- Author
- Comeau, E.
- Title
- English Channel Tunnel Fire Folkestone, England to Coquelles, France, November 18, 1996. NFPA Fire Investigation Report.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- NFPA Fire Investigation Report, 1997, 64 p.
- Keywords
- fire investigations | tunnels | fire departments | railroad terminals | response time | fire suppression | fire detection | ventilation | power supply
- Identifiers
- Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV); emergency response operations; tourist shuttles; locomotives
- Abstract
- This report was prepared by NFPA's Fire Investigations Department to document the fire that occurred on November 18, 1996 in the railway tunnel that connects Folkestone, England with Coquelles, France. NFPA's Chief Fire Investigator, Ed Comeau, conducted a 4-day on-scene investigation of the incident. This included site visits to the Folkestone terminal, inspection of standard rolling stock apparatus, and interviews with personnel who responded to this incident. These interviews included United Kingdom and French command officers, Kent Fire Brigade fire fighters and staff and Eurotunnel staff. In light of the fact that NFPA currently has no documents that directly apply to rail tunnels an these types of passenger and freight trains, an analysis of this incident was not done. The scoe of this report is limited to the facts that were available during the on-site visit and any made available during the subsequent report production. It is not NFPA's intent to determine the cause and orign of the incident, nor to attempt to place responsibility for any of the events, conditions, or actions leading up the fire and during the period following. NFPA's objective is to present the incident in order that others may gain some insight from the "lessons learned" that have emerged out of this significant fire.