Mitigating Crash Fires with Fuel Additives
One of the most serious factors in major accidents is fuel fire, which can kill or injure those involved in an accident and prevent rescuers from getting to those in need.
This was the case on September 12, 2008, when a California Metrolink train slammed into a freight train, killing 25 and injuring 138 people. Fires, such as the one resulting from this crash, are particularly hazardous when they involve freight. Fuel fires can often trigger secondary fires as freight ignites, producing toxic smoke clouds and intense heat.
Fortunately, the approach to transportation safety has been, and continues to be, two-pronged. Both accident prevention and accident mitigation have made significant advancements as new technologies are developed and adopted. And, as the Metrolink tragedy demonstrates, when preventive measures fail, the need to mitigate the effects of that failure are paramount.