COMPOST & MULCH FIRES DON T JUST HAPPEN

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1 COMPOST & MULCH FIRES DON T JUST HAPPEN Jim Lapp C A N A D A C O M P O S T C O U N C I L C A L G A R Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 9,

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3 CANADIAN WASTE RESOURCES SYMPOSIUM QUEBEC CITY Call for Papers swana-symposium.com/

4 FIRE FIGHTERS CALLED OUT TO COMPOST FIRE AT LANDFILL CITIZEN STAFF / PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN APRIL 19, :12 AM Firefighters were called out Monday night to deal with a fire that broke out in a compost pile at the Foothills Regional Landfill. The high winds made it difficult to get to the seat of the fire and there was a concern the ambers could be blown into the main garbage area and ignite a fire there, Prince George Fire Rescue assistant chief Dxxxx Pxxxx. Heavy equipment was used to remove the four other piles that surrounded the pile that was burning. The cause was "naturally occurring."

5 HAMILTON FIRE CREWS EXTINGUISH MULTIPLE- ALARM BLAZE AT CITY COMPOST CENTRE CBC News: Aug 31, 2014 More than 30 firefighters on Sunday battled a multiple-alarm fire at a city centre housing compostable waste Because of the material burning, there s a lot of smoke and heat, so the crews found it difficult to get into the building to knock the fire down. The smoke carries a distinct green-bin pungency It smells like crap

6 FIRE AT NORTH EDMONTON WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY STILL BURNING CBC: September 4, 2016 McKenzie said she couldn't predict when the fire would be completely out, noting firefighters are continuing to turn over material from the woodpile to make sure hot embers aren't burning underneath. "It's important to remember the size of it. It's a very large, high pile of wooden material," she said. "Crews have been working on it. They're working very, very diligently,"

7 WOOD BUFFALO REGIONAL LANDFILL WILDFIRE IMPACT Landfill cell Wood piles Mattress pile Compost piles

8 FIRE TETRAHEDRON Heat Self Sustaining Chemical Chain Reaction Oxygen any chemical oxidant Fuel

9 FIRE SUPPRESSION Starvation Cooling Smothering Interference

10 FEEDSTOCKS THAT ARE FUELS Sawdust Wood chips Shredded bark Furniture First grinds Land clearing mulch Pine peelings Wood and bark mulch Ground pallets Screened overs Construction wood Ground brush Compost Green waste Recycled C&D Branches, leaves, grass Solid waste From: Bob Rynk, Compost fire Prevention & Control

11 WHAT STARTS COMPOST FIRES Lightning strikes???? Heat from equipment Sparks from welding Cigarette butts Wildfires Arson Spontaneous Combustion

12 SURFACE FIRES Intentional Cigarette butts Hot inbound material Hot equipment Hot works (welding/grinding) Wildfires

13 SUBSURFACE FIRES Hot embers in the pile From inbound material From previous fire Self Heating Chain Reaction Commonly called spontaneous ignition Common in biologically active piles

14 Temperature SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION Hay, straw, green wood chips, uncured compost Heat is generated by biological decomposition Self-insulating, heat is unable to escape, & pile temperature rises. Temperature rises above ignition point Addition of air (oxygen) results in thermal run-away, or fire Combustion point (depends on material) time

15 CHAIN REACTION o C Biological decay Rapid temperature rise chemical oxidation (Pyrolysis), Water boils away 150 o C to 200 o C Thermal oxidation, or FIRE Reaction rate doubles with each 10 O rise in temperature e.g. heat rise is 16 x quicker at 100C than at 60C

16 THE GREATEST RISK Large undisturbed piles of partially dry decomposing material Uncured compost Green wood piles with fines Shredded green wood Mixed green & white wood chips Compost with wood chips

17 CONDITIONS FOR SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION Feedstocks at early stage of decomposition Pile is moist but not wet Exterior is dry and insulating Little or no aeration, pile not turned Occasionally add moisture Rain Moisture is uneven Air added to hot pile Wind Air channeling Opening up the pile

18 HOW IT STARTS Dry compost, mulch, or overs Water seeps in, restarts biological activity Zone of heating, or pyrolysis Crack forms and draws in air Digging test holes also lets in air Rapidly escalates to smoke and glowing embers Agra Marketing Group, Tracy, Ca.

