the challenges of wildland fire investigation
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CONFIDENTIAL
The Challenges ofWildland Fire Investigation
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Scope
• Introduction
• Global Patterns and Statistics
• Fire Investigationo Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread
o Common Burn Patterns
o Challenges Faced
• Case Studies from Singapore
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A Bit About Me…Career Milestones
• 2005: Joined SCDF after graduating with a Bachelors Degree (Hons) in Chemistry and Management from Imperial College, London
• 2009: Commander, Banyan Fire Station
• 2010: Commander, Tampines Fire Station
• 2014: Assistant Director, HazMat Department
• 2016: Pursued Masters Degree in Fire Investigation at University of Central Lancashire, U.K.
• 2017: Commander, Fire Research Unit concurrent Commander, Fire Investigation Unit (7th posting)
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A Bit About Singapore…• Singapore is an island city-state about 720km2 in area• Multicultural population of about 5.7 million• Tropical climate • Relatively safe from natural disasters
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A Bit About the SCDF…
To protect and save lives and property for a safe and secure Singapore
A World-Leading Life Saving Force through People, Innovation and
Partnership for an Emergency Ready Nation
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A Graduated Response to Incidents
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Recent Major IncidentsTuas Waste Management Plant Fire
23 Feb 2017
Tampines CK Building Fire17 Aug 2016
PB Tankstore Oil Tank Fire20 Mar 2018
PIE Highway Construction Works Collapse14 Jul 2017
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Wildland Fires
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Regions of Wildland FiresSource: UN ISDR
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Loss of homes and way of life
Huge Losses Incurred
Loss of lives, including fire
fighters
Loss of ecosystems
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Tragic Loss of Lives
Top 10 Most Significant
Wildfires for Fatalities from
1900 – 2016
Source: Statista 2018
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Troubling Trends
More homes are being lost to wildfire… while the cost of wildfire
suppression increases.
Source: National Interagency Fire Centre, USA
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Regional Wildfires
2015 Indonesia Forest Fire
• Cost: US$16 billion
• Haze affected
neighbouring countries
• Assets and firefighters
deployed from the region.
Singapore deployed 1 Chinook and the Bambi MAX (5000 litres) to assist in
firefighting operations
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WildlandFire Investigation
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Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread• Weather
o Wind – affects fire spread and growth
o Relative humidity – affects ignition and intensity
o Temperature – preheats fuels
• Topography
o Slope
o Aspect – direction the slope faces
o Terrain – existence of natural fire breaks, barriers, etc Source: theintegralschoolblog.org
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Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread• Fuels
o Type
o Size
o Arrangement
o Moisture
o Categories (subsurface / surface / aerial)
Duff
Ground / surface litter
Slash
Ladder fuels
Crown Source: advancedmastergardener.org
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Origin and Cause
Source: Fire Engineering
Source: Private Forest Landowners Association, California
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Common Burn Patterns V-patterns
Degree of damage
Depth / angle of char
Source: Kirk’s Fire Investigation
Source:
Interfire
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Common Burn Patterns Sooting
Spalling
Source: Kirk’s Fire Investigation
Cupping
Beveling
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Common Burn Patterns Protection
Foliage freeze
Grass stems
Source: Kirk’s Fire Investigation
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Potential Causes of Fire
Natural – lightning, volcanic activity
Human – equipment use, debris burning, campfire, religious activities, smoking, fireworks, railroad, child’s play, incendiary
Miscellaneous – sunray (with glass refraction), spontaneous combustion, embers from previous fire
Undetermined
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Challenges Faced
Large area of operation and time consuming
Difficult to preserve evidence
Evidence of ignition source usually absent
Source: panow.com
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Challenges Faced
Potentially multiple points / areas of origin
Requires specialization and deep knowledge on fuels involved
Disproportionately larger percentage of undetermined causes compared to structural fires
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Statistics & Case Studies
from Singapore
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Vegetation Fire Stats (2015 – 2017)
0
50
100
150
2002015
2016
2017
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2015 89 218 97 48 19 6 10 17 94 65 26 6
2016 16 11 142 87 10 4 15 47 22 18 10 23
2017 19 17 13 9 7 35 88 92 30 30 3 23
Ave Veg Fire (2015 - 2017) 48 95 47 25 20 14 29 41 31 23 9 13
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Vegetation Fires in Singapore
Aviation Park FireAug 2010
Punggol Sumang Walk FireApr 2016
Bukit Batok Forest FireFeb 2009
Tampines Avenue 9 FireFeb 2009
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Case Study 1
Vegetation Fire at Bukit BatokWest Avenue 6
23 Jun 2010
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Location of fire – peak of a small hill
About 100 m away – Fire at another hilltop the previous year
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Fire damage to surrounding area. Thick vegetation observed near fire scene. No sign of human activity found around the surrounding area.
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Signs of branch struck by lightning at the area of origin. The edges have clean cut.
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Verified with information from the Meteorological Service to conclude investigation findings.
Any other signs of lightning activity?
Source: Kirk’s Fire Investigation
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Case Study 2
Vegetation Fire at Bedok Reservoir
Park
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Charring and curling of vegetation giving clues on the direction of fire.
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Clear signs of human activity moving
approaching the fire origin
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Discovery of makeshift tentage for illicit activities
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Discovery of makeshift tentage for illicit activities
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Location of firePunggol Jetty
OBS Camp 1 Jetty
8 km
39/<Total>
Sector 1
Sector 2
Sector 1
Sector 3
A total of 3 firefighting sections, 1 Special Rescue Unitplatoon and 1 Marine Firefighting Vessel (MFV) weredeployed to the incident. A key strategy was tosectorise the incident site to cut off the fire spread.
Sector 1: Defensive Fire fighting To prevent fire spread into the OBS camp1. Two 38mm jets using hydrants from OBS School 1. 2. 14 smoke chasers to extinguish pockets of fire.
Smoke Chaser
Sector 2: Offensive Fire fighting1. Two 38mm jets using water from Portable Pumps
and Marine Firefighting Vessel (MFV).2. MFV was also used for offensive and damping
down operations.
Sector 3: Offensive Fire fighting1. One 64mm jet supplied with water from MFV2. 4 canvas beaters3. 2 canvas buckets4. 7 smoke chasers used to extinguish pockets of fire
Canvas BeaterCanvas Bucket
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Findings and Follow UpFire classified as accidental due to sunray.
OBS enhanced their fire-fightingcapability:
a. Establish Company EmergencyResponse Team
b. Added fire-fighting equipment suchas smoke chasers
c. Annual joint exercise (GDX/TTX)
d. Emergency Response Plan betweenSCDF and OBS
2017 SCDF-OBS Joint Exercise
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Public advised:
• Not to throw lighted materials such as cigarette butts onto grass patches,fields and rubbish dumps.
• Not to discard unwanted items such as furniture at grass areas.
• To use incense burners while burning incense papers.
• Home and land owners advised to create barriers, conduct their own patrols,and trim and water vegetation during dry seasons.
• Home and land owners advised to ensure that the relevant fire-fightingfacilities (eg. fire extinguishers) are readily available.
Advisories / Recommendations
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Advisories / RecommendationsSource: NFPA Journal Jan / Feb 2018
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THANK YOU