Fire Development

When the four components of the fire tetrahedron come together, ignition occurs. For a
fire to grow beyond the first material ignited, heat must be transmitted beyond the first material
to additional packages.

Ignition

It describes the period when the four elements of the fire tetrahedron come together
and combustion begins.

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Growth
Shortly after ignition, a fire plume begins to form above the burning fuel. As the plume
develops, it begins to draw or entrain air from the surrounding space into the column.

Fully Developed

As the fire continues to burn and build up heat the pyrolysis process accelerates. The
thermal column of fire begins to develop and the heat rises and the temperature in the base
area of the fire may raise up to 800° F - 1000° F and at the ceiling.

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Decay

As the fire consumes the available fuel in the compartment, the rate of heat released
begins to decline, fire has run out of fuel.

Special circumstances
 Rollover occurs when ignited fire gases, or incompletely burned fuels, rise to the ceiling,

and spread out horizontally. Then smoke appears to suddenly start burning. If nothing is
done to ventilate the room or cool the air, this condition leads to flashover.

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 Flashover is the sudden, simultaneous ignition of everything in a room.

This is how it happens:

 Hot gases rise to the ceiling and spread out across to the walls.
 Heat radiates downward and intensifies until all combustible items reach their
ignition temperatures and burst into flames.
 Temperatures soar to as much as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a few seconds.
Even a fire-fighter in full protective gear is unlikely survive a flashover.
 Fire-fighters are trained to recognize the signs that flashover is about to occur:
dense black smoke with tightly packed curls ("black fire"); dense, black smoke
that pushes out of a doorway or window opening; smoke that has accumulated

as low as a doorknob, with the fire seen below.

 Backdraft is an explosion that occurs when oxygen is introduced into a room full of hot
gases.

 A fire burning in a confined area consumes all the oxygen.

 Visible flames disappear. Solid fuels smoulder and hot flammable gases accumulate
and fill the room.
 The temperature increases, the gases expand, and pressure builds, pulsing against
doors and windows. The building may look like it is breathing or throbbing from the
outside.
 If an opening is made to admit oxygen, the hot vaporized fuel bursts into flames and
the pressurized gases explode through the opening, resulting in a rolling fireball.

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Four Products of Combustion

1. Heat - is the product of combustion responsible for the spread of fire.

Injuries caused by heat are:
 Dehydration
 Heat Exhaustion
 Injury to the respiratory tract
 Burns
2. Light – the luminous visible body of burning gases
3. Smoke
4. Toxic Gases - At most fires it consists of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and
finely divided particles (soot).
Four ways to put out a fire
1. Cool the burning material
2. Exclude oxygen
3. Remove the fuel
4. Break the chemical chain reaction

How fire spreads

The transfer of heat from one point or object to another is a basic concept in the study of
fire and the transfer of heat from the initial fuel package to other fuels in and beyond the area of
fire origin controls the growth of any fire.
Firefighters use their knowledge of heat transfer to estimate the size of a fire before
attacking it and to evaluate the effectiveness of an attack.
Heat can be transferred from one body to another by three mechanisms: conduction,
convection, and radiation.
1. Conduction:
 When a source of heat is applied to one part of a conductor, the particles absorb this heat
and start to move faster. They bump into the particles around them and transfer some of
the energy to these particles, so the surrounding particles move faster. In turn, these
particles bump into their neighbors+, transferring some energy to them. Gradually, the
heat is transferred along the conductor as the particles collide with each other;
 Conduction is the only way that heat can be transferred through a solid; and

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  In a fire, if there is a metal beam, wiring or plumbing, the heat from one part of a building
can be transferred to another part of the building by conduction through the metal,
spreading the fire.
2. Convection:
 When heat is applied to a fluid (either a gas or liquid) the particles close to the source of
heat start to move faster. As they move faster, they hit each other harder, spread out,
become less dense and rise. Cooler, slower moving particles move into the space that
the heated particles left, and this creates a convection current;
 Convection can take place in either gases or liquids, but not solids;
 In a fire, convection carries heat to the surfaces above it which causes fuel on these
surfaces to pyrolyze and burn. This is why fuels that are “tilted” or vertical burn faster
than horizontal fuels;
 also, convection carries the hottest gases to the highest point in a compartment fire, and

thermal layering occurs because the gases will be arranged by temperature, with cooler
temperature gases found lower in the room; and
 Convection is the most important method of heat transfer in the development of most
fires.

3. Radiation:
 Radiation is when heat travels as waves of light through space and no particles
are involved. For example, radiation carries the sun’s energy through space
(essentially a vacuum) to the earth; and
 Radiation may transfer heat from a fire to articles and structures around the fire.
If enough heat is absorbed by the surrounding material, it may ignite and cause
the fire to spread.

