Blasting agents are assigned Guide Number 46 for the proper procedure in handling any potential emergency or hazard. The guide states this material may explode and throw fragments one-third of a mile or more if fire reaches the cargo area. The guide directs responders not to fight fire in the cargo and to try to prevent a fire from reaching the explosive cargo compartment. The guide also provides a subheading that describes the action to be taken for "Truck and Equipment Fires." It says to flood them with water, or if no water is available, to use Halon, dry chemical, or dirt.

Under the next subheading, "Cargo Fires," directions given are not to move the cargo or vehicle if the cargo has been exposed to heat and not to fight the fire when it reaches the cargo. The instructions given are to withdraw from the area and let the fire burn.

The possible confusion here to a firefighter using the book in an emergency is in the labeling and sequence of the headings. The bold type addresses "Truck and Equipment Fires" and "Cargo Fires." A pumper company arriving on a scene at 0340 hours and finding a trailer normally pulled by a truck along with construction equipment on fire may have a tendency to read the action to be taken under the first heading for "Truck and Equipment Fires," i.e., flood with water or, put simply, to fight the fire.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for ammonium nitrate addresses the issue differently. Under "Special Fire Fighting Procedures" it simply states, "Fires involving explosive materials should not be fought." It further instructs to "Evacuate personnel to a safe location upwind of the fire. Burning material may produce toxic vapors." All suggested procedures are, of course, contingent upon the materials involved being identified.