5 ms·

Check the lower third on CNN "Fire Chief: Fire Fighters went to work right away" I mean really? they did not stop for some in and out on the way to the scene?

JshWright 13y ago
One of my favorite CNN quotes from the day: "Video taken soon after the crash and posted on YouTube showed dark gray smoke rising from the plane, which appeared to be upright. That smoke later became white, even as fire crews continued to douse the plane." Uh... that's what happens when you put water on fire... you get steam, which condenses into white clouds. That's a basic rule of firefighting... black bad, white good (and when it comes to structural firefighting, brown really bad).
- duncan_bayne 13y ago
  Why is brown particularly bad?
  - zecho 13y ago
    In a house fire, brown smoke generally signifies structural fire, rather than the contents. I have no idea about aircraft. The situation matters, I would assume. Reading smoke is more art than actual science.
  - sbierwagen 13y ago
    http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-158/issue-9/features/the-art-of-reading-smoke.html http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-158/iss... White smoke that is slow or lazy is most likely indicative of early-stage heating. One more important note about smoke color: brown smoke. Unfinished wood gives off a distinctive brown smoke as it approaches late-stage heating (just prior to flaming). In many cases, the only unfinished wood in a structure are the wall studs, floor joists, and roof rafters/trusses (photo 3). This can tell you that the fire is transitioning from a contents fire to a structural fire. Using our knowledge of building construction-especially lightweight structural components and gusset plates-brown smoke issuing from gable-end vents, eaves, and floor seams becomes a warning sign of impending collapse.
    - duncan_bayne 13y ago
      Thanks :)

JshWright 13y ago

One of my favorite CNN quotes from the day: "Video taken soon after the crash and posted on YouTube showed dark gray smoke rising from the plane, which appeared to be upright. That smoke later became white, even as fire crews continued to douse the plane." Uh... that's what happens when you put water on fire... you get steam, which condenses into white clouds. That's a basic rule of firefighting... black bad, white good (and when it comes to structural firefighting, brown really bad).

duncan_bayne 13y ago
Why is brown particularly bad?
- zecho 13y ago
  In a house fire, brown smoke generally signifies structural fire, rather than the contents. I have no idea about aircraft. The situation matters, I would assume. Reading smoke is more art than actual science.
- sbierwagen 13y ago
  http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-158/issue-9/features/the-art-of-reading-smoke.html http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-158/iss... White smoke that is slow or lazy is most likely indicative of early-stage heating. One more important note about smoke color: brown smoke. Unfinished wood gives off a distinctive brown smoke as it approaches late-stage heating (just prior to flaming). In many cases, the only unfinished wood in a structure are the wall studs, floor joists, and roof rafters/trusses (photo 3). This can tell you that the fire is transitioning from a contents fire to a structural fire. Using our knowledge of building construction-especially lightweight structural components and gusset plates-brown smoke issuing from gable-end vents, eaves, and floor seams becomes a warning sign of impending collapse.
  - duncan_bayne 13y ago
    Thanks :)