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CLASSES OF FIRES
 Fires are classified according to the type of fuel that is burning;
 If you use the wrong type of fire extinguisher on the wrong class of fire, you might make
matters worse; and
 It’s very important to understand the five different fire (fuel) classifications…
CLASS “A” FIRES
A class “A” fire can involve any material that has a burning ember or leaves an ash.
Common examples of class “A” fires would be wood, paper, or pulp. The preferred method for
extinguishing class “A” fires is to remove the heat. Water is the most common agent, but others
such as dry chemical, Halon, and foam can be used effectively.
CLASS “B” FIRES
A class “B” fire involves flammable liquid or gas. Familiar examples would be gasoline,
oil, propane, and natural gas. A variety of fire extinguishing agents are used on flammable liquid
fires employing all theories of fire extinguishment. Which agent is best to use is dependent upon
the circumstances involved. Flammable liquids do not ignite in their liquid state; rather it is the
vapours being generated by these liquids that ignite. The mixture of oxygen and flammable
vapours in proper proportion needs only an ignition source to start the combustion process.
CLASS “C” FIRES
Class “C” fires involve live electrical equipment and require the use of an extinguishing
agent and/or extinguisher that will not conduct electricity back to the fire fighter(s). Electricity is
an energy source and an ignition source, but by itself will not burn. Instead, the live electrical
equipment may serve as a source of ignition for a class “A “fire such as insulation or packing, or
a class “B” fire.
CLASS “D” FIRES
Class “D” fires involve exotic metals such as titanium, zirconium, magnesium, and

sodium. These fires require special agents such as dry powders and special application

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techniques. The extinguishing agents and techniques used on “A”, “B”, or “C” fires will not work
on class “D” fires, nor will the agents and techniques used for class “D” fires work on any other
classification of fire. Many common agents like water will actually react to burning metals and
increase the intensity of the fire in a violent manner.
CLASS “K” FIRES
Class “K” fires involve cooking media. These can be any animal or vegetable based fats
or oils. These fires require special agents such as wet chemical extinguishers and systems that
are alkaline in nature and have superior cooling capabilities. The entire mass of the cooking
medium in a deep fat fryer must be secured and cooled below its auto ignition point in order to
achieve complete extinguishment.

LESSON 3
The Fire Extinguishers
When you run a business, you are responsible for the safety of your employees and
guests. A large part of safety is being prepared for accidents and emergencies such as a fire.
You may believe that you are prepared if you have a fire extinguisher on site, but you may not
be as prepared as you think.

The common fire extinguisher is one of the most well-known and widely used safety
tools. However, you cannot buy the first fire extinguisher you see and expect it to keep your
business safe. Every
business is different and so
are the potential dangers they face.

Fire extinguishers are

specialized pieces of
equipment that are designed to put out fires of different classes. Fire extinguisher ratings are
based on the five classes of fires. Do you have the right fire extinguishers for your unique
risks?

It is very important to have the right tool for a job. Fire extinguishers are no different. By
being aware of the five classes of fires, you can be sure that you are purchasing safety
equipment that will be effective should an accident or emergency occur.

Most fire extinguishers will have a pictograph label telling you which types of fire the
extinguisher is designed to fight.

For example, a simple water extinguisher might have a label like this…

…which means it should only be used on Class A fires.

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Types of Fire Extinguishers

Different fire extinguishers are designed to fight different classes of fire and the four
most common types of fire extinguishers are.
1. Water
2. Carbon

Dioxide (CO2)
3. Dry Chemical (A, B&C) Fire Extinguishers
4. Film Forming Foam Fire Extinguisher
 Water Fire Extinguishers
Most large silver fire extinguishers stand about 2 feet tall and weigh about 25 pounds
when full.
Filled with ordinary tap water and pressurized air, they are essentially large squirt guns.
Water-Fire Extinguishers by taking away the “heat” element of the Fire Tetrahedron.
 Water extinguishers are designed for Class A fires only: Like Wood, paper, charcoal,
cloth, etc.
 Using water on a flammable liquid fire could cause the fire to spread.
 Using water on an electrical fire increases the risk of electrocution.
 Water fire extinguishers are usually used in stockrooms, schools, offices, etc.

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 Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishers
 The pressure in a CO2 extinguisher is so great, bits of dry ice may shoot out of
the horn!
 CO2’s are designed for Class B and C (Flammable Liquids and Electrical) fires
only!
 CO2 cylinders are red. They range in size from 5 lbs. to 100 lbs. or larger. On
larger sizes, the horn will be at the end of a long, flexible hose.
 CO2’s will frequently be found in laboratories, mechanical rooms, kitchens, and
flammable liquid storage areas.
 In accordance with NFPA regulations (and manufacturers’ recommendations), all
CO2 extinguishers must undergo a hydrostatic testing and recharge every 5
years.
 Carbon dioxide is a non-flammable gas that takes away the oxygen element of
the fire tetrahedron. Without oxygen, there is no fire.
 CO2 is very cold as it comes out of the extinguisher, so it cools the fuel as well.
 A CO2 may be ineffective in extinguishing a Class A fire because it may not be
able to displace enough oxygen to successfully put the fire out.
 Class A materials may also smoulder and re-ignite.

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 Dry Chemical (ABC) Fire Extinguishers
It is extremely important to identify which types of dry chemical extinguishers are
located in your area!
 An “ABC” extinguisher will have a label like this, indicating it may be used on
Class A, B and C fires.
 You don’t want to mistakenly use a “BC” extinguisher on a Class A fire thinking
that it was an “ABC” extinguisher.
 You will find ABC’s in the public hallways of buildings, in shopping malls, break
rooms, offices, chemical storage areas, places of business, vehicles, kitchen, etc.

 Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)

Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) is a highly efficient type of fire suppressant
agent, used by
itself to attack
flammable liquid
pool fires.
It is lighter than
the burning liquid, it flows freely over the liquid surface and extinguishes the fire by a
smothering (removal/prevention of oxygen) action. Chemical foam is considered
obsolete today because of the many containers of powder required, even for small fires.
Fires involving solids and burning liquids, such as paint and petrol but not
suitable for chip or fat pan fires.
AFFF extinguishers contain a proportion of water, so they are not recommended
for fires where live electricity is involved.

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