Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FOREST FIRE ARRESTING APRON AND METHOD OF USE
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fire protection and more
specifically to an apron or
barrier for preventing the spread of forest fires.
Background of the Invention
Fully engulfed forest fires are very difficult to extinguish, cost vast
amounts of money to combat
and put many firefighters and residents' lives at extreme risk, as well as
homes and other
structures in the path of the fire. Forest fires can exceed 1200 C in
temperature and fires in high
wind regions spread much more rapidly. This can be due to winds producing
flashover, the
sudden spread of flame over an area when it becomes heated to the flash point.
This can also be
the result of winds carrying embers over great distances. These factors make
it extremely
difficult and expensive to control forest fires.
Forest fires produce hot air at their center, and when this hot air rises it
creates a vacuum at the
core of the fire accompanied by an upward flowing air pattern. In turn, cooler
air flows into the
fire from all directions, leading to the quick spread of the fire. In some
instances, the mechanics
of the fire can send hot air out in front of the actual flame causing the
landscape around the fire
to incinerate before the actual flame has arrived. This may lead to the
spontaneous combustion
of surrounding forest before it even encounters a flame.
The upward flowing air pattern can also lead to the expulsion and propelling
of burning wood
and embers into the atmosphere carrying them away from the direct site of the
forest fire and
causing new fires where the debris lands, resulting in the spreading of the
fire away from its
center.
Current methods of extinguishing forest fires primarily include drenching the
fires with water,
dirt, fire-retardant chemicals and mixtures thereof. Many of these means are
deployed through
the use of helicopters in order to access the hottest part of the fire, to
cover a greater surface area
of the fire, and to minimize risk to fire fighters, as being on the ground is
highly dangerous.
From an environmental standpoint, such methods do not enable the containment
and control of a
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forest fire in a short enough period, producing smoke and fine particulates
that contaminate the
atmosphere for several weeks or even months. From a safety point of view, it
may still be
difficult to get close enough to the fire or for a helicopter to carry enough
water or fire retardant
to control an actively blazing forest fire. Quickly stopping the spread of a
forest fire and
containing it is desirable.
Others have contemplated the use of a fire-retardant blanket to extinguish a
forest fire. For
example, Canadian patent application no. 2,363,232 to Xie discloses the use of
a fire-retardant
fabric-like blanket adaptable to be deployed by one or more helicopters to
extinguish large-scale
fires by blocking fresh oxygen from refilling the combustion space. However,
the use of any type
of fire-retardant chemical coating or film would evaporate under the extreme
heat of a forest fire
(which can reach approximately 1200 C) releasing toxic gases into the
atmosphere. Further, it is
both dangerous and unwieldy to manipulate such a large blanket even with a
heavy-load
helicopter or a group of helicopters due to the heavy force of wind on the
blanket even assuming
common wind speeds, e.g., 10 km/h. The impracticality of deploying a fabric-
like blanket in an
effective manner is further heightened when considering the need to deploy
multiple blankets
with larger scale fires and the potential for gaps in between blankets leaving
room for fresh
oxygen to refill the combustion space and for winds to continue spreading the
fire.
Greek patent application no. GR20170100399 discloses a forest fire
extinguishing system with
the use of a large fire-proof blanket which can withstand temperatures up to
1250 C for
intermittent contact with fire, or 982 C for continuous contact with the fire.
Such a blanket may
be made of SilicaflexTM blanket of lnsulflexTM, or other fire-proof blankets.
Such a blanket may
have an overall area of 68.63m2. This reference also discloses a mechanism for
assisting the
deployment and folding of the blanket, and a mechanism for the transport of
the blanket to the
location of the fire and its collection after use, for future use. As forest
fires can continuously
burn at a temperature greater than the maximum temperature of the continuous
contact
temperature of this reference, the disclosed blanket may melt or itself
incinerate with prolonged
contact with an actively burning forest fire, potentially releasing toxic
gases into the atmosphere.
The use of a fire-stopping suspension apparatus has been devised (see U.S.
Publication No.
2018/0236277 to Chou) to stop the spread of fire through the steps of rolling
out multiple layers
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-11
of fire-retardant fabrics via helicopter to form a fire-stopping surface,
which creates a separation
between burning and unburned parts in a fire scene. Like the blanket described
in Xie, the fire-
stopping apparatus described in Chou uses fire-retardant fabrics as opposed to
a fire-proof
material.