19 OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE OF SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION FIRES (FROM BOB RYNK) Few days after it rains On Windy days On side where wind comes from Piles higher than 5 metres Piles that are compacted (driven on) Burnt or acidic smell before fire Temperature over 80 C Starts near bottom of pile

20 SIGNS OF A FIRE Extreme temperatures Burnt or acidic smell Smoldering/visible smoke Charring Flames when opened up Open flames on surface

21 FIRE Surface Subsurface

22 IN-VESSEL Inadequate aeration Long retention time Low Moisture < 35% Developing Fire Rapid temperature rise Temperatures >80C Dealing with fire situation Add air increase risk Add water reduces risk

23 HARTFORD COMPOST FACILITY EXAMPLE FROM BOB RYNK, 2000

24 PREVENTION AND RESPONSE PLAN Work with the fire department Both you & FD need to understand how to deal with fires Consider causes Consider materials Locations Access to water Have a response plan Keep records of fires & near incidents Conditions/patterns What lead to the fire/incident

25 CHAIN OF COMMAND Fire Department not on-site? Fire Department on-site?

26 WHAT HAS NOT WORKED TO PUT OUT A COMPOST OR MULCH FIRE Spraying water alone Spraying water and wetting agents Smothering the pile Moving or turning without water

27 WHAT HAS WORKED? Most Effective Remove material from pile and douse Less Effective Remove burning material & spread without water Smothering, then spread out later Spray water only

28 SURFACE FIRES Accessible Can be extinguished with water & wetting agents Burning material can be pulled away from pile if safe to do so Can spread quickly in high winds

29 SUBSURFACE FIRES More Difficult Smoulders until exposed Need different approach Large amounts of water ineffective Fire water run-off issues

30 ISOLATE THE FIRE Remove cooler outside material first Cut-way to separate burning material from non-burning material Excavating burning material first Exposes to oxygen Escalation of fire Fire can spread if not isolated

31 EXCAVATE & SPREAD OUT Remove cooler outer material first

32 DOUSE OR SMOTHER

33 LARGE WATER VOLUMES Not usually effective on large burning pile Fire water run-off contamination Needs to be contained Can be expensive to contain and remediate after the fire

34 NOT ALL FIRES ARE THE SAME Plan according to the situation Consider Safety and Environment Be effective

35 PREVENT Avoid big piles Windrows Water (>35%) Mix & aerate

36 ADDED PREVENTION No smoking Clean hot surfaces on equipment Hot work procedures/permits Discuss at tailgate meetings

37 IDEAL WINDROWS 1,000 cubic metres 10 M As suggested by R. Rusnell

38 Temperature (Celsius) SIZE MATTERS Time (Days)

39 REMOVE HEAT

40 BE DILIGENT - Monitor - Temperature - Moisture - Smoke odour - Visual - Moisture patches - Steam or smoke vents - Charred material

41 SITE PLANNING Provide space to keep safe pile heights Provide access to piles in the event of a fire Provide for water Plan for fire-water runoff Provide space to spread piles

42 ALL FIRES ARE PREVENTABLE BE SMART ABOUT IT Prevent Monitor Plan

43 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Roland Rusnell Manager compost operations, City of Saskatoon Fireman, Delilse Fire Department SWANA Northern Lights Chapter, Past President Robert Rynk State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology Compost Fires, Prevention & Control Fires At Compost Facilities: Causes & Conditions, Biocyle, 2008 Fires At Compost Facilities: Handling & Extinguishing Fires, Biocycle, 2008

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