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Vehicle Fires

October 2025

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  • These are fires we come across often but attack differently due to the perception of a lower risk.

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  • Vehicle fires range from a single or multiple car to a semi tractor trailer or mobile RV.
    • How would you attack each of this types?

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  • They also can happen anywhere. Ranging from a driveway, parking lot or garage, to the highway.
    • Do your tactics change?
    • What risk or safety considerations do you take with these different locations?
    • Is it an electric vehicle?
      • That’s a whole other strategy – refer to September 2025 Electric Vehicles training.

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SOP 3.2.25 Review

  • Apparatus Placement:
    • When approaching scene of vehicle fire the apparatus should be placed upwind and uphill of incident to protect against hazardous vapors and liquids.
    • Apparatus placement on a street or highway shall be in accordance with all IFD SOPs as to the use of the apparatus as a barrier to shield incident scene from traffic hazards. Whenever possible, traffic control should be maintained by any available law enforcement agency.

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  • Water Supply:
    • If water on responding apparatus will not be sufficient, considerations must be given to additional water sources. A supply line of 3” or greater or other engines or tankers may be required.
    • Ladder companies may be used as an elevated standpipe at incidents on elevated freeways or parking garages.

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  • Fire Attack:
    • All firefighters engaged in firefighting duties at a vehicle fire must don complete personal protective equipment, i.e. turnout gear, and have self-contained breathing apparatus in operation. It is acceptable for firefighters to apply water on an involved vehicle from a safe distance and be upwind while other firefighters are donning the proper protective equipment. Approach vehicle with consideration of loaded bumpers and exploding tires.
    • Where patients are inside a burning vehicle, first water should be applied to protect the patients and permit rescue if possible. When rescue is not a factor, first water should be applied to extinguish or cool down area around any fuel tanks and/or systems. This is applicable for gas, diesel, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Liquid Natural Gas (LNG).
    • Forcible entry tools may be necessary to make entry into interior compartment, hood, and trunk areas.

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  • Reporting:
    • Every effort shall be made to obtain the vehicle VIN number and license plate number. This information shall be included in incident report, when possible.

SOP 3.2.25 Review cont.

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  • Chief Notes:
    • Wheel chock – might be helpful when the vehicle is on an incline.
    • Explosive or impaling hazards such as bumpers or lift gate.
      • A vehicle fire has its own risks like a structure fire has, take time to quickly identify them so you can mitigate them.
      • Attack at an angle – helps mitigate the risk from the above potential hazards
    • SCBA – the toxins that are in a normal fire or present in a car fire
      • Honesty check – How many of you actually wear an SCBA on a car fire?
        • This also sounds familiar like it was in our SOP
    • Exposures – close to buildings and other cars
    • Sweep under neath – remember fluid release and mixture will happen.
    • Attack from uphill and upwind
      • Sounds familiar? Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, the SOP
      • But seriously – who wants to breath in the smoke from a vehicle fire right as you step out of the Engine.

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      • What else did you notice that he didn’t? Talk about it!

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Use the following to input your training into Fire Engineering

  • Choose Course / Activity – Fire Control: Vehicle Fires
  • Codes – (00200 Career Development: Officer Development) 201 Company Officer Training
  • Location – Your firehouse
  • Date / Time – When the training took place
  • Event Description – Monthly Company Training: Vehicle Fires
  • Internal Instructor – Who led the training
  • If you have a prepared training program that would benefit the department, send an email to Chief Steve Clegg Steven.Clegg@indy.gov the training will be reviewed and sent out department wide via monthly training if approved.