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• buildings, vehicles, etc. should also be at least 60 m (200 ft) from the piles; • the site should be flat, with a concrete or hard clay surface and should be designed to capture and contain water run-off; • scrap tire storage should not be on wetlands, floodplains, ravines, canyons, or on any steeply-graded surfaces; • Any open-air burning should be at least 305 m (1000 ft) from the tire pile; • heat generating devices (e.g., welders) should not be within 60 m (200 ft) of the pile; and • lightning rods should be installed, but away from the tire piles. 2.5.2 Civilian Evacuation Evacuation of civilians should be considered as the highest priority by the incident commander. The Guidelines suggest that areas subject to evacuation be anticipated during a pre-fire planning process (all scrap tire and rubber products storage facilities should be considered high-risk storage sites and be pre-planned accordingly). The Guidelines recommend that "any areas exposed to the smoke plume, or subject to such exposure from shifting winds, should be evacuated as a precaution." Staging locations, transportation time, and equipment requirements must be carefully planned. Evacuees should not be allowed to return to the vicinity until appropriate environmental monitoring has been conducted and the area is deemed safe and habitable. 2.5.3 Fire Suppression Tactics For a variety of reasons, conventional fire suppression tactics are only partially effective in controlling scrap tire l'ires. The unique shape of tires makes it extremely difficult to reach all burning surfaces and allows air to be trapped to continue support of combustion throughout the pile. The intense heat generated by burning tires further adds to the difficulty. The Guidelines recommend that the major objective in addressing a tire fire is to separate the unburned tires (fuel) from the burning fuel. The burning fuel should be allowed to burn as freely as possible. Heavy equipment (i.e., front-end loaders, track excavators, mid-size bulldozers, etc.) are necessary for this type of work. Burning sections of rubber can be removed from the pile, isolated and extinguished using hand lines set on fog pattern (i.e., a wide disperse spray), or if a water reservoir is available, submerged. Direct water application is not always effective, given the intense heat and burning characteristics of rubber. However, if a decision is made to use conventional techniques, constant pressure fog nozzles are more effective than solid streams. In many cases, fire control has only been achieved by smothering the burning portions of the pile with dirt or fill material. However, even in this state, fires can continue to smolder deep in the base of the pile for weeks. Thus, continued observation and environmental monitoring is necessary. 22