I see little risk in use of a few litres of paraffin or diesel fuel to light an OUTDOOR bonfire. I have lit bonfires thus at public events after a risk assessment which consisted primarily of checks to ensure that petrol could never end up being used by mistake.

 

Drifting only slightly O/T, years ago hardware shops sold "re useable firelighters" for d0m3stic fireplaces. These consisted of a lump or some porous and fire proof material on a long metal handle. They were intended to be immersed in paraffin, and then placed on the grate and lit with a match whilst surrounded by coal or coke. They had a reasonable safety record if used as directed.

 

 

 

[John Diamond]

While the flammable liquid used is an obvious factor, the construction of the bonfire including the materials used and their placement, more than likely had a major contribution to the incident in my opinion. Having grown up in Northern Ireland, I have seen a fair few proper bonfires being built. This one doesnt look planned, it just looks like site signage being used to collect rubbish before being set on fire.

 

The explosion in the video could have been avoided had the fuel not been enclosed with the banner hoardings. I suspect that the flammable liquid used to start the fire was added some time before ignition. This would allow a build up of fumes and with no airflow to disperse them, an explosion was always going to be a risk once a source of ignition is introduced.

 

Im guessing it wouldn't take too much flammable liquid to be added to a badly constructed bonfire like the one in the video to have the same results.

[sunray]

Here's a little bit of event safety news for a Sunday morning

 

France carnival explosion injures many

http://www.bbc.co.uk...europe-39469112

 

Rather blunt video to go with it

 

And that's why I don't like fire at poorly organised public events.

 

I saw a mains cable for the PA system running right beside a burning bonfire once! Addmittedly it had been a number of metres away originally but somehow it got moved.

[adam2]

BBC news link This report would seem to be of a rather similar accident, "bonfire explodes at party"

 

 

Reports suggest that "fuel was poured onto the fire" what sort of fuel is not reported, but one might suspect petrol. Although this was a religious event, I doubt that religion was relevant, just another case illustrating the unwisedom of pouring petrol on a fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bigclive]

That does look like a build up of fuel and air. I particularly like the speculation:-

 

"It is unclear what caused the blast, although there are reports fuel was poured on the fire while others say at least one mobile phone was put into the fire."

 

Yeah. That was totally a mobile phone. They do that.