Tyre Fire and Injured Passenger on the Desert Highway
At 02:00 on the Desert Highway 70 km south of Amman, the front-left tyre of your rigid truck blows out and the wheel arch catches fire. Your passenger, who was asleep in the cab, has a deep cut on the forearm from the door frame and is pale and shaking. The truck carries 20 tonnes of cartons. You have a 2 kg dry-powder extinguisher. Wind is from the left, blowing smoke across the cab, and traffic is passing at about 90 km/h. The fire is still small at the tyre, but you can hear a crackling sound. Your phone has signal. There is a lay-by 100 m ahead and a fuel station 2 km ahead.
1. List your priorities in order and say where you would position people.
Read the worked answer
- Bring the truck to a controlled stop in the lay-by if it can be reached safely; switch off the engine, apply the parking brake and switch on hazard lights.
- Get the passenger and yourself out on the upwind side, away from traffic and away from the wheel fire. Do not stand behind the truck in the live traffic lane.
- Call emergency services and ask for police, Civil Defense and an ambulance; give the highway, direction, kilometre marker and the fact that cartons are burning.
- Put out warning triangles only if it is safe to do so; at night on a 90 km/h road, do not walk into the lane.
- Treat the passenger and then assess the fire. Keep bystanders upwind and well back. The fuel station 2 km ahead is not a safe destination for a burning vehicle.
2. The fire is still small at the wheel arch. Would you use the 2 kg extinguisher? Explain the limits.
Read the worked answer
Use it only if the fire is still small, you have a clear escape path, and you can stand upwind and slightly to the side, not directly in front of the wheel. Aim at the base of the fire in short bursts. A 2 kg dry-powder extinguisher is a first-attack tool, not a guarantee: a tyre fire can reignite from hot rubber and brake components, and the cartons are a serious fuel load.
If the fire does not go out quickly, if smoke increases, if you hear pressurized gas escaping, or if flames reach the cargo, withdraw immediately. Do not open the wheel arch or stand close to the tyre; a tyre can burst violently. Once the extinguisher is empty, move upwind and wait for Civil Defense. Do not drive to the fuel station with a fire on board.
3. Describe first aid for the passenger and what you would report to the emergency operator.
Read the worked answer
Check responsiveness and breathing. For the forearm cut, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth or dressing; elevate the arm if there is no suspected fracture. Do not remove an embedded object; pad around it. Keep the passenger warm and lying down if pale and shaky, and monitor for shock - rapid pulse, cold clammy skin, confusion. Do not give food or drink. Hand over to the ambulance crew with what you did and when.
Report: location and direction of travel, number of casualties, the forearm injury, the tyre fire, the 20 tonnes of cartons, wind direction, and whether the fire is spreading. Keep the line clear for instructions. After the emergency, preserve the scene and exchange details as required by the police.