- Title:
-
Compressed Air Foam Technology for Grassfire Fighting
- Date:
- February 2006
- Organisations
- BCRC
- Authors:
- Guy Barrett and Paul Killey
- Location:
- Australia, Australia
Overview
Following the 2003 Bushfires in Canberra, there has been a focus on the capability of the various fire services to control fires in the region. Over the past 12 months, the ACT Fire Brigade (ACTFB) and the ACT Rural Fire Service (ACTRFS) have invested in Compressed Air Foam Fire fighting Systems (CAFS) for urban, urban interface and rural bushfire fighting. This CAFS fire fighting technology is relatively new in Australia and there is only a limited knowledge of its effective use and practical application.
The primary objective of this research was to determine the most appropriate use of compressed air foam (CAF) for suppressing grassland fires and protecting assets. Experiments were conducted to determine to longevity of increased fuel moisture content from foam barriers laid in grassland and to determine the effectiveness of similar foam barriers as protection against an advancing fire.
