SAFENET


SAFENET

Wildland Fire Safety & Health Reporting Network

SAFENET Event Information
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SAFENET ID:
20170807-0001
Event Start Date:
07/23/2017 1200
Event Stop Date:
 
Incident Name:
June Fire
Fire Number:
P2K69417-0214 
State:
Wyoming
Jurisdiction:
USFS
Local Unit:
Shoshone N.F.
Incident Type:
Wildland
Incident Activity:
Line
Stage of Incident:
Extended Attack
Position Title:
Hecm(T) 
Task:
Helispot Improvement And Cargo Activities 
Management Level:
2
Resources Involved:
Crew 
Contributing Factors
Contributing Factors:
Equipment
Human Factors:
 
Other Factors:
 
Narrative
Describe in detail what happened including the concern or potential issue, the environment (weather, terrain, fire behavior, etc), and the resulting health issue.
A fuel geyser occurred during helispot construction operations on Div T of the June fire on 23-Jul-17. Saw operations began at approx 1100 on an exposed ridge at 6600' elevation. After running the first tank without incident, the tank was refueled and the saw team sat down for lunch at approx. 1200. The lunchspot was fully exposed to the sun and the temperature was 78-80 degrees F. Saw fuel was being stored in MSR cig bottles, within a blue carry bag. After a 30 minute lunch break, and upon re-start to begin the second tank, the saw would rev high, then bog down when the throttle was applied. If the throttle was continually applied, the saw would die completely. If the throttle was released and feathered, the saw would rev high again. After going through this cycle for 2-3 mins, boiling gas was suspected. The saw team let the saw sit for a minute or two. The saw operator placed the saw on the ground, turned the fuel tank away from their body and vented the cap. The cap was turned about 1/8 of a turn and fuel geysered from the partially open cap (away from any persons and into the ground). After geyser incident, remaining fuel continued to boil inside the tank. The saw team let the saw sit for another 2-3 minutes with the gas cap off. The saw and operators were still fully exposed to the sun. After the boil diminished, the fuel cap was closed and the saw was restarted. The saw revved, bogged a few times and sounded lean. Upon applying full throttle, the saw team cut into a log and heard the saw richen up and normalize. After that, saw operations continued as normal. Additional fuel was placed in the shade. When the saw was refueled, the saw team kept the fuel level at 1/2 to 3/4 of a full tank, with no issues. At 1600, the saw team dropped a few hundred feet during a 10 minute down hike. After an additional 10 minute break, the saw was turned away from all persons, and the fuel cap was vented again. Another geyser occurred. Cooling process was repeated and saw operation continued as normal. Fuel tank was 3/4 full, and the temp had increased to 86-88 degrees F.
Immediate Action Taken
Reporting Individual : please describe actions you took to correct or mitigate the unsafe/unhealthful event.
Safe fuel cap venting protocol was followed. After suspecting boiling gas, the saw was shut down, placed on the ground and the fuel cap was turned away from all persons and opened slowly. Shade was not readily available at the time of initial geyser incident. The saw team waited for fuel within the saw's tank to stop boiling before replacing the 1/4 turn fuel cap. Additional saw gas was walked down the ridge and placed in the shade to prevent further heating. When re-fueling, the fuel level was kept at 1/2-3/4 full.


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