Extremely Low Break

[killforfood]

Last night my oldest brother and I decided to sit one out (4 nights in a row wears a guy out) and watch the show. My youngest brother was lighting when about halfway through the first set, a shell burst just over his head. We both jumped up and started running toward the racks but the guys didn’t even react and kept lighting. Afterwards my brother said that their only reaction is that he heard one of the crew say “what was that” and they kept lighting. Are these guys made of kryptonite or what? They didn’t even know it happened. We had to show them some I phone footage just to prove it. Green Peony at about 8 ft altitude. Why was there not carnage?

 

Play safe,

KFF.

[pyroman2498]

Lucky i guess, when my mom use to light shows she use to keep lighting if there was a low brake but she made sure everyone was alright first. , so maybe the guy has already lost most of his hearing from shows, i honestly don't know exactly why but thats my guess or he is more focused on the next shell he had to light then the shell braking over his head .

[Seymour]

Were they wearing PPE?

 

I'm not suggesting anyone tries it, but eight feet is far enough that I would think you would survive unharmed most of the time with just PPE basics, up to about 4". What size shells was this?

 

While I won't say I've been eight feet from a shell burst but I do know what it's like to be somewhere near the pistil with the petal fully enveloping you. Dare I say it, quite fun. You really don't want to be any closer than 8 feet from the shell burst, and at that distance you'll have problems with your eyes and ears if you have no protective gear.

 

Stars are like paintball tracer rounds though. They hurt as much, and the fact that they are on fire is mostly not an issue if they bounce off. If they get in a crack in clothing, or in between a visor and a face, I'd take a paintball over a lit star though any day.

 

It is amazing quite what you can miss due to the padding and adrenaline. Even through solid hearing protection the thump of a normal lift charge in immediate proximity is crazy loud. With the limited visibility due to a visor, smoke and sparks, and adrenaline thrown in, the odd low break does not stand out like it will from the crowd.

 

I've had a 2" flower pot, ripping half the tube open. There was no delay on the fuse, just an instant ignition bit of black match with me going from tube to tube with a portfire. Only after the show did I realize it had happened.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Seymour

[marks265]

I haven't shot a show in a couple of years now, but if I ever do one again I'll be wearing chaps, whatever padding I can find, and my turnout coat. A guy near me just had one go in a mortar this 4th and screwed his leg up pretty good from a hunk of wood rack or something. I've had stars and inserts bounce off me many times and have been close to other peoples less than desirable product on a return tripca few times. I just hope to not see two in a row, but sometimes that doesn't go as hoped either. If it's your time you'll know.

[killforfood]

We all wear full turnouts. Last year I was burned slightly on the face and now own a couple Balacava's. I also now wear a resparator. sure helps when the wind is blowing wrong.

This was a 4" shell.

Final show tonight... I'm out the door. See yah.

Edited July 7, 2013 by killforfood

[brimstoned]

We had a couple of those this 4th involving 2" canister shells. The fit was a little snug for some of these and a friend that was helping to load and light may not have been pushing the shells all the way to the bottom of the tube. The shells went off about 12' from the ground.

[Bobosan]

We had a couple of low breaks with commercial shells during a shoot this past Memorial Day. There were 3 of us hand firing, one at the 100 shot finale racks (6's were electrically fired) and two of us hand firing the other 300 2.5, 3 and 4" shells. My head was down most entire time so never really noticed the low breaks and the PPE did its job except for a few flaming shit sparks that went down my back. Next time the collar goes up on the welding jacket.

[nater]

I took a muzzle blast from a 3" shell to the face a few years ago. I was only a foot or two away, with my back to the rack and face down. Some stars came under my shield but still burned my face through my nomex hood.

 

My hardhat is peppered with dents from a few low breaks over the years. Except the one that burned me, I have shrugged it off and continued the show. After you shoot enough you can tell the sound of a bad lift and you hit the deck, look at the pretty colors, get up and keep lighting. Being inside a charcoal willow looking out is a surreal experience.

 

Bobosan, I keep the collar up on my jacket and wear a nomex hood UNtucked. This keeps the flaming bits of lift cup and leader piping from working their way down my neck.

Edited July 8, 2013 by nater

[Bobosan]

If that had been a low break star going down my back, I'd probably have a dandy scar. Yep, lesson learned and have added nomex material to the hardhat backstrap to drape over neck & shoulders.

[nater]

^^

Not just a flap on the helmet, but a full hood. I had 2nd degree burns through the hood, I can only imagine how bad it would have been if the lit stars were trapped on bare skin.

 

http://www.galls.com/galls-nomex-lenzing-fire-hood

[Bobosan]

oh!...you meant a full bacalava style. Will make a point to get one before next hand fire commercial show.

[killforfood]

bacalava

I can never spell or say that correctly, must be French. Edited July 9, 2013 by killforfood

[Bobosan]

It's Greek....not really. I get it messed with Baclava the pastry. The actual spelling is balaclava.

 

....which explains why I don't have one yet and got weird looks when asking about them.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Bobosan

[killforfood]

I would have never guessed this... From Wikipedia, The name "balaclava" /ˌbæləˈklɑːvə/ (seriously, that's supposed to help me pronounce it correctly?) comes from the town of Balaklava, near Sevastopol in Crimea, Ukraine.^[1]