Lessons from Delaware's fire prevention programs

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy finds that fire and life safety programs in Delaware offer a strategic, comprehensive and coordinated approach to fire prevention. The report, published in the November issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, offers recommendations to states and localities across the country looking to improve their fire and life safety activities. (more...)

http://gazette.jhu.edu/2012/03/05/delaware-offers-lessons-for-fire-prevention-programs-nationwide/

Drake Hall update

Inspection of Drake Hall following the January 29th fire that forced the evacuation of all residents has revealed that damage repair will take 2-3 months. Consequently, all Drake Hall residents will need to relocate for the remainder of the spring semester. UW-La Crosse hopes to see Drake Hall ready for re-occupancy in early June.

As of Monday morning, 132 Drake Hall residents had officially checked out of their rooms. Many other rooms are cleared of possessions except for a few items, and not officially cleared for checked out. Students have accepted housing assignments in other residence halls, the Western Residence Hall and Viterbo University. Others have moved to apartments, hotels or will commute from home.

Further updates from UW-La Crosse are here.

Lithium Battery Fire at Camp Pendleton is Third in Two Years

Posted 28 Oct 2011

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/

By: Dave Maass

Roughly 500 lithium batteries caught fire in a storeroom at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base last week, according to an incident report filed with the National Response Center (NRC).

This is the third incident involving lithium batteries at the base in the last two years. Last April, a 55-gallon drum of batteries began to emit gas and smoke, requiring fire department response. In November, another 55-gallon drum “vented, heated then reacted and caught on fire,” according to a NRC report. In the latest case, the fire started in a battery room, activating a fire-suppression system that resulted in the release of between 500 and 1,000 gallons of tainted water into storm drains. In all three cases, employees within a quarter-mile were evacuated.

Base officials say Marine command is investigating the June 14 incident. In an emailed statement to CityBeat, they write:

The Camp Pendleton Fire Department responded to and extinguished a structural fire aboard the base which had started in a room used to store lithium batteries, June 14. Camp Pendleton notified the National Response Center of the incident due to possible contamination of water used to put out the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Future preventative measures will be learned upon completion of the investigation.

*For more information on this story go to www.sdcitybeat.com.

*For information on Veolia's battery packaging guidelines click here>>

Woodstoves and outdoor wood boilers cause wildfires—and, you get the bill!

March 29, 2011 , WIDNR MADISON – Wisconsin’s peak wildfire season typically occurs just after the snow melts in conjunction with cool, dry and windy weather conditions, and state forestry officials caution that woodstoves, wood-fired outdoor boilers and debris fires cause numerous, and costly, wildfires every year about this time.

“When cleaning out a woodstove or fireplace, it’s important to empty ashes in a metal container with a tight fitting lid,” says Catherine Koele, wildfire prevention specialist with the Department of Natural Resources. “Let the embers cool by drowning and stirring the ashes with plenty of water and a shovel. Since embers can remain hot for days, avoid disposing ashes in the outdoors unless the ground is completely snow-covered or on bare ground such as a plowed field or tilled garden. Be sure to check for hot glowing embers as you dispose of them.” (more)

USFA Releases Thanksgiving Day Fires in Residential Buildings Report

Nov 12, 2010

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report recently examining the characteristics of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. The report, Thanksgiving Day Fires in Residential Buildings, was developed by USFA's National Fire Data Center.

The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). According to the report, an estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of five deaths, 25 injuries, and $21 million in property loss.

The leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings is, by far, cooking. In addition, these fires occur most frequently in the afternoon hours from noon to 4 p.m. Smaller, confined fires account for 71 percent and larger, nonconfined fires account for 29 percent of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. Finally, smoke alarms were not present in 20 percent of nonconfined Thanksgiving Day fires that occurred in occupied residential buildings.

The topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in NFIRS. Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context.


To view the report, click here

From ohsonline.com

Portable Generator Hazards

For a printable version (pdf) of this fact sheet, click here

For a pdf poster on Using Portable Generators Safely, click here

Portable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed. However, if used incorrectly, gasoline, kerosene, and other gas-powered generators can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shocks, fires, and burns. Generator accidents can be fatal!

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning
Every year, people die in accidents related to portable generator use. For example, a young camper was killed by CO from a portable generator's exhaust tube adjacent to the victim's campsite. Most deaths involve CO poisoning from portable generators used indoors or in partially-enclosed spaces. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that between 1999 and 2004 portable generators caused 172 CO poisoning deaths in the U.S. (More....)

NFPA-1 training

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Safety & Buildings Division is presenting four sessions of NFPA-1 Code training in July and August in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association.


No walk-ins, register by July 8. Offered at four locations: Milwaukee area, Green Bay, Eau Claire, and Richland Center. Only $25 -- a bargain!

See PDF brochure.  


See PDF list of current registrants.

UCLA appeals state findings in fatal lab fire

Cal/OSHA had cited workplace-safety violations in the December death of staff research assistant Sheri Sangji. The school says it has made required changes and paid more than $31,000 in fines.
By Kim Christensen
June 6, 2009
UCLA has appealed state regulators' findings of serious workplace-safety violations in the fatal burning of a staff research assistant last year in a lab fire.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health found last month that Sheri Sangji, 23, was not properly trained and was not wearing protective clothing Dec. 29 when an experiment with air-sensitive chemicals burst into flames. (More...)