8 replies to this topic

[Arthur Brown]

Recently I've seen a lot of cake cases continuing to burn the card down after firing, one tonight started to burn the paper before the shots were finished.

Has anyone else seen this?

[Mortartube]

I don't recall having a cake set alight before it was totally fired, but I have had cake cases burn or glow red and need a bucket of water chucked over them after they have been fired. I can only assume that the inner edge of a tube wasn't well glued and set alight.

[chris17]

Cakes burn every now and then. Especially display cakes with long duration seem to catch fire. Also dry winter days contribute to burning.

[seymour]

I can confirm Chris and Mortartube, cakes catching fire is a reality, a certain percentage will do it. I have seen them being fanned up by wind considerably. I would suggest that instead of trying to find out how to stop them lighting (which might be too effective, and stop them, well, lighting) making sure that a cake catching fire will not spread to other cakes, bushes, grass ect.

[Arthur Brown]

Cases burning used to be a rare possibility, but at last night's show we had significant damage to the turf on the firing site due to the number and seriousness of the burning. We used two fire extinguishers after the show just on the flaming cases.

[screwball]

Cases burning used to be a rare possibility, but at last night's show we had significant damage to the turf on the firing site due to the number and seriousness of the burning. We used two fire extinguishers after the show just on the flaming cases.

cakes boards will help stop grass and turf damage though the fire would need to be put out asap so that the wooden board doesnt contribute to the fire

[Arthur Brown]

The plastic cake boards made the fire worse! They burned!

[dr thrust]

i was thinking about this last night, the cakes need wrapping in a protective barrier if oxygen cant get to the flame there no flame!, thought of tin foil but wondered if there was any safety issues?, anyway these guys use something similar "black foil"

[Rick]

We use 11mm Sterling board, cut to size under all cakes - the board does burn but there is usually sufficient time to put a fire out before causing surface damage. Whatever materials you choose have a test for purpose first. Burns from molten plastic can be extremely nasty, remember that PPE is should be the last form of control.

We usually carry a few 4 litre milk bottles filled with water (plastic ok this time as suitable for purpose!) in addtion to extinguishers ; it saves money on recharging.

Rick