Firefighters in Iowa study control of ethanol fires

In Iowa, firefighters from five towns joined the Madison County hazmat team in a live fire training exercise aimed at controlling ethanol fires. Only a handful of cities between the Midwest and the West Coast have received ethanol fire fighting equipment and training. 10,000 gallons of fuel exploded in the World Trade Center disaster on 9/11, while ethanol trains routinely run with as much as 2.5 million gallons to the West Coast from Nebraska among other states.  Ethanol fires require a special foam; using gasoline-oriented techniques will spread the fire.

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