The Fire

Triangle
The Fire Triangle
Four things must be present at the
same time in order to produce fire:

 Enough oxygen to sustain combustion,

 Enough heat to raise the material to its ignition
temperature,
 Some sort of fuel or combustible material, and
 The chemical, exothermic reaction that is fire.
The Fire Triangle The fire triangle is a simple
way of understanding the
elements of fire. The sides of the
triangle represent the
interdependent ingredients
needed for fire: heat, fuel and
oxygen.
It is a model for
conveying the components of
a fire. The fire triangle’s three
sides illustrate the three
elements of fire, which are
heat, fuel and or oxygen.
The Fire Triangle
The three elements a fire needs to
ignite:
Oxygen  Heat

Fuel
 Heat
The Fire Triangle

A heat source is responsible for the

initial ignition of fire, and is also needed
to maintain the fire and enable it to
spread. Heat allows fire to spread by
drying out and preheating nearby fuel
and warming surrounding air.
 Fuel
The Fire Triangle

Fuel is any kind of

combustible material. It’s
characterized by its moisture
content, size, shape, quantity and
the arrangement in which it is
spread over the landscape. The
moisture content determines how
easily it will burn.
The Fire Triangle Classification of Fuel
 Class A - Wood, paper, cloth, trash, plastics
-Solid combustible materials that are not metals.
 Class B - Flammable liquids: gasoline, oil, grease, acetone
-Any non-metal in a liquid state, on fire.
 Class C - Electrical: energized electrical equipment
-As long as it's "plugged in," it would be considered a
class C fire.
 Class D - Metals: potassium, sodium, aluminum, magnesium
 Oxygen
The Fire Triangle

Air contains about 21 percent

oxygen, and most fires require at least
16 percent oxygen content to burn.
Oxygen supports the chemical
processes that occur during fire. When
fuel burns, it reacts with oxygen from
the surrounding air, releasing heat and
generating combustion products
(gases, smoke, embers, etc.). This
process is known as oxidation.
The Fire Triangle
How does the Fire Triangle Work?

 When fuel or flammable materials are heated, the

energy stored inside starts to react with oxygen in the
air, giving off heat.
 This creates a vicious cycle, which causes the fire to
spread.
 To stop the spread of a fire you have to remove one of
these elements to break the triangle.
The Fire Triangle TIPS FOR FIGHTING AND PREVENTING FIRES
BASED ON THE FIRE TRIANGLE
OXYGEN
• This makes up about 20% of the air we breathe, so there is a ready supply to
fuel a potential fire if flammable materials come into contact with enough
heat to start a fire.

• Once a fire has started, depriving it of oxygen will weaken extinguish it.

• Foam and dry powder extinguishers can be used to smother flames and
deprive the fire of oxygen, whereas the CO2 in carbon dioxide fire of
oxygen, whereas the CO2 in carbon dioxide fire extinguishers will replace
the oxygen to deprive the fuel source of it.

• Always use fire extinguishers with care and check that you are using the
correct type of fire extinguisher for the type of fire you are dealing with.
The Fire Triangle TIPS FOR FIGHTING AND PREVENTING FIRES
BASED ON THE FIRE TRIANGLE
HEAT
• All flammable materials have a flash point, this is the lowest temperature
at which they will ignite.

• If you are storing flammables on site then you will need to be aware of
their flashpoints and make sure that all materials stored away from
sources of heat and under their flash point temperature.

• If a fire does break out then having a water fire extinguisher on standby is
a good idea.

• Water has the effect of cooling the fire, thus removing heat from the
equation.
The Fire Triangle TIPS FOR FIGHTING AND PREVENTING FIRES
BASED ON THE FIRE TRIANGLE
FUEL
• A fire will continue as long as there is fuel to burn.

• Fuel comes under three categories, solid, liquid, and gas.

• Each type should be treated specially to ensure that their presence does
not result in fire,

• Just look around you, everyday materials that surround you such as
paper, card, clothing, fabrics, and furniture could all be potential fuel for
a fire.

• To reduce the chance of a fire starting, keep these materials away from
electric heaters, radiators, and direct sunlight