Could Use Some Happy Thoughts

[rdprdp01]

Always nice to hear from you, Cormanus. See my reactions:

"It's interesting that the riding gear needs to be replaced. It looks undamaged in the photos." I try as best I can to purchase great protective gear. I define "best" by quality, workmanship, durability, and, to a far lesser extent, ease of maintenance. I also use optimal storage to help preserve things. Everything is cleaned and stowed away following a ride. The picture below is of the bedroom I assigned to myself. Note that I had a cover over the hanging racks to protect the gear from dust, light, and anything else that could come into contact with it. The helmets were enclosed in protective covers. My gloves were stored in a sealed plastic container. My stuff was located as far as it could be from the source of the fire:



Although there was no detectable physical damage to the jackets, pants, boots, or airbag vests, all of them reeked of a toxic chemical odor regardless of how they were stored. The house was not engulfed in flames like a Hollywood movie, but it was filled with thick, chemically laden smoke that clung to everything it touched. That smoke carried fine soot particles loaded with unburned hydrocarbons, plus a truly nasty cocktail of gases: hydrogen chloride from burning PVC-based materials (pipe, vinyl flooring, wire insulation); sulfur dioxide from gypsum wallboard and rubber; and dreadful nitrogen oxides from nitrogen-containing polymers like polyurethane foam and nylon.

When those gases met the natural moisture and humidity in the house, they formed dilute acids: hydrochloric, sulfurous, and nitric. That acidic film settled on everything in the house, including my gear.

All the manufacturers told me the gear was permanently altered, that the smell could be masked but not truly removed, and that wearing it would expose me to toxins over time — a far greater problem than the cost of new gear. The airbag manufacturer, Alpinestars Tech-Air, told me the warranty was voided unless I sent the jackets in for a formal rework and system check. Claude gave me a nice summary of the slow degradation that follows this kind of exposure:

Leather: Acid attack breaks down the tanning agents and collagen fibers over time; neutralizing that process without damaging the material isn't practical. The leather will lose some tensile strength and become brittle.
Synthetics: Acids attack the polymer chains directly, degrading structural integrity from within.
Kevlar: The aromatic rings that make Kevlar so tough hold up well, but the amide bonds linking those rings together are still vulnerable to acid attack, slowly weakening the fiber.
Electronics: Residue left behind corrodes exposed copper traces, connector pins, and solder joints.

Prolonged contact between the contaminated gear and my head, hands, legs, and body could transfer small amounts of these toxins, which accumulate over time. That was the tipping point that led me to write off a sizeable investment and replace everything. I pray no one else has to face this decision, but if you do, my experience is at least one data point worth considering. As I see it, we buy the gear to protect ourselves. We should also replace it to achieve that same goal when there is a compelling reason to do so.

"It must also be a great relief to those in the adjacent houses — which look close — that the fire brigade responded so quickly and effectively." Indeed. In California, they place four dwellings on a lot built for one, adding floors to reach the three-bedroom threshold that the market demands in Northern California. The 911 call was processed through a Dispatch Center and Fire Department we support. The Firefighters were on site and entered the structure within six minutes of the call being received at the Dispatch Center. While I was cleaning up, the neighbors stopped by to offer condolences, fresh water, and offers to help. They also teased me about sampling my own product a little too much.

"What about the other residents of your house? How badly have they been affected?" Our townhome was the only house impacted structurally, thankfully. The house where the kids lived received some blowback of fumes and some gray water runoff. Before the Incident Commander left, it is my understanding that he told them to turn off their HVAC, leave for the night, and have their home inspected before returning. When I arrived on scene, they had returned to their home.