The Challenges of Wildland Fire Investigation CONFIDENTIAL Scope - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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The Challenges of Wildland Fire Investigation

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Scope

• Introduction
• Global Patterns and Statistics
• Fire Investigation
• Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread
• Common Burn Patterns
• 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 Incidents

Tuas Waste Management Plant Fire 23 Feb 2017 Tampines CK Building Fire 17 Aug 2016 PB Tankstore Oil Tank Fire 20 Mar 2018 PIE Highway Construction Works Collapse 14 Jul 2017

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Wildland Fires

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Regions of Wildland Fires

Source: 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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Wildland Fire Investigation

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Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread

• Weather
• Wind – affects fire spread and growth
• Relative humidity – affects ignition and

intensity

• Temperature – preheats fuels
• Topography
• Slope
• Aspect – direction the slope faces
• Terrain – existence of natural fire

breaks, barriers, etc Source: theintegralschoolblog.org

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Factors Affecting Ignition and Spread

• Fuels
• Type
• Size
• Arrangement
• Moisture
• 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)

50 100 150 200 2015 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 Fire Aug 2010 Punggol Sumang Walk Fire Apr 2016 Bukit Batok Forest Fire Feb 2009 Tampines Avenue 9 Fire Feb 2009

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Case Study 1

Vegetation Fire at Bukit Batok West 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 fire Punggol Jetty OBS Camp 1 Jetty 8 km

39/<Tot al>

Sector 1

Sector 2 Sector 1 Sector 3

A total of 3 firefighting sections, 1 Special Rescue Unit platoon and 1 Marine Firefighting Vessel (MFV) were deployed to the incident. A key strategy was to sectorise the incident site to cut off the fire spread.

Sector 1: Defensive Fire fighting To prevent fire spread into the OBS camp

• 1. Two 38mm jets using hydrants from OBS School 1.
• 2. 14 smoke chasers to extinguish pockets of fire.

Smoke Chaser

Sector 2: Offensive Fire fighting

• 1. 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 fighting

• 1. One 64mm jet supplied with water from MFV
• 2. 4 canvas beaters
• 3. 2 canvas buckets
• 4. 7 smoke chasers used to extinguish pockets of fire

Canvas Beater Canvas Bucket

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Findings and Follow Up

Fire classified as accidental due to sunray. OBS enhanced their fire-fighting capability:

a. Establish Company Emergency Response Team b. Added fire-fighting equipment such as smoke chasers c. Annual joint exercise (GDX/TTX) d. Emergency Response Plan between SCDF 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-fighting

facilities (eg. fire extinguishers) are readily available.

Advisories / Recommendations

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Advisories / Recommendations

Source: NFPA Journal Jan / Feb 2018

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THANK YOU