Liminal Labs Fire Chandelier 2017
Fire Safety Liaison Name: Don Hayler
Fire Safety Assistants: Jack Taylor, Thu Ho, Brian Lang, Jonathan Steuer, Nancy Robinson
Leave No Trace Lead: Thu Ho
This is the same flame effect that was approved, implemented, and inspected in 2016.
Liminal Labs will have a fire chandelier suspended under the steel Moon Gate entrance to the camp. Fuel pod and chandelier have both been inspected and approved by the fire safety team in previous years and we are not planning to make any changes.
The fire chandelier will be Open Fire/Level Two fire. It will have multiple steel wool “wicks”/pilot lights/flames, but will not have any accumulators. The flames will be lit by hand using a long necked lighter.
The gate has an interior height of 11′5″ and the chandelier will be suspended so that the bottom of the chandelier is approximately 7′ above ground level. This will keep people from bumping into the fire while still providing easy access. There is no need for a burn platform due to the height of the flame.
The gate is secured against the wind with 10′ angle iron outriggers staked to the playa. Wind resistance has been tested successfully via unintentional ‘Maria del Camino’ tank/art car contact, damaging the gate significantly without affecting gate stability at all.
The gate is constructed of non-flammable materials (i.e. steel mesh and square stock) so there are no concerns for the chandelier catching anything else on fire. The gate is the entrance to the camp and the nearest structures will be over 10′ away.
Safety Plan
The fire chandelier will be fed from standard 20-lb. LP canisters (i.e. BBQ tanks) stored in an enclosed steel fuel depot pod. A 40-lb. ABC fire extinguisher will be located 8-10′ away. The fuel depot will be 10′ away from the gate and 10′ away from the nearest tent/camp structure. There will be no vehicle access from inside the camp and there will be fences between the depot and the exterior of the camp. The depot will be near the camp fence on the main road, providing a fire lane / emergency access. The fuel depot will be marked “No Smoking – Flammable” on all four sides.
All fuel lines and connections will be rated for LP gas.
The fire chandelier will be lit by a designated fire effect operator and will be extinguished before the last fire effect operator leaves the area.
Emergency Response Plan
Liminal Labs will always have at least one trained camp member keeping an eye on the flame effect at all times. They will know exactly how to safely turn off the fuel supply in the unlikely scenario that the flame do anything other than lightly burn anything but the steel wool wick. All camp members will know where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it. During camp orientation, we jointly determine best evacuation routes and procedures and then post the route in our communal kitchen. We all know that we must extinguish the fire should any Ranger or Emergency Personnel request this.
In our orientation, we demonstrate what to do in case of fuel spills and unplanned fires. We are all constantly on the lookout for damage to the fire effect or its fuel pod by wind, vehicle collision, or any other act of god or man. As for response to injury to anyone, we will follow our camp procedures for assessment (we always have at least one MD in camp to help with this), treatment, and/or transport to the med tent, should that be deemed appropriate.
Contact: limbo@liminallabs.com