FIRE

4.5 ONBOARD FIRE & SMOKE

Fire and smoke are the most serious threats in civil aviation.
Fire is an oxidation (chemical reaction or a series of reactions involving oxygen) of one or more
items (fuel) in the presence of a certain amount of heat (flashpoint) producing heat and light.
Onboard

4.6 THE FIRE TRIANGLE

There are 3 elements involved in the generation of fire, i.e. oxygen, fuel, heat which are commonly
referred to as the "fire triangle." However, for afire to start, a fourth element known as “chemical
reaction”, is also required. Removing any one of the four elements will extinguish the fire or
prevent it from starting.

Oxygen: is found in the air.

Fuel: Any substance whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form – which can burn – is considered
as fuel.
Heat: Be aware that heat may move in a closed environment via conduction, radiation and/or
convection.

Other Definitions:
Flashpoint: the minimum temperature that allows fire to start.
Fire point: the minimum temperature that allows fire to sustain.
Flashover: the sudden transfer of heat from a local fire to a more widespread fire involving a
much greater area.

4.7 CLASSES OF FIRE

According to the UN publications and the CAA regulations, types of fire have been classified
(according to the type of fuel involved) as follows:

Water-absorbing material
A Solid materials (wood, paper, textile)
Non water-absorbing material
(plastic, rubber)

Mixable with water (alcohol,

B Flammable liquids spirits, nail varnish/remover)
Non-mixable with water
(gasoline, oil, kerosene, grease)

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 FIRE
C Combustible metals Sodium, magnesium, titanium

D Electrical Ovens, water boilers/heaters,

equipment lighting, projectors

Note: Although electricity - itself - does not burn, it is classified as one of the classes of fire
because of its dangerous reaction with some agents.

4.8 SMOKE

Smoke is a mixture of fine solid particles, products and/or droplets of water/other liquids produced
by materials involved in the fire. Therefore, smoke is considered as flammable vapour and a
source of heat. It becomes lighter than air and rises vertically until it reaches the ceiling of the
cabin. It spreads sideways and travels horizontally. Therefore, it is very important to locate the
source of fire, as smoke might appear in an area away from the fire that produced it.

 In fire situations, more people die from smoke inhalation than flames.

 White (also called: clear) smoke generates from natural fuel (wood, paper). It consists of
water vapour and carbon dioxide. It can reach 300 degrees Celsius.

 Black smoke generates from oil-based products (plastic, rubber) commonly used onboard.
It is highly toxic and produces a very high temperature.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is highly toxic. It is odorless and colorless. It is generated from any
type of fire.

 When smoke is inhaled, the mental capacity decreases as a result of the lack of oxygen.
This will affect the crew actions.

4.9 SMOKE PROTECTION

It is important that crew is aware of the dangers of smoke inhalation. They must protect themselves
and passengers whenever needed. Crew may use the PBE’s provided onboard, reseat
passengers or distribute wet towels whenever they feel it is necessary.

Crew must not open the cockpit door, if the smoke is in the cabin.
The use of the cabin dropout oxygen system may increase the severity of the fire and will not
prevent the passengers from inhaling the smoke (as the oxygen mask includes an ambient air
inlet). Therefore, the flight crew should not eject the masks). Smoke removal procedure is a
procedure carried out by the flight deck to remove smoke from the cabin via the aircraft air-
conditioning system.