If you stop and think a little, the world we live in is a huge mystery to most of us – despite knowing how things work, we are rarely able to scientifically explain why they work in that certain way. But why worry, if we have the whole Internet with an endless amount of YouTube videos, where actual scientists untangle the mystery this world is to the rest of us mortals. This time, The Slo Mo Guys decided to look more closely into one of the greatest terrors firefighters have to face, and unravel how a backfire actually works.
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This 4K video not only explains what a backfire is but also reveals how terrible yet fascinating it looks in slow motion
Gav and Dan, more commonly known as The Slo Mo Guys, decided to look more closely into this phenomenon
A backdraft is a rapid explosive burning of superheated gasses in a fire, caused when oxygen rapidly enters an oxygen-deprived enclosure, and it’s a huge concern to all firefighters
In order to explain and demonstrate the process, The Slo Mo Guys created a controlled backdraft setup
They put up markers garnished with marshmallows every 5 feet outside the setup
So that they can see how far the explosion of the superheated gasses goes
Backdrafts pose a real threat even to most experienced firefighters because they tend to happen quite suddenly
Therefore, if a room is seen pulling air into itself, they generally evacuate immediately as it indicates an incoming backdraft
To avoid backdrafts, firefighters try to ventilate a room from its highest point
That way, the heat can escape the room without igniting
The term backdraft came to exist after people noticed it was possible for this sudden puff of smoke to be drawn back into the space from which it exploded
If you got worried after seeing all of this, The Slo Mo Guys have your back as well with this other video showing how to avoid backdrafts
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