Thanks to a grant from the Department of Ecology, firefighters in south King County now have a new tool to help them combat alcohol and petroleum-based fires.
The $100,000 grant was a collaborative effort between the Renton Regional Fire Authority and the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
The new tool come in the form of two trailers that each carry 660 gallons of a foam concentrate that, when injected into a fire hose, can coat the surface of flammable liquids and extinguish them if they are already burning, or create an airtight barrier to prevent them from catching fire.
Regionally, petroleum fuel, in the form of unleaded gasoline or diesel, is shipped by rail, on roads, and through a pipeline. In addition, large amounts of ethanol (alcohol) as an additive in gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide, is carried by tank truck throughout south King County.