Given the significant difficulty of stopping a forest fire, as well as
preventing it from spreading,
it is desirable to have a means to prevent a fire from spreading to
surrounding areas thereby
containing the fire and making it easier to battle. There is a need for a
device that can withstand
the high heat of forest fires for prolonged periods of time and that can be
used as a physical
barrier to prevent a fire from spreading, without the use of any chemical
retardants or other
substances.
Summary of the Invention
In an embodiment of this invention there is a forest fire arresting apron for
helping prevent the
spread of an active forest fire in an adjacent forest area having a modular
framework of multiple
segments, where each segment has multiple modules covered with sheets of high
melting point
metal.
In an embodiment of the present invention there is a forest fire arresting
module having a fire-
proof metal frame with a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall
and a second end
wall, and a center wall extending from a mid-point of the first side wall to a
mid-point of the
second side wall forming a first and second module half. First and second
titanium sheets having
titanium stiffeners attached to one side of each of the titanium sheets. The
first titanium sheet is
attached to the frame to cover the first module half and the second titanium
sheet is attached to
the frame to cover the second module half. Both titanium sheets are attached
so that the titanium
stiffeners are directed toward the module frame.
In an embodiment of the present invention a forest fire arresting segment is
provided comprising
four modules, where the side walls and end walls of the module frames have
predrilled holes
such that when a module is placed next to a module along the side walls or end
walls of the
modules, the predrilled holes align allowing bolts to be used to attach the
modules to one another
whereby all of the titanium stiffeners are directed toward the modules. When
the module frame
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is made of aluminum tubing that is two-inch square with a 1/8 inch thick wall,
the segments may
be used as a top segment and when the module frame is made of aluminum tubing
that is one-
inch square with a 1/8 inch thick wall, the segments may be used as a side
segment.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a forest fire arresting apron has
at least two segments
attached together by aligning the segments at side or end wall and using bolts
to secure the
frames together.
In an embodiment of this invention there is a forest fire arresting device
having a top apron with
at least two segments of four modules attached to one another by a module
frame. One or more
lifting brackets are attached to the module frames and a lifting mechanism
having a lifting frame,
one or more stainless steel apron cables and one or more stainless steel
lifting cables. The apron
is attached to the lifting frame with the apron cables and the lifting frame
is attached to an
aircraft with the lifting cables. The forest fire arresting device may also
have side aprons
attached to the top aprons with swivel brackets, and there may also be
provided one or more fire-
retardant curtains attached to the side aprons.
In a further embodiment of this invention a method of preventing the spread of
a forest fire is
provided whereby a forest fire arresting top apron is attached to an aircraft
carrier via a lifting
mechanism, the apron is raised, positioned over an area of forest adjacent to
an active fire, and
the lifting mechanism is detached from the aircraft allowing the apron to
cover an area of forest.
Side aprons may also be attached to an exterior edge of the top apron with
swivel brackets, and
fire-retardant blankets may also be attached to an exterior edge of the side
apron.
In a further embodiment of this invention kits are provided for two or more
forest fire arresting
aprons, apron cables and a lifting mechanism. In an embodiment of the kits
both top and side
aprons are provided. In a further embodiment of the kits top and side aprons
are provided along
with one or more fire-retardant blankets.
Brief Description of the Figures
These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the
brief description of the
drawings and the following detailed description in which:
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Figure 1 is a top view of an apron of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a module frame of an embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a flanged titanium sheet of an embodiment of
the present
invention.
Figure 4 is a top view of a module of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is an exploded view of a module of an embodiment of the present
invention aligned
with further modules for assembly.
Figure 6 is a top view of a segment of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a top view of a module from a top apron attached to modules from
side aprons using
swivel brackets according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is an enlarged view of Figure 7 showing a swivel bracket attached to
a top apron and
side aprons according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a top view of two segments attached by joining hardware and the
attachment of lifting
brackets according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a top view of a lifting bracket of an embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 11 is a top view of a lifting frame of an embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 12 is a side view of a lifting frame of an embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 12a is an enlarged view of eyebolts on the underside of the lifting
frame of Figure 12.
