Fearless

Few had any idea what they were running toward. But from across the County dozens of volunteer firefighters stopped what they were doing on Monday morning and sped to Wellington. No amount of training could have prepared them for what they found there. A truck carrying tens of thousands of litres of liquid propane was ablaze—enough explosive power to rock the earth miles away. Yet they kept coming. Running toward the blaze.

In the propane distribution yard, large storage tanks surrounded the burning truck. They had not yet been connected to the delivery truck—but the arriving firefighters could not have known that. All they knew for sure, was that this was a very bad place for a fire. A very bad place for a firefighter.

The immediate threat, however, was the two delivery tankers attached to the burning truck. Tankers such as these are designed to withstand great heat and pressure but they are not indestructible. At least 23 firefighters have been killed fighting liquefied petroleum gas tanker fires in North America. Such events are rare but such tragedies underline the risk our volunteer firefighters ran toward on Monday morning.

The good news is that everything worked as it should have in Wellington. Modern propane storage and transport equipment is designed and manufactured to withstand a great deal of heat and fire. Greer’s operate a safe and reliable service. Its emergency response plan was already being implemented when fire crews arrived.

The most fortunate bit is that the driver had not begun to offload his tanker. Even if it had, Greer’s maintain an advanced emergency shutoff system, ready for just such an event. It wasn’t needed, because the valves used to release the fuel into the bulk storage tanks had not yet been opened. But that didn’t quite erase the potential threat

The risk then was that the liquid propane inside the delivery tanker would begin to boil from the heat of the burning tractor. If the pressure of the boiling liquid became too great, there was a risk, albeit small, that this pressure could cause the tank to rupture, igniting a massive explosion and fireball. Tankers such as these are designed with relief valves to vent gas in the case of a boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion. But they only let off so much pressure. If the liquid inside the tank boils too rapidly— beyond the capacity of the relief valve—the tank might still rupture and explode. Even when the relief valve works, there remains a risk that the gas being vented could ignite, causing a catastrophic explosion.

None of this happened. Safety engineer Robert Wilson assured the Times that we were a long way from these scenarios. Despite the flames, the propane did not get hot enough even to trigger the relief valves in the tanks.

In any event, County firefighters were on the scene within six minutes of the call being made. Only 11 minutes had elapsed before a steady flow of cold water was being applied to the truck, the tankers and its contents. It was all over very quickly.

The tractor was rendered a charred pile of rubble and steel—the cab completely consumed by the fire. The tanks withstood the flames and the heat, as designed. The fire was extinguished quickly. The story had a very happy ending.

But the volunteers racing toward Wellington could not have known that for sure. They could not have known that the fire was contained to the delivery truck. They had to assume the entire site was at risk. Yet they continued to come. Ready, willing and eager to do what was necessary to extinguish the threat.

Many of these men have children. They all have families. Loved ones who go with them into such terrible places. Spouses who shudder each time the pager buzzes. Kids who can’t go back to sleep when dad goes out the door in the middle of the night.

Our firefighters carry this responsibility into each call.

Volunteer firefighters are highly regarded in this community. Indeed, they hold a special place in our minds and hearts. They give us comfort in the knowledge that we live in a safer community. We rest easier knowing these folks are equipped with the tools, training and energy to respond to an emergency of virtually any description.

This was a tragedy that did not happen. A disaster avoided. A catastrophe averted. Stories such as these don’t make national headlines. We will be hard-pressed to remember the details a week from now. That is our luxury. It is the gift our firefighters and all the first responders on Monday have presented to us: the ability to carry on with our lives as if nothing had happened.

We cannot take this for granted. In our own way we must give thanks to those risked everything to ensure this story ended well.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca