Fire Suspression for Track Day / Street Driven Vehicle

Suggestion for a portable fire suppression system to be used during track Days and HPDE events

2005 Mustang  Factory Recaros, Watson Roll Bar, stock Interior

Thanks

In reply to RacingComputers :

I'd simply use a bare bones race system with one nozzle in the drivers area and one in the engine bay.

You could mount the bottle to the roll hoop and the pull handle down on the center console.

Thank you Sir

Appreciate the follow up

Regards

Maybe just an element fire stick? It's like a road flare that spews extinguishing powder and it's maintenance-free.

https://elementfire.com/

Saw that when searching for simple options.

May be the solution

Thanks

What's wrong with a 4 or 5 lb extinusher mounted directly in front of the passenger seat?

Works in a pinch, easy to get to, easy to replace.

That's what I do with my cars with no roll cage and not strapped in with a 5 or 6 point.

Not a system, but I carry a Lifeline Zero bottle in the 911. 

Thank you

I want to put one of these in my Cayman's engine compartment since there is no way I could get the cover off in time to save anything.

BlazeCut

I saw firsthand how corrosive the powder in a typical fire extinguisher is and I now switched to only using HalGuard fire extinguishers because the gas is completely safe HalGuard

wvumtnbkr said:

What's wrong with a 4 or 5 lb extinusher mounted directly in front of the passenger seat?

Works in a pinch, easy to get to, easy to replace.

Handheld extinguishers and fire systems are intended for different use cases.  Handheld extinguishers are intended to do just that -- put out a small fire before it gets to be a big one.  A built-in fire system is a very specialized tool, intended to handle cases where the fire is already big and you need precious seconds to get the car stopped and get out.

GameboyRMH said:

Maybe just an element fire stick? It's like a road flare that spews extinguishing powder and it's maintenance-free.

https://elementfire.com/

I have seen mixed reports on how well these work, if at all. I would test for myself before relying on it.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

wvumtnbkr said:

What's wrong with a 4 or 5 lb extinusher mounted directly in front of the passenger seat?

Works in a pinch, easy to get to, easy to replace.

Handheld extinguishers and fire systems are intended for different use cases.  Handheld extinguishers are intended to do just that -- put out a small fire before it gets to be a big one.  A built-in fire system is a very specialized tool, intended to handle cases where the fire is already big and you need precious seconds to get the car stopped and get out.

I agree!  However, for a predominantly street car it might not make sense for a full on fire supression system.  A fire extinguisher close can help you get out of the car as well.

On top of that, a full fire suppression system isn't necessarily aimed where you need it.  That was the case in one of my fiery wrecks at Charlotte.  It kinda worked.  I would have preferred something I could aim.  (Yes, I had 2 nozzles pointed at me).  Unfortunately,  I had to get out the passenger side of the car that didn't have anything and was doing its best to have a wall of fire coming up from the rocker.

wvumtnbkr said:

What's wrong with a 4 or 5 lb extinusher mounted directly in front of the passenger seat?

Works in a pinch, easy to get to, easy to replace.

 

That's what I do with my cars with no roll cage and not strapped in with a 5 or 6 point.

I put mine in front of the driver's seat because I don't always have a passenger to hand me the extinguisher. I can reach it while seated.

Keith Tanner said:

wvumtnbkr said:

What's wrong with a 4 or 5 lb extinusher mounted directly in front of the passenger seat?

Works in a pinch, easy to get to, easy to replace.

 

That's what I do with my cars with no roll cage and not strapped in with a 5 or 6 point.

I put mine in front of the driver's seat because I don't always have a passenger to hand me the extinguisher. I can reach it while seated.

#like.

wvumtnbkr said:

I agree!  However, for a predominantly street car it might not make sense for a full on fire supression system.  A fire extinguisher close can help you get out of the car as well.

IMHO the need for a fire system (outside of racing class rules, obviously) lies in how many changes you've made to the fuel system.  Fuel is where the really dangerous fires come from, an oil fire will make a lot of smoke and destroy stuff but they don't usually get big fast enough to pose a threat to the driver's life.  OEM fuel systems are pretty solid (manufacturers have spent a LONG time perfecting that), but all bets are off with aftermarket stuff.  So to me:  aftermarket fuel lines/rail/etc => need fire system.

I think the number of cases in which a handheld extinguisher is useful for getting out of the car is very limited.  It's going to take 5-10 seconds to unlatch one, pull the pin, aim, fire it off, etc and if there's fire in the interior then that time is much better spent getting the hell out of the car.  OTOH, if you pulled off the track because of smoke coming from under the hood then the handheld bottle may be helpful in preventing the car from burning down (or setting the rest of the county on fire here in California).

I have a lifeline "halon"-style system in my race car, but I don't carry a handheld extinguisher in there.  I do have 4 or 5 of them in the trailer, though.  Used one last year to put out a fuel fire on the engine of a Formula VW that pulled into the paddock spot next to me with flames right behind the driver's head.  Driver was having trouble getting out.

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Very right, but add oil system (cooler/accusump/dry sump) and propensity for rod through block failure. Oil on racing hot exhaust is pretty wild too. 

Apexcarver said:

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Oil on racing hot exhaust is pretty wild too. 

That UV yellowed Y in the pic is the splitter for my car's fuel rail, it was leaking gas directly over my driver's side header. It was almost bad.

I've seen a big enough oil fire on a dyno to know that stuff burns plenty hot, too. The oil dipstick wasn't clicked in on an SBC, and they did a pull. Geyser of oil shot out and came back down on the header and flashed into real flames pretty quickly. It would've turned a car into a bonfire easily, and it could happen on any bone-stock car. 

While we're on the subject, Can gas splash through the cuts made in the rear deck of a NA or NB Miata for the back legs of a Hard Dog roll bar if the tank were damaged in a crash?

Edit: Seems like I remember that being a separate area?

In reply to NermalSnert (Forum Supporter) :

In theory, maybe. In reality, the extra metal cut away is mostly filled with roll bar and fuel would have to take an unusual path to get into the cockpit.
If you're particularly concerned, it's easy to add a patch panel. Did that years ago, I'll see if I can find a pic. 

Someone had done some serious cutting on my car. 

Easy enough to fix with some tin snips and a rivet gun. The black piece is the factory rear bulkhead. A normal cut would only go as far back as the bar.  

Thanks everyone for the input

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Just for the record a frriends street driven C5 Corvette burned to the ground at a track day. A small fuel fitting leaked.