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Questions tagged [fire]

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Can I estimate fire temperature from a building's colour?

I am studying a building that was impacted by a fire (from a Natural Hazard perspective, so consider my engineering skills as inexistant!!). There are obvious changes in the outside paint's colour, ...
e5k's user avatar
  • 31
1 vote
1 answer
56 views

Is a powder fire extinguisher not good for CRT TVs?

I'm about to buy a standard 6-litre powder fire extinguisher. However, in the description, they all say: Suitable for [blablabla...] and for electronic devices up to 1000 V. Up to 1000 Volts? But ...
Aljandro Barbone's user avatar
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1 answer
59 views

Is it really sane to drop buckets of water into a (CRT) TV on fire after unplugging it?

Today, I read this absurd (to me) claim on what to do if your TV catches fire: Collect water and fill the unplugged TV. You can fill in only from the side. This is a necessary security measure. The ...
Jorrel's user avatar
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1 answer
66 views

Consequential differences between World Trade Center (1973-2001) with steel columns and concrete columns? [closed]

How long would the World Trade Center (1973-2001) have stood after the large commercial passenger aircraft impact if the columns had been made of concrete? The perimeter columns were steel according ...
H2ONaCl's user avatar
  • 109
2 votes
3 answers
59 views

What materials could non-flammable (blowtorch resistant) "plastic" submarine furniture be made of?

In a documentary on Russian submarines they show non-flammable furniture that's made of some kind of plastic of foam. They test/demonstrate it with a blowtorch that is capable of cutting metal (they ...
Fizz's user avatar
  • 453
1 vote
3 answers
180 views

What is the cheapest way to build a fireproof box?

I'm breaking my brain for a two weeks trying to find a way to build a fireproof box 100 cm × 100 cm × 100 cm with 1 door at the cheapest price. The immediate candidate is sheet metal, which needs to ...
Simon's user avatar
  • 105
0 votes
1 answer
49 views

Does any know what kind of pump "Colossus" used for saving the Notre Dame Cathedral?

Does any know what kind of water pump the French Firefighting Robot Colossus used to Help Save Burning Notre Dame Cathedral? What kind of water pumps do fire fighting vehicle use or fire fighting ...
CountDOOKU's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
43 views

Is there fire suppression in some phone batteries, and if so, how does it work?

I recently saw a rugged smartphone, three or four years old, with a ~5000 mAh battery, suffer a major impact to its back. This wasn't a fall, it was a fast impact with a heavy object. Immediately ...
Jonathan Brickman of Topeka KS's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
52 views

How is fire risk reduced in dense contemporary timber neighbourhoods?

In the Middle Ages most buildings were made from timber. After large fires timber was restricted or outlawed altogether and brick and stone became the preferred building materials, e.g. in London ...
sba222's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
56 views

If a fire-extinguishing bomb of sorts could be engineered or if a huge fire cover could be used, would they work better than the dumping of water?

In several regions of the world, fires rage through hundreds and even thousands of acres, and there is effectively little response that stops the fire, especially coupled with bad winds and extreme ...
Private Name's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
170 views

What is the minimum height of a chimney needed in a camper?

Like a lot of people nowadays, I'm fitting a log fire into the back of a camper van but can't find the minimum height above the roof for the chimney. Ideally, it should be as low as possible for ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 171
2 votes
0 answers
40 views

What is the test procedures for a flame arrester?

A flame arrester is basically a heat exchanger in front of the tubulure. It conducts the heat of flame to some other place (to the liquid and/or the container especially if the container is built from ...
ceremcem's user avatar
  • 215
1 vote
1 answer
359 views

Static electricity in PE foam rolling

In a PE (polyethylene) foam factory there have been some incidents with static electricity that have created minor fires. Fire is a concern in such a factory, as PE is highly flammable, and even more ...
PavoDive's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
130 views

What are the possible implications of the heating of the structural stonework of Notre-Dame cathedral during the fire?

Yesterday, Notre Dame cathedral caught fire. The roof and the central spire were destroyed and some of the stonework was subjected to high temperatures for an extended period. What are the likely ...
Dave Gremlin's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
450 views

Protecting heat-sensitive media from fire: fire-safe + Thermos?

Protecting paper documents from fire is quite straightforward with, for example, a Sentry fire chest. This product has been tested hold the inside temperature under 177°C (350F) for 1 hour. This is ...
Figaro's user avatar
  • 101
5 votes
3 answers
67k views

How can I keep a Zippo lighter from losing fluid to evaporation or leaks?

Zippo lighters are notorious for needing regular refilling. The fuel evaporates from the cotton regularly. Some people put a bit of rubber around the seal. What atmospheric conditions keep fuel from ...
Mohammad Athar's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
11k views

Will deodorant flamethrower ever explode? [closed]

Yes, the one where you put lighter close to nozzle of deodorant, light it up and start to spray out the deodorant. I suppose that this is simillar to how gas stoves work, so it shouldn't explode. Even ...
Danyl Filatov's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
104 views

Why not use fire-retardant plastics everywhere?

Some plastics will sustain a flame. Others won't. Not spreading a fire is obviously preferable in almost every circumstance. What advantages do combustible plastics have over non-combustible plastics, ...
Stephen Collings's user avatar