4 ms·

Fires of Kuwait. IMAX film. Highly recommended. Fascinating all the methods they used to extinguish the oil well fires that Saddam Hussein ordered to be set on

Fires of Kuwait. IMAX film. Highly recommended. Fascinating all the methods they used to extinguish the oil well fires that Saddam Hussein ordered to be set on fire. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fires_of_Kuwait https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fires_of_Kuwait

cma 5y ago
It is really good, the full thing is on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA The older thread recommended Lessons of Darkness (I haven't watched it yet): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessons_of_Darkness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessons_of_Darkness
- yumraj 5y ago
  > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA Saw bits of it, will watch more later - it does look beautiful and well done. However, the thing that struck me the most is that no one is wearing gas masks. It must have been stinking and pretty harmful, but I guess that is the oil and gas industry..
  - GekkePrutser 5y ago
    It was also the 60s. Asbestos was still a thing, as was leaded fuel, ubiquitous smoking etc
    - avhon1 5y ago
      The linked film, "The Fires of Kuwait", documents events that took place in 1991.
perl4ever 5y ago
This topic makes me think of: "underground coal-seam fires are the most persistent fires on Earth and can burn for thousands of years, like Burning Mountain in Australia" "The oldest coal fire in China is in Baijigou (白芨沟, in Dawukou District of Shizuishan City, Ningxia) and is said to have been burning since the Qing Dynasty (before 1912)." "The Centralia mine fire is a coal-seam fire that has been burning underneath the borough of Centralia, Pennsylvania, United States, since at least May 27, 1962" "In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner, then-mayor John Coddington, inserted a dipstick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot. He lowered a thermometer into the tank on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire
- perl4ever 5y ago
  Also on the subject of unusual firefighting methods: "The Górniczy Agregat Gaśniczy (GAG) is a jet engine inertisation unit developed for use in mines, controlling and suppressing coal seam fires and neutralising firedamp situations. The unit was designed in Poland in the 1970s, its name roughly translates as "Mine Fire Suppression Apparatus"" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorniczy_Agregat_Gasniczy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorniczy_Agregat_Gasniczy
  - rzzzt 5y ago
    Big Wind probably appears in the movie. It is two MiG jet engines strapped to a T-34 frame: https://www.badassoftheweek.com/bigwind https://www.badassoftheweek.com/bigwind
    - iSnow 5y ago
      Was that written by some 16 year old?
      - rzzzt 5y ago
        Possibly! :) But I think this is just a writing style for this particular website.
poisonarena 5y ago
hah wow, saw this in a school field trip in the 90s, really loved it, thanks for reminding me.

cma 5y ago

It is really good, the full thing is on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA The older thread recommended Lessons of Darkness (I haven't watched it yet): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessons_of_Darkness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lessons_of_Darkness

yumraj 5y ago
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-ZpC0luvA Saw bits of it, will watch more later - it does look beautiful and well done. However, the thing that struck me the most is that no one is wearing gas masks. It must have been stinking and pretty harmful, but I guess that is the oil and gas industry..
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  It was also the 60s. Asbestos was still a thing, as was leaded fuel, ubiquitous smoking etc
  - avhon1 5y ago
    The linked film, "The Fires of Kuwait", documents events that took place in 1991.

perl4ever 5y ago

This topic makes me think of: "underground coal-seam fires are the most persistent fires on Earth and can burn for thousands of years, like Burning Mountain in Australia" "The oldest coal fire in China is in Baijigou (白芨沟, in Dawukou District of Shizuishan City, Ningxia) and is said to have been burning since the Qing Dynasty (before 1912)." "The Centralia mine fire is a coal-seam fire that has been burning underneath the borough of Centralia, Pennsylvania, United States, since at least May 27, 1962" "In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner, then-mayor John Coddington, inserted a dipstick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot. He lowered a thermometer into the tank on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire

perl4ever 5y ago
Also on the subject of unusual firefighting methods: "The Górniczy Agregat Gaśniczy (GAG) is a jet engine inertisation unit developed for use in mines, controlling and suppressing coal seam fires and neutralising firedamp situations. The unit was designed in Poland in the 1970s, its name roughly translates as "Mine Fire Suppression Apparatus"" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorniczy_Agregat_Gasniczy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorniczy_Agregat_Gasniczy
- rzzzt 5y ago
  Big Wind probably appears in the movie. It is two MiG jet engines strapped to a T-34 frame: https://www.badassoftheweek.com/bigwind https://www.badassoftheweek.com/bigwind
  - iSnow 5y ago
    Was that written by some 16 year old?
    - rzzzt 5y ago
      Possibly! :) But I think this is just a writing style for this particular website.

poisonarena 5y ago

hah wow, saw this in a school field trip in the 90s, really loved it, thanks for reminding me.