| Case Name |
Fire in a cattle barn caused due to exothermic reaction of quicklime with water in the barn. |
| Pictograph |
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| Date |
April 25, 1989 |
| Place |
Kawauchi town, Shimokita county, Aomori, Japan |
| Location |
Warehouse |
| Overview |
Quicklime was stored directly on a concrete floor. Firewood was stacked in the same cattle barn next to the quicklime. The firewood made contact with the quicklime at a damaged part of the quicklime package, and it reacted with moisture or leaked rain falling from the previous day. It might generate heat. A fire broke out from the firewood, burned down the cattle barn. Besides, the facilities were unlicensing under the Fire Protection Law. |
| Incident |
A warehouse was partly used as a cattle barn. Quicklime (the 20 kg × 70 bags) purchased for meadow soil improvement and ammonium sulfate fertilizer (110 bags) were stored in the warehouse. The bags were piled up directly on the concrete floor. Next to the quicklime, firewood was stacked to chest height. It ignited, and the warehouse and barn burned down. |
| Processing |
Storage |
| Chemical Equation |
Fig3.Chemical reaction formula
|
| Substance |
Lime, Fig4 |
| Type of Accident |
Fire |
| Sequence |
The firewood partially ignited. The fire spread to the building. The cattle barn made of steel and wood with two floors for storage, which was 326 square meters, gross floor area which was 490 square meters burned down. |
| Cause |
The following two possibilities were considered.
1) The packaging material of the quicklime was damaged when it was carried into the warehouse for storage in the warehouse. It contacted the firewood, reacted to the moisture in the firewood, and generated heat.
2) Rainfall on the previous day leaked through the roof, reacted with the quicklime, generated heat, and ignited.
Reaction formula for an exothermic reaction is shown in Fig3. |
| Countermeasures |
If quicklime is put on a floor directly, it easily comes into contact with water and it is dangerous. A pallet should be laid and the quicklime should be put on it. Protection against rain water should be provided. It is important to make the structure with a sufficient heat release system. |
| Knowledge Comment |
A fire caused due to exothermic reaction of quicklime with rainwater sometimes occurs. Although the quicklime was designated as a dangerous material under the Fire Protection Law before 1988, now it is deleted from a dangerous material 's list. However, it should be treated with attention because it still has a hazard of causing a fire. Putting quicklime on the floor in storage should be avoided because it could come into contact with water. |
| Background |
Quicklime reacts with moisture in air or water, and its temperature gradually rises, finally ignites nearby combustibles. It is speculated that the owner did not understand the characteristics of quicklime in its storage and management. |
| Incidental Discussion |
Although the general consumers might find it difficult to understand that contact between quicklime and water or air is dangerous, it must be well known. Moreover, it is important to make them understand what situation could cause danger. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of quicklime fire caused due to wetting |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Ignorance, Insufficient Knowledge, Shortage of Study/Experience, Planning and Design, Poor Planning, Poor Layout Planning, Usage, Transport/Storage, Poor Storge Situation, Bad Event, Chemical Phenomenon, Heat Generation, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Fire, Loss to Organization, Economic Loss
|
|
| Sources |
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Major cases of accidents, Quicklime stored in a cattle barn without permission ignited and the cattle barn was lost to fire. Accident case of dangerous materials. pp.31, 348-349.
|
| Physical Damage |
A cattle barn was totally destroyed by fire. The barn was a steel structure and partially made of wood with two floors for storage. Eight cattle were killed by the fire. Quicklime was damaged. |
| Financial Cost |
¥14 million. (Accident case of dangerous material). |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.Sketch of quicklime storage
|
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Fig4.Chemical formula
|
| Notes |
As the criterion of general danger changed, it is understood that the quicklime was removed from the list of dangerous materials in the Fire Protection Law. |
| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
|
| Author |
KOSEKI, Hirosi (National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
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