Environment & Energy

Old Crank

(5,197 posts)

31. You bring up good points about pipe sizes for water

Sun Jan 12, 2025, 02:14 PM

Jan 12

When you install a fire system in a building the riser, the entrance pipe, is the biggest pipe. From there all others get smaller as they go away from the source. The system can be overwelmed by fire. Sprinkler heads go off when they are triggered individually. This isn't like in the movies where some one can get one to go off and the rest do also. For the most part each head is rated at 15 gallons per minute. If they all go off pressure drops and the building burns down.
Now you build a 100 house subdivision and you hook up to the city fire system for the fire hydrants. The city has pipes sized for the expected use. I don't know how many house fires at one time they size for. Five in that 100? You have enough water. ten? Maybe. All of them? No chance.

Some information on hydrants from NFPA

https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2024/01/12/fire-hydrant-flow

It gets complicated in a hurry. Things can be done to really limit damage and to increase water flow availability. Do we have the money? o we have the will to spend it? Should LA have studied the Colorado fire and the Santa Rosa fire to see if tehy needed to do more. They know there is a hazard because they have fires every year when the Santa Anna winds blow. I don't know if they are researching the situation or not and modifying best practices.

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What Is Not Being Discussed About the LA Fires. [View all] NNadir Jan 12 OP

There may, arguably, be greater risks from mixed residential/commercial fires than from WTC buildings. CoopersDad Jan 12 #1

Seriously. The mixture of toxins from all that is mindboggling. paleotn Jan 12 #5

I'm not sure about that choie Jan 12 #15

The main problem with the Twin Towers... Think. Again. Jan 12 #34

We need to Build Back Better with Cement Buildings Oneear Jan 12 #2

Three dimensional and printed was my first thought. littlemissmartypants Jan 12 #8

Cement buildings aren't necessarily good in earthquake country Zorro Jan 12 #14

All concrete in earthquake areas will have to be re-enforced. Old Crank Jan 12 #27

Stucco and Tile roof has been best with other California fires IbogaProject Jan 12 #30

Stucco does preform quite well. Old Crank Jan 12 #33

I've been looking at concrete -- it is a bit more complicated here because of earthquakes. LauraInLA Jan 12 #16

Stucco and Tile roof are best bet there IbogaProject Jan 12 #32

I've seen people with goats here -- there was a flock evacuated from the Palisades -- they tried to run! LauraInLA Jan 12 #18

I knew that you were... littlemissmartypants Jan 12 #3

...and I, in turn, appreciate your obvious intelligence and support. Thanx. NNadir Jan 12 #7

Agree. Angelinos are being exposed to some rather nasty things. paleotn Jan 12 #4

Very good subject worthy of discussion. William769 Jan 12 #6

Search for Colorado Marshall fire for lots of good info isitreal Jan 12 #9

Thank you. That's good information. Those fires in Boulder, a city I love and visited often, went down the... NNadir Jan 12 #10

Except for the people who experienced it here evemac Jan 12 #12

I'm very sure that's true. There are so many of these disasters now, that we tend to forget individual cases unless... NNadir Jan 12 #20

This is a very interesting comparison! Thank you for the info and the idea to read more ;). LauraInLA Jan 12 #19

You bring up good points about pipe sizes for water Old Crank Jan 12 #31

Could you share this article as a separate thread? I think it should get broad visibility. LauraInLA Jan 12 #36

I remember mgardener Jan 12 #11

I've seen and heard... 2naSalit Jan 12 #13

The Santa Ana winds are blowing most of it out to sea. speak easy Jan 12 #17

I don't know in which part of town you're living, but in my part of Burbank we're still seeing ash. Hope today LauraInLA Jan 12 #21

I saw a post from someone in Torrance Lulu KC Jan 12 #37

Thank you. I think it will take a long time for us to realize just how much we have lost as a community, LauraInLA Jan 12 #40

There is no "away" Cirsium Jan 12 #25

Agreed. speak easy Jan 12 #29

True Cirsium Jan 12 #35

The Santa Winds blow east to west, but a look at the geography... NNadir Jan 13 #43

... speak easy Jan 13 #44

definitely true... it was mentioned a lot when Canadian forests were burning and the smoke blew down here LymphocyteLover Jan 12 #22

Thank you for this post. I have been very worried brer cat Jan 12 #23

I know of the toxic effects slightlv Jan 12 #24

I believe there is an ongoing study from the 2021 Marshall Fire between Boulder & Lafayette, CO hlthe2b Jan 12 #26

The toxic smoke is very dangerous. Irish_Dem Jan 12 #28

Yes, absolutely Lulu KC Jan 12 #38

I wonder how much help HN95 or N95 masks would be. Better than nothing, I bet n/t KatK Jan 12 #39

I was in LA during the Rodney King fires and in Manhattan on 9/11 GreatGazoo Jan 12 #41

I think we're only experiencing the knife's edge defacto7 Jan 13 #42