Feasibility of Providing Adequate Protection in Tankers Or Protective Shelters

The intensity of fire that can be suppressed by any means is relatively low compared to the potential intensity under extreme conditions, say 100 000 kW m-1. Fire suppression with handtools fails at a fire intensity of around 1000 kW m-1 in most eucalypt forest types due to spotting across the fireline. Bulldozers can handle about twice this intensity. Tankers can hold grass fires on roads up to intensities of about 10 000 kW m-1 provided they have sufficient numbers to catch the spots across the road and provided there are no trees present. In forests or shrub lands the maximum intensity is 2000 - 3000 kW m-1 depending on the width of the break. The need for additional protection really depends on the task that the crew is asked to do and the tactics employed.