Each year an estimated 80,000 fire fighters battle wildfires, spending long durations at the fire front where they are exposed to high levels of smoke and heat. Sudden changes in weather or fire conditions increase the chances of being entrapped by a wildfire or caught in the burnover of an advancing fire front. Wildfire smoke contains toxic components, including particulates, high levels of volatile organic compounds, acid gases, and carbon monoxide. However, the single largest cause of death or injury is heat-damage to the airways or lungs, caused by breathing superheated air;this risk is actually greater than that from external burns. Fire experts stress that the MOST important aspect of protection when working near a wildfire is to protect the respiratory tract. Currently, there is no suitable device available to protect fire fighters from exposure to these dangers. TDA Research, Inc. proposes to develop a portable device that will protect firefighters from superheated air and carbon monoxide (CO) when trapped inside a fire shelter. In the Phase I project, TDA demonstrated that we could reduce the temperature of superheated air from 3500F to 1000F, and maintain that the cooling for more than 30 min, and that we could also reduce the concentration of CO from 3600 ppm to less than 35 ppm with our device. In Phase II, we will optimize the design to minimize size, weight and cost, while improving the performance of the device. This will be done using a combination of numerical heat transfer modeling and experimental work. At the end of the Phase II project, TDA will have a prototype design for this device.
In this study, a portable device will be developed to protect wildland firefighters against superheated air and carbon monoxide when taking refuge in a fire shelter during a burnover. This research is relevant to public health because it will protect wildland firefighters when they are fighting fires that threaten public resources and residential areas.