Figure 13 is an environmental side view of a top apron of an embodiment of the
present
invention being placed over an area of forest.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-11
Figure 14 is an environmental side view of a top apron and a side apron of an
embodiment of the
present invention being placed over an area of forest.
Figure 14a is an enlarged view of Figure 14 showing a connection between a top
apron and a
side apron of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 15 is an environmental side view of a top and side apron of an
embodiment of the present
invention being positioned over an area of forest on sloped terrain.
Detailed Description of the Invention
In an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a forest fire
arresting apron that is
used in a series of large overlapping aprons to prevent a forest fire from
spreading. An apron will
smother a forest fire and a barrier of aprons placed at the perimeter or just
outside the perimeter
of a forest fire contains the fire and prevents its spread.
In an embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 1, there is an
apron 50a
comprising one or more segments 60. Each segment comprises four modules 70. In
an
embodiment of the invention, a module 70 is approximately 10 feet wide and 20
feet long. In a
rectangular configuration, one segment of 4 modules covers an area of 20 feet
wide and 40 feet
long. The same apron structure may be placed on the top of a forested area,
referred to as a top
apron 50a, or on the side of a forested area, referred to as a side apron 50b,
as seen in Figures 13,
14 and 15.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a module 70 comprises a
module frame 80
that is rectangular in shape and consists of two square shaped halves, as seen
in Figure 2. The
modular frame for a top apron may be made of 6061-T6 aluminum tube, a light
weight metal
which is 2 inches square with a 1/8-inch thick wall. The pieces of the frame
are welded together
so that all modules are the same size, are straight and the corners are
square.
For side aprons, the modular frame may be made of 6061-T6 aluminum tube, a
light weight
metal being 1-inch square with a 1/8-inch thick wall. This makes the module
frames for the side
aprons comparatively lighter than the top aprons. Both top and side aprons act
as a physical
barrier between the area of forest and the oncoming forest fire as seen in
Figures 13 and 14.
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While the embodiment of the frame described herein describes the use of
specific materials in
specific shapes and sizes, it is nevertheless understood that the modular
frame may be shaped in
different configurations and aluminum tube may be different shapes and sizes.
Additionally, a
different material than aluminum may also be used.
Once the module frame 80 has been welded, sheets of high melting point metal,
namely titanium
sheets 90, shown in Figure 3, are assembled to each opening in the module
frame forming a
module, as shown in Figure 4. In an embodiment of the invention, the titanium
sheets are
flanged and are 0.02 inches thick. The flange of the titanium sheets is
substantially perpendicular
to the sheet and is adapted to hang over an outer perimeter of the module
frame. In an
embodiment of the present invention, a sheet of high melting point metal is
attached to a square
of the module frame and a further sheet of high melting point metal is
attached to the second
square of the module frame.
Each of the titanium sheets 90 have titanium stiffeners 100 attached to them,
said stiffeners are
of a channel shape in an embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the
present
invention, the stiffeners 100 are attached to the sheets of high melting point
metal within each
square of the module frame. The titanium stiffeners are 0.02 inches thick in
an embodiment of
the invention. The channel shape adds strength to the titanium stiffeners and
each stiffener is
riveted to each titanium sheet in an "X" pattern to form a rigid framework.
Both titanium sheets
are clamped in place and pilot holes 110 along the outer edge of the sheets
are drilled through so
that the sheets can be riveted to the frame using stainless steel pop-rivets
(not shown). The
stiffeners that are attached to the sheets are oriented towards the inside of
the frame prior to
riveting the sheets in place. An assembled module 70 of the present invention
is shown in Figure
4.
The module frames are made of aluminum and are comparatively light but have a
much lower
melting point (approximately 660 C) than titanium. Since titanium has a very
high melting point
(approximately 1,660 C), the titanium sheets not only provide stiffening for
the module frames,
but also protection from the extreme heat of a forest fire which can reach
1200 C.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the materials used to make the
frames would not
have any chemical coating or film applied that would evaporate under high heat
conditions
releasing toxic gases into the environment.
In an embodiment of the present invention, 4 modules are connected to form a
segment, as seen
in Figure 6. In particular, the four modules are aligned two by tow in a plane
and attached
together at the module frames. For example, four modules are aligned so that
they are side by
side lengthwise and attached together at their adjacent module frames.
