Emergency exit while on fire.

[gmcbuffalo]

What is you game plan if you're asleep in the back and the front of the coach is on fire? How do you plan to get out and what tools do you have to assist evacuation?

I was in Spain this week and the tour bus have one of those window breaker/seatbelt cutter every 15 feet on both sides of the coach, and this got me thinking more seriously about a problem I have long thought I should have a game plan for.

GregM

[garyde]

Both of my Bedroom windows are Louvre type, and they open all the way up just by lifting them. I should have a rope latter however so I don't break an ankle, maybe a bed sheet, Huh?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

We were on fire once and it was very close to us being unable to slide the floor and release the air lock. The entire electrical system shut down about a second after I relased the lock and slid the floor.

I can tell you that in times like that the stress level is very high and we all have brain farts. I am not trying to be funny, but to relate that unless you have done fire escape drills regularly your brain ceases to function as it should because it is trying to process so much information it shuts down. At least that is what it seems like.

I have learned the following:

Do not lock the door unless it can be manually unlocked in the event the electrical system fails. I had used the air lock which would have remained locked as long as we had air.

Recognize the methods you will use to get out no matter where you are in the bus. Gary has his awning type windows and so do we so if we cannot use the door I will go out head first and fall to the ground. If I did not have awning windows I would kick out any other entire window.

Do not panic. Stop for a second and let your brain develop a plan. This sounds silly, but when we were on fire our nephew and I went to the rear of the coach with extinguishers to start beating down the fire. When they ran out we went back in to get big pots to carry water to throw on the fire. Di and her sister were still standing in the living room and we literally had to shout at them to get out of the coach. They had frozen. Neither had yet processed the full extent of what was happening and they weren't thinking through the problem.

The hell with the coach. If you have to bust out the windows, or damage it to get to safety do it. If you put yourself at risk to save it you have made a mistake. You can always buy another.

Our coaches have a lot of potential for fires. We have lots of diesel fuel. We have lots of electrical stuff. We have big heavy batteries with significant potential to create arcing and fires. Once the plastic, or insulation, or interior, or tires, or batteries, or fuel start to burn, just get out of the way and let it burn.

But do get out and get out of the way.

This is not meant to scare anyone. To be honest until we were on fire I had never given a second's worth of consideration about fires, or what to do. Our outcome was very good. The bus is so well constructed the fire was contained to the passenger side of the engine area and the rear cap. It would have consumed the entire coach if we had not knocked it down with the extinguishers, along with several from truckers that had stopped and had we not quenched the heat with water pulled from the bottom drains of our fresh water tank.

[dalej]

We were on fire once

Jon-we realize that your not on fire anymore....but Di still is!

[hillndale]

We were on fire once and it was very close to us being unable to slide the floor and release the air lock. The entire electrical system shut down about a second after I relased the lock and slid the floor.

I can tell you that in times like that the stress level is very high and we all have brain farts. I am not trying to be funny, but to relate that unless you have done fire escape drills regularly your brain ceases to function as it should because it is trying to process so much information it shuts down. At least that is what it seems like.

I have learned the following:

Do not lock the door unless it can be manually unlocked in the event the electrical system fails. I had used the air lock which would have remained locked as long as we had air.

Recognize the methods you will use to get out no matter where you are in the bus. Gary has his awning type windows and so do we so if we cannot use the door I will go out head first and fall to the ground. If I did not have awning windows I would kick out any other entire window.

Do not panic. Stop for a second and let your brain develop a plan. This sounds silly, but when we were on fire our nephew and I went to the rear of the coach with extinguishers to start beating down the fire. When they ran out we went back in to get big pots to carry water to throw on the fire. Di and her sister were still standing in the living room and we literally had to shout at them to get out of the coach. They had frozen. Neither had yet processed the full extent of what was happening and they weren't thinking through the problem.

The hell with the coach. If you have to bust out the windows, or damage it to get to safety do it. If you put yourself at risk to save it you have made a mistake. You can always buy another.

Our coaches have a lot of potential for fires. We have lots of diesel fuel. We have lots of electrical stuff. We have big heavy batteries with significant potential to create arcing and fires. Once the plastic, or insulation, or interior, or tires, or batteries, or fuel start to burn, just get out of the way and let it burn.

But do get out and get out of the way.

This is not meant to scare anyone. To be honest until we were on fire I had never given a second's worth of consideration about fires, or what to do. Our outcome was very good. The bus is so well constructed the fire was contained to the passenger side of the engine area and the rear cap. It would have consumed the entire coach if we had not knocked it down with the extinguishers, along with several from truckers that had stopped and had we not quenched the heat with water pulled from the bottom drains of our fresh water tank.

what caused the fire?

[Darrell and Linda]

Jon, has it right, everyone should give it some serious thought. Have a plan. Think about your escape route, even if it is as limited as it is. Have an interior extinguisher and even have a couple extinguishers strategically placed in selected bays. Most of our fires will originate in the engine compartments and bay areas, but keep in mind, we have many sources inside of our coaches also.

Before our coaches were converted. The design of these coaches had emergency exits in place. Every second or third window could be remove as full size exits. There was normally two roof exits also. But with the custom changes by the converters, these safety features / exits have been all but removed.

Side note... most of the bedroom (custom) windows are tempered glass with tinting. A spring loaded center punch will break the glass in a controlled manner. Keep this punch in a night table. The shattered glass stays mostly intact due to the tint membrane and is easily pushed outward. Make sure that all residue sharps (pieces of glass) are removed before crawling through.

[rfoster]

Jon: Excellent advise as usual. Nothing like experience to send a wake up call.

Keep on keeping on.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The fire was a result of a OTR compressor replacement, by Carrier Corp in which the technicians chose to not re-install the pressure unloader valves.

The pressure built up, blew out the rear seal, thre compressor locked up, the belt kept spinning and friction ignited the belt, which in turn ignited the freon escaping through the failed seal.

Once the freon was ignited it was like having 24 pounds of fuel for a blowtorch which burned everything in the right rear corner of the coach.

FWIW you CANNOT see an engine compartment fire. We were told of it on the CB by a trucker. When we stopped rolling the flames and smoke were obvious, but while in motion I saw nothing in the camera or the mirrors.

[Petervs]

The side windows on my bis are not tempered glass they are safety glass. You can not break them out with a spring loaded punch. Ypo might be able to kick one out, maybe.

The lower opening panes are big enough to crawl through. I would not want to go head first though. A rope ladder is a great idea.

Jon, here is maybe another reason not to have OTR Air? Like not having slide outs and bras?

[GDeen]

Kind of on topic, how many CO monitors do you have? I have read should have at least one in every sleeping area?