It took only 20 minutes for the 1lh. acres of a Wisconsin greenhouse operation to become fully engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, all that remained was the melted aluminum roof draping the ground like collapsed skeletal ribs. An electrical issue was the probable cause of the fire, according to the cause and origin engineer. Greenhouse components, such as glazings, shade cloth, plastic containers, along with unique traits, such as the forms of energy in a typical greenhouse environment, allow a fire to spread rapidly. While greenhouse fires do not always cause complete destruction, even small fires have the potential to be catastrophic. Some fires are unavoidable. However, in many cases basic risk management procedures can reduce exposure. Understanding the nature of fire is essential to applying proper risk management techniques. Understanding the nature of fire begins with knowing the three elements (heat, oxygen and fuel) that contribute to the ignition, spread and duration of a fire. If these three elements are present, the conditions are in place to start a fire that can easily and quickly spread horizontally and vertically through a structure. If one of these three elements is removed, the fire cannot survive.
展开▼
