When most people think of fires, they picture a house engulfed in flames or a forest fire raging through the trees. But fires in industrial settings such as factories, refineries, chemical plants, and manufacturing facilities are a whole different beast. These aren't just bigger fires, they’re more complex, more dangerous, and far more costly. Because industrial fires have a unique set of fire hazards, prevention and preparedness are absolutely critical.
Hazards Go Beyond Flames
In a typical structure fire, you’re primarily dealing with burning materials like wood, plastic, or textiles. But industrial sites often contain flammable chemicals, pressurized gases, volatile dust, or even radioactive materials. This means a fire can quickly escalate into explosions, toxic smoke, and chemical contamination.
Take for example, a fire in an oil and gas plant. At the heart of oil and gas operations are highly flammable hydrocarbons: crude oil, natural gas, condensates, and refined fuels like gasoline or propane. These substances don’t just burn; they explode. Vapor clouds, pressurized gases, and even residual fumes can turn a small ignition source into a catastrophic fireball.
With stakes this high, preparedness is the best defense.
Be Prepared to Fight Fire Differently
Responding to an industrial fire requires specialized training, equipment, and tactics. Your team must be trained to recognize chemical symbols, understand facility blueprints, and know when to fight, and when to evacuate and contain. Because of the risks involved, prevention and planning in industrial settings isn’t just important, it's mission critical. Here are some tips:
- Know Your Facility
- Before any firefighting can happen, responders need to know where flammable liquids, pressurized gases, and reactive chemicals are stored. In combination with this, your team should also know how to shut things down; i.e. gas valves, electrical breakers, or emergency stops. Updated facility maps should always be easily accessible.
- Regularly Train Your Team
- Every second counts, and your fire brigade is the front line of defense. Your team needs hands-on, scenario-based training. Regularly conduct live drills that focus on fire hose advancement in tight corridors, handling flammable liquid fires that require foam deployment, and rescue operations in confined spaces or elevated structures.
- Train for the worst-case scenario, not the most convenient. An industrial fire brigade is your facility’s best chance at controlling an emergency before any outside help arrives. But they need more than just gear. They need knowledge, practice, leadership, and confidence built through training.
Have the Right Equipment
Your fire suppression gear should be maintained and accessible at all times. This included foam or dry chemical systems for flammable liquids, PPE, and identified water sources such as hydrants, industrial fire hoses, and water tanks.
Operate as if the Stake are High – Because They Are
An industrial fire isn’t just a disaster for the facility. It can be catastrophic for the entire community. Nearby neighborhoods may need to evacuate due to toxic air, local water supplies can be contaminated by runoff from fire suppression efforts, and supply chains can be disrupted. The financial fallout? It's staggering. Between equipment loss, downtime, legal costs, and environmental fines, a single industrial fire can be extremely costly. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, for instance, cost BP more than $65 billion over the following decade.
Final Thoughts
Industrial fires are different because the hazards are high, the heat is extreme, and the training required is intense and specialized. Whether you're a facility manager, safety professional, or a member of your industrial site’s fire brigade, understanding these unique challenges is the first step in mitigating them. When it comes to industrial fires, an ounce of prevention is truly worth it.
Did you know that Snap-tite Hose offers more than municipal firefighting solutions? Contact your sales representative to learn more about our industrial hose options today!