It may be possible to protect surrounding structures or storage tanks by the use of a cooling fog stream, preferably from an unattended monitor. For some materials, fog streams can be used to suppress or disperse vapor releases. Information on all of these approaches will be found in the material specific sections of this book. These may help to suppress fires. They may also suggest what firefighting agent is appropriate for the materials involved.
Pipelines carry many hazardous materials.
If a pipeline breaks, very large quantities of materials can be released over a short period of time. Depending upon the material, this means that the cloud, fire, or release could be very large and will continue to grow until the flow stops. The key is to minimize the release by cutting off the flow at the pumping station or other shutoff. This will generally be done by pipeline personnel. Do not fight the fire or approach the scene until the flow has been stopped.