By Amy Batista, Special Writer
A delayed Fire Department response resulted in a backdraft, or smoke explosion, that injured seven firefighters, one seriously, who responded to a burning commercial tractor trailer stopped on the shoulder of the southbound lane of I-295 two years ago, according to an investigation conducted by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety and Office of the State Fire Marshal in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Health.
The truck was transporting clementines, a small citrus fruit similar to a tangerine, from Staten Island, New York to Vineland. The incident occurred at 1:31 p.m. on May 31, 2012. Jeffrey Gaines, 44, of Philadelphia, driver of the red 1996 Kenworth tractor, noticed some smoke coming from the trailer and stopped to assess the issue. He was not injured during the incident.The fire originated in the right rear wheel of the trailer and was determined to be accidental in nature, according to the synopsis of the investigation released on May 1.
”The exact cause of the fire is undetermined due to the fact that the investigation team was unable to identify the first material ignited as well as a possible mechanical failure,” according to the synopsis.
The fire then spread to the interior of the trailer igniting the insulation and contents. A backdraft caused the caused the explosion, according to the report.
”This occurred when the oxygen starved fire burning inside the tightly sealed refrigerated trailer received an adequate supply of oxygen when the trailer door was opened and the combustible smoke and superheated gases reached their explosive range,” according to the synopsis. “This caused the gases to combust explosively creating an overpressure condition that resulted in the trailer walls being pushed out and the door opening violently.”
Florence Township Fire Department Chief 4000 was first to arrive on scene. When Florence Township Fire Department Engine 4013 arrived at 1:51 p.m., crews began attacking the fire.
”As fire crews were gaining access to the trailer through the rear door an explosion occurred,” the Florence Township Fire Department news release said at the time.
According to the investigation, the driver side rear door was pried open and a hose stream was then directed into the trailer. Approximately 1 minute 17 seconds later an explosion occurred inside the trailer while Fire Marshal Brian Richardson, 33, a career firefighter/fire marshal with the Florence Township Fire Department, was using a hydraulic powered tool attempting to pry open the passenger side rear door of the trailer. The force of the explosion pushed the walls of the trailer outward and blew the right door open violently. The door struck Fire Marshal Richardson. The force of the explosion also injured six other firefighters. The fire was then extinguished without further incident.
Fire Marshal Richardson was airlifted to the Capital Medical Center Trauma Unit in Trenton for treatment of his injuries. He suffered severe head trauma, which resulted in two subdural hematomas; partial loss of vision in his right eye; multiple non-displaced skull fractures to the forehead, right cheek and right eye socket; and a broken nose.
In addition, he lost his sense of taste and smell. He suffered memory loss and has no recollection of the incident. He also suffered partial hearing loss. He was out of work for approximately 17 months and after retraining, returned to work full time on October 15, 2013.
Battalion Chief Kevin Mullen suffered a leg injury and concussion and was out of work for approximately two months. In addition, five other firefighters received minor injuries. They were transported to Lourdes Medical Center in Willingboro and were treated and released, according to the investigation.
As a result of the investigation, the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety identified key issues that needed to be addressed and remedies that should be implemented within all departments in order to minimize the risk of similar incidents.
Personnel responding to fires and other emergencies involving motor vehicles should always be vigilant especially when a vehicle is not placarded and the contents are not known. Every effort should be made to determine what might be carried in trucks. Tactics and strategy for mitigating the emergency should be strongly influenced by any information obtained, according to the synopsis of the investigation.
The investigation also noted that emergency responders should always be aware of the signs of a potential backdraft, not just at building fires but at any fire involving an enclosed space.
”Emergency responders however, must anticipate and act to minimize the risk of backdraft in any type of sealed container including but not limited to truck trailers and box type trucks,” according to the investigation. “Ventilation may need to be considered just as it is in structures to allow superheated products of combustion to escape thereby reducing the potential for backdrafts.”
Signs of a backdraft include smoke puffing at intervals from the enclosed space, pressurized smoke coming from small cracks, little visible flame from the exterior of the enclosed space, black smoke becoming dense gray/yellow, confinement and excessive heat, according to the report.
The investigation determined that the delayed fire department response was caused by Mansfield Township Franklin Fire Company No. 1 not initially responding to the call, causing the dispatch of the Florence Township Fire Department a significant amount of time later.
”This allowed the fire to burn longer and deplete the oxygen inside the trailer,” according to the report. “This resulted in ideal conditions for a backdraft to occur upon the arrival of the Florence Township Fire Department and firefighters opening up the trailer. An engine from Mansfield Township Franklin Fire Company No. 1 did eventually arrive on location at 1:59 p.m., 28 minutes after their initial dispatch.”
The investigation noted that Burlington County’s fire service had not yet implemented a “highway box system” for I-295 at the time of the incident.
”This permits dispatchers to dispatch fire companies in both directions of a limited access highway based on access to the highway simultaneously at the time of the initial alarm,” according to the report. “Burlington County’s, and in fact, all fire service agencies, should consider the implementation a highway box system for all limited access highways that transverse the county. At the time of the incident a highway box system had been established for the New Jersey Turnpike.”

