New! Sign up for our email newsletter on Substack.

Fighting fires in tunnels

Uncontrolled fire in tunnels normally cost millions of dollars to extinguish and cost as much in damages. An example is the Mont Blanc tunnel fire.

I don’t know if the idea is feasible, but I would like to float it.

We have learned that fires needs two elements to propagate and stay alive: Heat and oxygen.

So why not eliminate one of these elements?

Bring liquid nitrogen capsules and surround the fire at both end in the tunnel, as close to the fire as firemen could and then use those big fans we see being used in making movies to direct the flow of open liquid nitrogen from the open canisters towards the fire.

Anyone think this idea is feasible?


Quick Note Before You Read On.

ScienceBlog.com has no paywalls, no sponsored content, and no agenda beyond getting the science right. Every story here is written to inform, not to impress an advertiser or push a point of view.

Good science journalism takes time — reading the papers, checking the claims, finding researchers who can put findings in context. We do that work because we think it matters.

If you find this site useful, consider supporting it with a donation. Even a few dollars a month helps keep the coverage independent and free for everyone.


Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.