European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Assignment persian Gulf out at the same time a said Ray Swift of Houston Texas. Quot one Small flame will relight the others As soon As you put them out the Coke can even restart the fires because it is so if a Man is too close to a Well and it re ignites his chances of survival Are slim. Other dangers Are hidden in the lakes of Oil something even the firefighters Are not accustomed to. The Oil has covered mine Fields and bombs and As the upper layer hardens flammable gases form underneath. Four men including the. Two British journalists burned to death when the heat Auto exhaust ignited a Gas pocket. That triggered an even larger fire in the Lake of Oil engulfing the vehicles in flames. The Crews begin their attack by raking away hundreds of pounds of Coke from the a Well head using a modified Crane. High pressure hoses mounted on tin Sheds called monitors Are used to constantly Spray the base of the flames. As the water hits the 2,000-plus degree flames huge Clouds of steam billow into the air to blend with the Black smoke. Quot the water does no to drown the flames. Not like most people think a said Ray Henry of Houston. Quot steam consumes oxygen. If enough water is sprayed at each flame Long enough the steam will use up All the oxygen a and the fire will go Henry a explanation makes the work seem routine and perhaps it would be if the firefighters could control the forces of nature. The flames which can soar to Over 500 feet Are tossed and whipped by unpredictable winds. Although prevailing wind patterns Are monitored and reported daily to the firefighters the winds sweep across the Flat kuwaiti landscape so fast that there is Little yearning of a change. Quot it gets pretty hot inside the Monitor Quot said Tom Dapogny of Houston. Quot we try to set up up wind of the fires. But if the wind changes the temperature can jump 40 or 50 degrees just like heat injuries Are the most common problem in the Oil Fields. Normal temperatures in Kuwait Are often Over 100 degrees. Near a fire the men work in temperatures of up to 150 degrees often for hours at a time. These wild Wells Are never willing victims. The flames pop and Roar and taunt the firefighters who relentlessly beat at them with their High pressure hoses. The Orange red flames and the White Cloud of steam twist and Bend together in a violent Ballet until the flames falter. The fire begins to pop More and Roar less until it disappears altogether causing the air temperature to suddenly plummet. But most times with an even louder pop the fire roars Back again full Force Brilliant angry. These duels often go on for Days and occasionally weeks. If the firefighters Are fortunate All they need is patience and a Case of sunscreen. If they Are not they need someone like Bill Smith. Smith is a retired Marine corps demolition specialist working with wild Well control. If a fire proves impervious to water he is called to blow it out with explosives. A surly but sincere Veteran the 55-year-old Smith knows what he does can kill him but does t seem too concerned. Quot i Ain t never Hurt myself or nobody else Quot he said. Quot i know what i m when Smith comes to a Well site virtually everyone else leaves. He does t need much help and the fewer people standing around the fewer at risk. Only the site Leader a couple of equipment operators and Smith will remain. Quot i wrote a lot of safety manuals when i was in the marines a said the resident of Spring Texas. Quot what we re doing out Here Breaks almost every Rule in those books. From left firefighters Charles Rhodes John Waak Larry Willyard Danny Fredline and Allen Boyte take a break. Despite the 100 degree heat covering Mike pearls enjoys a Light moment up is sometimes Best. After a hard Day on the Job. When you re working with explosives you re never supposed to be near heat or fire. Out Here we have plenty of Smith usually puts dynamite and plastic explosives on the end of the a Crane used to Rake away the Coke. The Crane operator moves the charge within a couple of feet of the flames and then gets the hell out of Dodge Quot Smith said. Smith crouching behind a Bulldozer detonates the charge electrically. The ground shakes and people Miles away look up from what they re doing. Most of the time one blast is enough. The explosion consumes the oxygen snuffing out the fire. In a split second what was an imposing inferno becomes a gushing spout of crude. Early on. The firefighters rejoiced when a fire was extinguished. But celebrating in the. Shadow of the spewing Well gave Way quickly to the realization that they faced the immediate a and Nasty a task of capping the Gusher. The work As Well As the danger do not end when the fire is out. Moments after a Well fire is put out everything in sight becomes coated with the Slick Black substance while a thin oily Mist a continued on Page 8 Danny Fredline barks directions to fellow workers at a Well site. The Money s Good but the work is Tough. Glen Hendrix face shows the grime and grit of a Day on the fire line. Sunday july 14, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 7