The aprons are constructed by arranging the segments into the desired size and
shape and
assembling them together. Examples of suitable sizes and shapes of top aprons
without side
aprons are shown in Table 1. Examples of the side aprons weight and size are
shown in Table 2.
Examples of the combined top and side apron weight per size of the overall
barrier are shown in
Table 3.
As shown in Figure 5, predrilled holes 130 in the module frames of each of the
segments are
aligned with the predrilled holes in adjacent modular frames. Bolts 140 are
used to attach
adjacent modular frames via the predrilled holes.
For simplicity and convenience, in an embodiment of the present invention the
pairs of predrilled
holes for assembling the modules and segments are repeated in the attachments
(swivel and
lifting brackets) so that they use the same arrangement and may be added
anywhere on the
structure.
When assembling side aprons to the top aprons, swivel brackets 150 are bolted
to one or more
edges of the apron so that the lighter side aprons can be attached to the top
aprons, as shown in
Figure 8.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the swivel brackets are assembled
in matched pairs.
The larger half 150a is attached to the front edge of a top apron 50a, the
slightly smaller second
half 150b is attached to the top edge of a side apron 50b. When assembling a
side apron to a top
apron the smaller half is fitted within the larger one, the mounting holes are
aligned and a clevis
pin 220 is inserted to tie the two halves together. A flat washer 230 and a
cotter pin 240 are
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-11
fitted to the clevis pin to secure it in place. The bracket is designed to
allow the side apron to
rotate freely as it is being deployed.
The side aprons are attached to the top aprons in a flat position, and they
hang down from the top
aprons when the lifting assembly is attached to a helicopter to lift the fully
assembled apron off
the ground, at which point the side apron swivels so that it hangs down from
the top apron. The
side apron is attached to the top apron such that the face of the side apron
where the titanium
sheets cover the module frame is facing in an upward direction so that the
titanium sheets face
the fire when the apron is in position over a forested area.
When assembled, the segments form an apron which is a solid structure as shown
in Figure 1.
As shown in Figures 1, 9, 13, 14 and 15, lifting brackets 170 are attached to
the module frame 80
at various locations on the apron 50 for lifting the apron using apron cables
190, a lifting frame
180 and lifting cables 200, so that a helicopter or suitable aircraft carrier
can be used to position
the apron over an area of forest. All of the hardware used to assemble the
segments may be
made from stainless steel or other metal that are non-corrosive and will not
melt in a forest fire.
The segments may be assembled on an area of approximately 200 square feet of
flat ground.
Since the aprons are on a flat surface, they can be walked on as the titanium
sheet side faces the
ground with the framework side up so that the assembly of hardware and the
lifting brackets 120
can be attached.
TABLE 1 ¨ Configurations of Top Aprons (All sizes and weights are approximate)
Top Apron Weight Per Size (2" Sq. Aluminum Tube) 1 Segment = 740 Lbs.
SIZE SEGMENTS SEG QTY WEIGHT (LB S) COVERAGE
ACRES/HEC
120 x 120 ft 3W x 6D 18 13,320 0.33 /
0.13
120 x 140 ft 3W x 7D 21 15,540 0.38 /
0.15
120 x 160 ft 3W x 8D 24 17,760 0.44 /
0.18
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120 x 180 ft 3W x 9D 27 19,980 0.50 /
0.20
120 x 200 ft 3W x 10D 30 22,200 0.55 /
0.22
160 x 120 ft 4Wx 6D 24 17,760 0.44 /
0.18
160 x 140 ft 4Wx 7D 28 20,720 0.51 /
0.21
160 x 160 ft 4W x 8D 32 23,680 0.59 /
0.24
160 x 180 ft 4Wx 9D 36 26,640 0.66 /
0.27
200 x 120 ft 5W x 6D 30 22,200 0.55 /
0.22
200 x 140 ft 5W x 7D 35 25,900 0.64 /
0.26
TABLE 2 ¨ Configurations of Side Aprons (All sizes and weights are
approximate)
Top Apron Weight Per Size (1" Sq. Aluminum Tube) 1 Segment = 632 Lbs.
