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Number of vehicle fires up
Fourteen vehicles burst into flame in 2011Chris DiCesare Northern News Services Published Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011
"The fire department responds to all fires, regardless of what is on fire," said Gerda Groothuizen, deputy fire chief of the Yellowknife Fire Department. "The imminent dangers of a car fire include sealed components (such as bumper shocks – when heated they might send a bumper flying), plastics, fuel systems, and catalytic converters (on older cars)," she said. She told Yellowknifer that "training is the key to ensure all personnel are aware of the hazards and the proper techniques in dealing with different hazards." When responding to a vehicle fire, the Yellowknife Fire Department will send a pumper truck, an ambulance and a duty crew made up of four to eight firefighters. The crew is outfitted in their personal protective equipment which is composed of their fire fighting gear of jackets, helmets and boots and self-contained breathing apparatus. Generally foam or a dry powder is used to extinguish vehicle fires by smothering the source. To prevent a vehicle fire from happening, Garry Doering, service manager at Kingland Ford said to get vehicles checked regularly. "Get your vehicle maintained and keep it maintained. Make sure you winterize your car, have your block heater and extension cord checked," he said. "We've seen cars come in with frayed extension codes that have exposed wire that can act as a source of ignition," he added. Doering provided three tips to help motorists avoid vehicle fires: repair any leaks that you have in any of the lines in your vehicle, maintain the integrity of the car's electrical system, check all the connections to make sure they are secure and there are no cracks in the wires and warm up your car in the winter. He said starting a vehicle in sub-Arctic temperatures puts stress on the engine components and they could fail and cause leaks.
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