BNSF News

Ethanol "Live Burn" Provides Experience for Emergency Responders

2009-10-19

Fire fighters and other emergency responders in the Sterling, Kan., area are better prepared today, thanks to a recent "live ethanol burn" training session.

Ethanol is a volatile, flammable liquid used more and more frequently in fuel for vehicles. Knowing how to fight an ethanol-based fire is crucial for emergency responders, so the Kansas Ethanol plant, located between Sterling and Lyons, Kan., hosted the training session.

Some 29 different entities participated, including local, state and federal fire, emergency medical service and law enforcement agencies, for a total of 250-300 people. Participants learned to use several different types of foam to put out ethanol-based fires.

BNSF's Brock Lowman, manager, Hazardous Materials Programs and TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) 2009 national vice chairman, also attended to provide support.

Lowman said the live burns enabled participants to learn how best to contain and suppress an ethanol fire. New technology is being put forward in the form of new foams that do a better job. These products were tested at the live burn.

"While BNSF devotes most of its safety efforts to preventing such an incident in the first place, we still must be prepared to deal with the rare instance that such a fire could occur," Lowman said. BNSF has several foam trailers strategically placed across the BNSF system. They are equipped and tested with ethanol response in mind. "Kansas TRANSCAER was well represented with this effort from the railroads," Lowman said.

Groendyke Transportation provided a highway tank trailer, while the K&O Railroad provided a locomotive and several personnel for locomotive and tank car training.

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