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Scenario; engine fire what do you do?

76zimmer

76zimmer

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OK first off don’t go ADD on me.... read the entire paragraph before you respond please!
Fire is one of my biggest fears. So as I’ve played this scenario in my mind a few times what would you do if you realized you had an engine fire?
Let’s start old school and say you have a 77 Blazer with a mechanical fuel pump and a carburetor. And we will get into later model equipment (higher pressure fuel pump and fuel injection) later in the thread
 
shut engine off, don't open hood, use fire extinguisher through grill. No fire extinguisher ..... for shame.. open 2 liter bottle of coke, place thumb over opening, shake the $h@t out said 2 liter and spay with thumb over opening through grill.
 
make sure fire extinguisher is rated for electrical and oil and gas otherwise whats the use .

i would like to pop a switch or wing nut or something to kill batt system 100% then kill fuel if you can for sure .

biggest thing these days is check your fuel lines and hoses all of it every inch . the stuff they sell now dont last as long and ethanol fuel eats it up faster inside .

bag of good quality zip ties NOT 99cent store box of 1000 count to keep stuf secure and away from stuff if not wire clamps and bolts and lock nuts .
 
I have watched the videos for the Element ones, they look great. But I haven't purchased even one yet.

If you have a dry chemical one, I hope that everyone knows to knock the powder loose every so often. I know that I don't do it often enough.

Just an FYI, what I am referring to is to turn the extinguisher upside down and hit the bottom of it with a rubber mallet several times. Then rock it back and forth between upright and upside down. You can sometimes feel the powder falling inside.
I don't know if the powder packs down more in a vehicle from vibrations or not, so this may need to be done more often. I honestly don't know.

My first thought is as @rampage said, shut it off, get everyone out of it and safe, then carefully open the hood while trying to stay low. What @Wes Harden said about shooting through the grill may be best and true, I have no actual experience. What I was taught was to go to the base of the fire, kill it at the source. And try to stay out of the smoke since it can kill you, even years later, from what I have heard.

I don't believe that it would make much difference as to what pressure the fuel system runs at, because if you have a fire, then shut the engine off, some conditions could be the same. I am thinking that if there was a fuel leak, then a system that's off, can feed the fire regardless of operating pressure. And heat can push fuel out of any leak.

Remember that no vehicle is worth your life, just concentrate on keeping everyone safe!
Assess what potential dangers there are if you can't contain or extinguish the fire.
 
I sell the Element extinguishers, and they are definitely a unique product. I keep one of them in my truck as well as a conventional extinguisher.
 
On something lifted I'd use the extinguisher up through the fender well. A dry chemical one shot through the grille would do nothing.... A CO2 one might that way. But through the fender well, pointed up would get a lot of it where you want it. Once it seems controlled, I'd open the hood quick staying LOW, and finish the job.

Ideally for our wheeling rigs there should be a manual fuel shut off near the tank, just in case. But it's something most of us never think of.

I've only had an engine fire while driving once. And we put it out with my buddies shirt. Fire was just coming from the carb, so it was easy.
 
A few years back while I was working I was stopped in a line of cars and truck waiting for a super long train. I had my garbage truck running, and my camera system I had set up with rear view and hopper cam in split screen. I saw in my camera the Dodge truck behind begin to smoke a little, then start to really billow. I got out of my truck, grabbed my big ABC extinguisher of the side of the truck. Dude had his hood open at this point, top of the engine was fully engulfed. This was a TBI truck...

I did all the stuff you're supposed to and the fire was out in seconds. It looked like one of the supply line to the TBI broke, cracked or whatever...and it douched fuel everywhere before igniting. After it was out we disconnected his battery and pushed it off to the shoulder. the extinguisher sure made a mess under his hood, but we saved the rest of the truck and nobody was hurt.
 
For those with Element extinguisher knowledge / experience, when stored is it ok if they get wet? I don’t have a top for my Blazer so everything is subject to wheeling, washing and weather elements.

As for a plan, obviously shut it off and get everyone out. I plan to have fuel (TBI pump) and ignition cut off switches for security so the fuel pump cut off would be important during a fire.
 
To answer Dave's question, I have an extinguisher in every vehicle I own. No guarantees that I'll be able to stop a fire, but I'm going to try. On the oil burner I like to think the fuel is less flammable than gasoline. But it still burns once a fire breaks out... :1zhelp:
 
The ABC standard extinguishers will put out everything but do make a mess. They will often wreck electronics and other components that the fire may not have damaged. The purple K ones will put out fires but are electronic safe. I have one of each but have not needed to use them so no real world info on this.
 
Some great points I was looking for have been brought up....
1st is safety; get everyone out and safe and secure the vehicle from rolling, and turn off ignition, fuel and electrical sources if possible.
Next is toxic fumes....from plastics, fluids, gases and insulation, many can be inhalation hazards...protect yourself from serious health issues.
Be aware that shocks, brake, power steering and A/C systems all have potentially explosive pressure when subjected to high temps.
Shady brought up a good point of trying to extinguish through the fenderwell. My Blazer has lifted suspension and a body lift so that would work great for a lower engine fire.
I’ve seen a number of videos showing the NHRA safety crew going after a fire without opening a hood, because suddenly you could provide a rush of oxygen to fuel the fire. If practical just crack the hood open and blanket the engine from a front corner of the grille depending on where the fire is.
The small extinguishers that most of us carry will run out in a hurry, so if you see smoke, help a brother out and come to their aid with your extinguisher.
Lots of good points here, but mainly go through a scenario in your driveway, so you’re prepared for the real deal if/when it happens.

As far a fuel injection and electric fuel pumps are concerned, killing the electrical source is even more important so there isn’t a pressurized source of fuel feeding the fire. I guess you can imagine how that would turn out.
 
Halon, my wife has put out 2 minor cengine fires, when she commuted, on the side of the road for others. With this reusable Halon 1 pound extinguisher.
Halon displaces the O2.
Please don't open the, at most pop the first latch.
If you have a carb fire while doing repairs, air cleaner off short of thing, keep cranking the engine. If out side the carb smother or use fire extinguisher

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