Lumber yards hold huge fire loads outdoors. Wind + dry lumber = rapid spread. NFPA 1 Outdoor Storage provisions and NFPA 24 private service main define yard sprinkler and water monitor rules. The 2008 Golden Forest lumber fire in California affected 300 hectares.
NFPA 1 Outdoor Storage
- Stack height: max 6 m (20 ft)
- Stack area: max 9,300 m2 (100,000 sqft)
- Stack separation: min 15 m between stacks
- Fire lane: 6 m width for apparatus access
- Building distance: 9 m from nearest building
Water Monitor Design
- Flow: 1,900-7,600 L/min (500-2,000 gpm)
- Throw: 60-90 m range
- Placement: 4 sides of stack area
- Remote control: joystick (operator) or auto (heat tracking)
- Water supply: 90 min reserve (NFPA 24)
Ignition Source Control
- No smoking: whole yard
- Forklift: propane-fueled, diesel with spark arrestor
- Electrical: Class II Div 2 gear (wood dust)
- Static: fabric conveyor bonding
- Spark-arresting muffler: on motorized equipment
Firewall and Zoning
- Solid wall: 3 m high, 30 cm concrete
- Zone size: max 4,600 m2
- Wind corridor: no lumber in prevailing wind line
- Self-ignition risk: friction, spontaneous ignition - dry summer/winter
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Sources & Further Reading
NFPA 1, NFPA 24, NFPA 13 Chapter 30, FM Global DS 7-11, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.176. NFPA 1 Fire Code.