Date: July 30, 2024
Safety Alert
Tire Explosion During Equipment Fire
Tires can explode during a fire and after the fire is extinguished.
On June 14, 2024, one firefighter died, and another was injured when a front-end loader tire exploded while firefighters fought the equipment fire. MSHA released a “best practices safety alert” warning miners of tire explosions related to equipment fires.
Best Practices
In the event of a possible or actual fire (e.g., odor, heat, smoke, flames):
- Stop the machine, lower all attachments, set the parking brake, and turn the equipment off.
- Actuate the machine-mounted fire suppression system, if available.
- Safely exit the machine and retreat to a safe location, preferably 1,000 feet away.
- Warn all others in the vicinity of the fire, notify management, and contact appropriate emergency personnel.
- Do not attempt to extinguish a tire fire with a hand-held extinguisher.
- Wait for emergency responders to arrive. Stay clear of the fire.
- From a distance, emergency personnel can use a fire or water truck to cool down the equipment. (See SAE J2828NOV2016 – Off-Road Tire Handling Guidelines.)
- Wait at least 24 hours after the fire has been extinguished to allow the equipment to cool. A remote heat sensing device may assist in gauging residual heat. Elevated tire pressure lingers and is difficult to assess. Danger may remain if a fire-damaged tire is inflated, including dismounting an inflated tire from its rim.
