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Very emotive pic of the California Wildfires.


Phil Perry

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It has to be pretty good to be better than eucalyptus. Each large tree is equal to a 44 gallon drum.of hydrocarbon. In the Blue Mountains the whole end of a valley has flames leaping 500 feet out of it seeking oxygen when the big fires happen. The fire on the ground is left far behind. Nev

 

 

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Eucalyptus trees have been involved in many fire disasters overseas, most recently in Greece.

 

Australian melaleuca trees are pests in America, our green tree snakes have invaded some Pacific Islands and our wallabies have gone feral in Hawaii and Britain. Almost makes up for cane toads, rabbits and tiger pears.

 

 

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It has to be pretty good to be better than eucalyptus. Each large tree is equal to a 44 gallon drum.of hydrocarbon. In the Blue Mountains the whole end of a valley has flames leaping 500 feet out of it seeking oxygen when the big fires happen. The fire on the ground is left far behind. Nev

Nev, just out of interest, when the flames leap that high for oxygen, do they ever backfire in a pulse jet like effect. Reason I ask is that I had a 44 gallon drum heater once. On a cold morning I would load it up with newspaper, kindling, firewood and a good dose of diesel. When I lit it, the diesel, paper and kindling would produce more flame than the vents could supply oxygen for. So the flame would leap out the vents into the kitchen in search of oxygen.

 

This would reduce the pressure and flame in the drum heater, so the flame would retreat back into the drum. As there was still ample volatile fuel, the flame would then quickly build again to the point that the flue couldn't handle it and the flame would leap back out the vent, seeking oxygen again. This would repeat like a pulse jet until the front hatch was opened enough to allow enough oxygen in so that it behaved like a normal fire.

 

I was just curious if anything similar happens in nature in an extreme bushfire situation with the right conditions.

 

Cheers, Willie.

 

 

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I have been exposed to a few extreme bushfire situations and not seen what you describe. I think you need the gas to be contained to an extent to get that effect. I have had things happen in similar situations to you where smoke gets ignited and Burns quickly. with sometimes surprising consequences.. Keep you ignition source upwind of the fuel when there are volatiles involved. Nev

 

 

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