Heater stack, black smoke/fire

Black smoke and fire from the heater stack were reported by a chemical process operator making his round at about 9 45 A.M. Nearby sprinkler systems activated, and the emergency squad was summoned. The emergency squad set up fire hose streams and began cooling down the heater structure. Within 15 minutes all external flames from the heater ceased, but black smoke continued to pour from the heater stack. A few minutes later the fire flared up through the stack for about five minutes more. 

Loss of draft will make it impossible to provide sufficient air to combust all of the heater fuel entirely. The oxygen concentration in the flue gas will approach zero carbon monoxide in the flue gas will increase significantly. If the furnace is oil-fired, the stack will emit black smoke. Some of the more common causes of reduced draft are listed below. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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