SIZE SEGMENTS SEG QTY WEIGHT (LB S)
120 x 20 ft 3W x 1D 3 1,896
120 x 40 ft 3Wx 2D 6 3,792
120 x 60 ft 3W x 3D 9 5,688
160 x 20 ft 4W x 1D 4 2,528
160 x 40 ft 4W x 2D 8 5,056
160 x 60 ft 4Wx 3H 12 7,584
TABLE 3 ¨ Configurations of Combined Top and Side Aprons Weight Per Size (All
sizes and
weights are approximate)
SIZE HORIZ SEG WEIGHT VERT SEG SEG WEIGHT COMB.
SEG QTY (LB S) QTY (LB S)
WEIGHT
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-11
120 x 120 ft 3W X 6D 18 13,320 3W x 1H (20 ft) 3 1,896 15,216
3W x 2H (40 ft) 6 3,792 17,112
3W x 3H (60 ft) 9 5,688 19,008
120 x 140 ft 3W x 7D 21 15,540 3W x 1H (20 ft) 3 1,896 17,436
3W x 2H (40 ft) 6 3,792 19,332
3W x 3H (60 ft) 9 5,688 21,228
120 x 160 ft 3W x 8D 24 17,460 3W x 1H (20 ft) 3 1,896 19,656
3W x 2H (40 ft) 6 3,792 21,552
3W x 3H (60 ft) 9 5,688 23,448
160 x 120 ft 4W x 6D 24 17,760 4W x 1H (20 ft) 4 2,528 20,288
4W x 2H (40 ft) 8 5,056 22,816
4W x 3H (60 ft) 12 7,584 25,344
After the apron 50 has been assembled a lifting mechanism 160 is used to lift
the apron off the
ground and position it over a section of a forest. Seen in Figure 13, in an
embodiment of the
present invention the lifting mechanism 160 comprises a lifting frame 180, one
or more stainless
steel apron cables 190, and one or more stainless steel lifting cables 200.
The apron cables 190
having a first end and a second end are clipped to the lifting brackets 170 at
their first end and
are clipped to eyebolts 210 on the underside of a lifting frame 180 at their
second end, as seen in
Figure 12a. In an embodiment of the present invention, the lifting frame 180
is made from U-
shaped stainless steel, having a channel-shaped cross-section.
One or more lifting cables 200 having a first end and a second end are then
attached to eye bolts
210 on the upper side of the lifting frame 180 at their first end and are
attached to a helicopter or
suitable aircraft carrier at their second ends. The lifting cables should be
sufficiently long such
that the deployment helicopter is able to hover above the height of the fire's
flames. Small wind-
driven embers or burning particles would not endanger the helicopter as they
would be deflected
away from it by the downwash from its rotor blades. In an embodiment of the
present invention,
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the lifting cables are 100 feet long and attachment to the helicopter at the
second ends of the
lifting cables is done through the use of cargo hooks on the helicopter, as
seen in Figures 13, 14
and 15. This permits the helicopter to rise slowly until all cables are taut
and then lift off and
proceed to its destination.
As the side aprons 50b are a solid structure and cannot conform to the uneven
surface of the
ground, in a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided
overlapping fire-
retardant curtains 250 as shown in Figure 14a. The curtains 250 are attached
to the bottom edges
of the lowest segments that form the side apron. These curtains are flexible
and will conform to
the shape of the ground to prevent airborne firebrands from advancing below
the firewall that is
produced by the side aprons. In an embodiment of the present invention, the
curtains are attached
through eyelets 270 to a stainless steel angle 260, which is in turn attached
to the bottom edge of
the apron, as shown in Figure 14a.
The module's basic size of approximately 10 by 20 feet allows them to be
transported by existing
trucks along regular highway lanes from the site of manufacture to various
airports in fire-prone
regions. Once at the destination, they may be pre-assembled into segments and
stored in a
facility until required.
In another embodiment of the present invention, double segments are assembled,
covering a
surface area of approximately 40 by 40 feet. Double segments reduce the
assembly time of the
aprons, e.g. a 120 ft square apron requires 18 segments, so double segments
reduce the quantity
of parts to assemble to 9.
The segments of each apron are put together by the attachment of bolts which
is a simple
procedure and, if sufficient workers are employed, they can be assembled into
aprons and ready
to be deployed in a very short time span.
