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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