An empirical study on the fire behavior and emergency response technique in gasoline storage tank

Bulk petroleum storage tank fires are relatively rare, but they can result in significant challenges to emergency response teams, oil companies and the environmental impacts. Due to the limited field experience with such incidents, the analysis and verification of response cases are essential for informing preparedness strategies for similar fires. In the Goyang oil reservoir fire in 2018, Korea, the fire suppression was successfully achieved by injecting water into the bottom of a gasoline storage tank on fire through the fuel supply pipeline. This method, termed the floating technique, was intended to protect the heat sensitive flange gasket and control burnout of the residual fuel without fire spread. This study investigates the fire behavior of gasoline storage tank and evaluates the suppression effectiveness of the floating technique through empirical work. The integration of fuel draining, water injection, and a subsequent foam application was proposed to enhance the overall effectiveness of the fire suppression strategies for full surface tank fires.