As the modules are constructed with readily available materials and thousands
may be required
at one time to produce a series of aprons, their manufacture is cost
effective. Once the modules
have been manufactured, they may be used many times over as they are resistant
to high heat
over an extended period of time.
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In use, a helicopter to which an assembled apron has been attached via the
lifting mechanism 160
hovers over the forest area to be covered until the apron is in position. Once
in position, the
helicopter descends such that the lifting frame rests on the apron. The cargo
hooks are then
unloaded allowing the lifting cables 200 to drop onto the apron. The
helicopter then departs. In
an embodiment of the invention, the lifting frame is set down on top of the
apron as it is heavy
and allowing it to free fall on the apron once it is put in place risks
destroying the section below
it. Figure 13 shows the use of a top apron 50a to cover the top of a forested
area and Figures 14
and 15 show the use of a top apron 50a and a side apron 50b to cover the top
and a side of a
forested area.
Once the fire is extinguished, the aprons may be re-attached to the
helicopters and returned to a
storage facility to repair any damage and to be stored for future use. In the
event that an apron
suffers damage, since it is constructed of assembled modules, it is easily
repaired and at minimal
cost by replacing just the damaged components without affecting the rest of
the unit.
In an embodiment of the present invention the assembled apron barriers are
delivered to the
forest area and positioned by a helicopter. The components of the apron
barriers are stored at an
airport or landing field which the helicopters use to combat the fire. In an
embodiment of the
invention, the helicopter is a ChinookTM CH 47. This aircraft is commonly used
in combatting
forest fires and is one of the few that are currently able to carry the
aprons, as they are heavy.
For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the assembled apron
barrier is
approximately 13,000 to 26,000 lbs., depending on the area coverage (see Table
1).
The apron barriers of the present invention are not intended to be applied to
the fully involved
area of the fire, as this area is already beyond saving. Rather, the barriers
erected using the
present invention are used to smother the outer perimeter of the fire to
prevent it from spreading
any further. In an embodiment of the present invention, this perimeter could
first be water-
bombed to humidify the trees and then the aprons could be applied.
In high wind regions, fires are spread much more rapidly by winds producing
flashover and the
carrying of embers for great distances which makes it extremely difficult to
control them. Since
it is impossible to prevent all airborne particles from traveling beyond the
downwind extent of
the aprons, it is imperative to water-bomb the downwind vegetation that is not
covered. This will
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ensure that wind-blown burning or hot particles that land on the damp foliage
or undergrowth
will be doused and no longer a threat. The protective apron barriers prevent
airborne firebrands
from creating new ignition points. Since the application of the apron barriers
prevents the further
advancement of the fire, firefighting crews are only concerned with the
periphery of the fire
outside of the aprons, making it easier to control and the fire may
subsequently be arrested along
this line.
The application of such a side physical barrier (i.e. the side apron and fire
retardant curtains, if
used), in addition to that formed by the top apron, significantly reduces the
effects of the super-
heated air ahead of a fire and the strong thermal updrafts that are created.
Additionally, by
providing a clear-cut separation and covering of the downwind trees beyond the
separation, the
fire's source of fuel is removed. As such, the fire is not able to continue
burning in the direction
of the side and top aprons such that the fire is arrested along this line.
The cost to produce, assemble and apply the aprons is far less than the
current extraordinary
expense required to combat a rapidly expanding forest fire. From an
environmental standpoint,
enabling the containment and control of a forest fire over a shorter period
would vastly reduce
the amount of smoke and fine particulates that contaminate the atmosphere due
to a fire burning
uncontrolled for several weeks or even months.
The forest fire arresting aprons of the present invention are effective for
extinguishing fires and
cost-effective as they can be used many times over with less upkeep and the
repair of any
damage incurred is reasonable. In particular, the apron is sufficiently strong
such that it will not
buckle, yet light enough so that a large area can be covered in one
application. On the other
hand, the apron is also heavy enough so that it is not overly affected by
strong winds since severe
gyrations can endanger the deployment helicopter and the people inside it. The
use of the
invention helps to prevent the spreading of a forest fire, thereby containing
an active fire so that
it is easier to extinguish.
While embodiments of the invention have been described in the detailed
description, the scope of
the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the
examples but
should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as
a whole.
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