Oak Ridge Today

Video: ORFD demonstrates fire ‘flashover’ in three minutes

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Have you ever heard the term “flashover”? Do you know how fast fire spreads throughout your house? Do you have a home escape plan? For the answers to these questions, and more, watch this video from the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The Fire Department demonstrates how a fire that starts in a trash can in the corner of a room can “flash over” at 1,150 degrees and engulf an entire room in flames in about three minutes.

ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said the Fire Department would prefer that residents not try to fight fires themselves unless they’ve had training in using a fire extinguisher and have it immediately available. [Read more…]

ORFD open house includes fire demonstration

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Fire Department Burn Cell

A burn cell flashes over during an Oak Ridge Fire Department open house on Thursday. (Submitted photo)

A Thursday evening open house at Fire Station No. 3 in Oak Ridge included a live fire demonstration of a typical living room fire, which allowed those who attended to watch a fire progress from start to “flashover” at 1,150 degrees.

The burn cells constructed for these type of demonstrations are located at Fire Station No. 3 and were built under a partnership agreement with the University of Tennessee’s National Forensic Academy and the Oak Ridge Fire Department as a teaching tool for fire development studies. The live fire demonstration allowed attendees to see firsthand how quickly a fire develops and the tremendous amount of heat released from a burning sofa and chair. The live fire demonstration illustrated the need for smoke alarms and exit drills to save lives when every second counts, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORFD launches home escape plan announcement tonight, public invited

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Darryl Kerley

Darryl Kerley

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will host a community viewing of a new public service announcement on home escape plans at 6:30 p.m. today (Thursday).

The announcement is titled “Be Prepared: Home escape plans save lives!” The public viewing at Fire Station No. 3 is open to everyone, and it’s supported by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

“This program is going to give the fire service the opportunity to show how important having a home escape plan is and how the plan can be implemented by people of all ages,” ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department seeks to identify those who need special assistance

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responds to many calls each day and provides a variety of services to residents throughout the city. One of the keys to providing successful services to citizens is having the best plan possible ahead of time, a press release said.

In addition, one of the most important pieces of home fire safety is having a home escape plan, and the Fire Department said it would like to work out a plan ahead of time for residents who have special needs and would need additional assistance evacuating their house in the event of an emergency. [Read more…]