FAQ

ManualsBrandsOrion Safety ManualsTools & Hardware20 Minute Road Flare Kit (6-Pack)

Glossary of Terms

Listed below are definitions of common words and terms pertaining to emergency flares and signaling

devices.

Aerial Flares

These are pyrotechnic devices that are launched into the air to create an emergency signal that can be

seen for miles around – the greater the elevation, the larger the sighting distance. Aerial Flares are

most often used in marine applications and such signals are designed to meet or exceed the

requirements established by the United States Coast Guard. Aerial Flares are also used in setting

Backfires by wildfire firefighters. Orion Aerial Flares can be launched by a variety of mechanisms,

including a pistol-style safety launcher (25mm or 12-gauge), a pen-style safety launcher (16.5mm) or

Self-Contained (Skyblazer XLT and Orion SOLAS rockets). Certain Orion aerial flares also have

parachutes attached to the signal, such that the emergency signal or illumination flare can be

suspended aloft for a longer burn (up to 30 seconds).

Anti-Roll Device

Highway Flares that do not have the Wire Stand attachment can roll if placed on a hill or uneven

terrain. To prevent such rolling, each Orion Highway Flare has an anti-roll device included as part of

the Plastic Cap. After the Highway Flare has been ignited, the lid should be put back onto the Plastic

Cap and the Plastic Cap should be pushed onto the bottom of the Highway Flare. The tab that

protrudes from the lid of the Plastic Cap will prevent the Highway Flare from rolling. The Anti-Roll

Device is easy to use and effective to prevent an ignited Highway Flare from rolling off the roadway

into combustible grass or other roadside debris.

Backfire

A Backfire is the deliberate use of fire in wildfire suppression. It is a tactic whereby a smaller fire is

ignited along a control line ahead of the main fire. The strategy is to consume fuel loads ahead of the

wildfire in a controlled manner, denying the wildfire of fuel so it can be weakened and more readily

extinguished. Backfire Torches manufactured by Orion are lighter, cheaper and more easily

transported than drip torches. Orion Backfire Torches are often used by wildfire fighters to set

Backfires.

Summary of content (6 pages)

PAGE 1
Glossary of Terms Listed below are definitions of common words and terms pertaining to emergency flares and signaling devices. Aerial Flares These are pyrotechnic devices that are launched into the air to create an emergency signal that can be seen for miles around – the greater the elevation, the larger the sighting distance. Aerial Flares are most often used in marine applications and such signals are designed to meet or exceed the requirements established by the United States Coast Guard.
PAGE 2
Backfire Torch These are special flares designed to produce a long, hot flame and which can be connected end-to-end to create a “reaching pole” used for setting Backfires. The Backfire Torches manufactured by Orion typically burn for 10 minutes each and in excess of 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bonneted Cap This is a feature Orion offers on Railroad Flares and Backfire Torches. A Bonneted Cap is a cardboard enclosure which is wrapped with paper to protect and encapsulate the ignition end of the Flare.
PAGE 3
Hand-Held Flare This is a term used to generally describe any type of Flare held in your hand during operation of the Flare (as opposed to Aerial Flares or Floating Smoke Flares). Hand-Held Flares include Highway Flares, Railroad Flares, Safety Flares, Road Flares, Emergency Flares, Marine Flares and certain Smoke Flares. Highway Flare Also known as a Safety Flare, Road Flare, Emergency Flare or Pyrotechnic Flare, the Highway Flare is a Flare typically used to identify an emergency situation or danger.
PAGE 4
Plastic Cap This is a feature Orion offers on Highway and Railroad Flares. As the name implies, it is a plastic cap that encloses the ignition end of the Flare. Each Plastic Cap has a removable lid which covers a red phosphorus sticker. To ignite the Flare, the lid is removed from the Plastic Cap and then the Plastic Cap is removed from the body of the Flare. The Plastic Cap with red phosphorus sticker exposed is then pulled across the ignition button of the Flare to activate the Flare.
PAGE 5
Safety Flare This is a term used generally to describe a Highway Flare, Railroad Flare, Road Flare, Emergency Flare or Pyrotechnic Flare. Self-Contained These are Aerial Flares in which the launch platform is designed into the device (i.e., no external apparatus like a safety launcher is required). The Skyblazer XLT and SOLAS Rocket offered by Orion are Self-Contained such that no additional apparatus is needed to launch the signal into the air.
PAGE 6
Waxed Flare This is a Highway Flare or a Railroad Flare that has a thin wax coating to protect the body of the Flare from environmental conditions. With a Bonneted Flare, the wax coating is applied to the bonnet cap as well as the Flare body. Wire Stand This is a u-shaped piece of malleable wire that is affixed to a Highway Flare by a collar made from low ash red paper.