Both the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG) and the Australian Code for the Transport of Explosives by Road and Rail (AEC) require transport companies to carry dry chemical powder (DCP) fire extinguishers when transporting dangerous goods.
There have been two incidents in Western Australia in the past two years where DCP fire extinguishers have not effectively extinguished a brake or tyre fire on a vehicle transporting ammonium nitrate (AN). In both cases, these were the only type of fire extinguisher carried and the fire reignited shortly afterwards. The v hicles involved had been regularly serviced and well maintained.
In the first incident, the driver used all four DCP extinguishers on the vehicle. When the fire reignited, an exclusion zone was set up around the vehicle to let the fire burn itself out – fortunately without further incident. In the second incident, after the use of two DCP extinguishers, passing motorists assisted the driver in effectively extinguishing the fire by providing two foam fire extinguishers and water.