Chapter 8

G
FIRE R
O
HAZARDS U
P
8
Table of Contents
Sections

1 Fire tetrahedron 2 Wildfires

3 Biulding Fires (House Fires)
For thousands of years fire has become both companion and enemy
to man. It is an enemy when it overpowers man and becomes
uncontrollable. But man continues to depend and live with fire like
a companion because its benefits outweigh the negative effect.

"among the notable things about fire is that is also requires oxygen to burn -exactly
like its enemy,life.Thereby are life and flames so often compared" -Otto Wieninger
 Fires has been used for thousands years by early humans
for survival. Indeed, his control of fire has brought him along
the way. Fire has been one of the important tools in building
both ancient and modern civilization.

8.1 Fire Tetrahedron

Up to this day, fire still maintains an important role in man's
daily life-it is still being used in cooking

A. B.
Bonfire Gas burner
 SLIDE 6
A fire outbreak in an informal settlement
area in Barangay Apolonio Samson,
Quezon City on January 1,2015. The fire
left three people dead and rendered 2000
families homeless.
• influence the type and population of
flora and fauna in the forest where fire
is known to recur.
• when fire come loose, its destructive
side is revealed.
What is fire? SLIDE 7
• Greeks- major element just like earth, water
and air.
• NOT a form of matter
• tangible
• manifestation of matter
• Fire is a part of chemical reaction called
oxidation-combination of oxygen and another
substance.
• set apart from other oxidation process by its
rate
The Ingredients of Fire
1. Tetrahedron SLIDE 8
Four important ingredients required to initiate
and sustain fire:
1]heat,
2]fuel,
3] an oxidizing agent, and
4] an uninhibited chemical reaction
• present in the right amount, a fire will occur
naturally
• removing at least one of the ingredients can
prevent or extinguish any fire.
The fire tetrahedron
The Ingredients of Fire
2. Heat SLIDE 9
• energy that flows from an object of high
temperature to an object of low
temperature
• produced in many ways, both by man and
by nature (friction and lightning)
• 3 main ways in which heat can be
transferred: conduction (direct contact of
substances), convection(flow of liquids and
gases in the transfer of heat) and radiation
(electromagnetic waves)
 The Ingredients of Fire
2. Heat SLIDE 10

• energy that flows from an object of high temperature to an object of low temperature
• produced in many ways, both by man and by nature (friction and lightning)
• 3 main ways in which heat can be transferred: conduction (direct contact of substances),
convection(flow of liquids and gases in the transfer of heat) and radiation (electromagnetic waves)
The Ingredients of Fire
3. Fuel SLIDE 11

• any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance that can be burned

• combustion to take place, fuels must first be converted into the
gaseous state
• Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of solid fuels which
produces gas fuel through the application of heat
• Vaporization is the production of fuel gases from liquid fuels
The Ingredients of Fire
4. Oxidizing Agent SLIDE 12
• oxidizer or oxidant
• element or a compound which releases oxygen or other oxidizers
during a chemical reaction
• most common oxidizing agent is oxygen
• bromates, bromine, chlorates, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, nitrates,
nitric acid, nitrites, perchlorates, peroxides, and permanganates.
The Ingredients of Fire
5. An uninhibited chemical chain reaction SLIDE 13

• Combustion or burning becomes self-sustained because the heat given

off during combustion is used again to heat the fuel and maintain the
burning
• the fire continues unless it becomes deprived of one of the main
elements
• Clean agent halon replacements are used to break this chain reaction.
 The Stages of Fire
SLIDE 14
• all four requirements for a fire • fire has consumed almost all of
have been combined the available
• fire is very small
• Oxygen is being consumed
• can still be controlled 3. Fully-developed
1. IGNITION rapidly and maximum
fire stage temperatures are reached.

• heat release rate increases as • lasts the longest

result of the burning of
additional fuel 2. Growth stage 4. Decay stage • oxygen and fuel begins
to diminish
rollover may occur & may lead
• rollover may occur & may • backdraft may occur • temperature decrease
to a flashover
lead to a flashover (introduction of oxygen into
an enclosed structure)

4 Stages that are applicable both to compartments and to wildfires

8.2 WILDFIRES
Can spread all the way to communities bordering brush
lands and forests and may cause extensive destruction to
property
Do you think wildfire is beneficial or not?
What are Wildfires? SLIDE 16
• any natural or anthropogenic-caused uncontrolled fire in remote areas where there is
extensive combustible vegetation and/or organic material

• forests, grasslands, shrublands, brushlands, scrublands, and peat lands

• can spread out from the source of ignition very quickly

• change direction unexpectedly

• Strong winds can trigger

 TYPES OF WILDFIRES
BASIC: ground fires, surface fires, and crown fires

4. Ladder
fuels
2. Surface • combustible material
• burn tree canopies,
fires other higher parts of
found between the
ground and the tree tops
• burning of buried
Classified on 2 decomposed organic • most common type trees, and suspended which allow fire to climb
materials like vines up all the way to the
factors matter and extensive • involve the burning
canopies
tree root systems. of fuel scattered on • spreads very rapidly
1. the vertical • smoldering fire ensue the surface (strong winds) • Woodpiles, fences and
position of the fuel • huts are also contribute
and burning
for days or months
underground and
not as intense as
ground fires 3. Crown to the vertical spread of
fire.
2. the type of fuel then resurface again
• accumulated fuel on fires
being burned. the ground
1. Ground fires
 CAUSES OF WILDFIRES SLIDE 18
1. Natural Causes
• are triggered by the tremendous heat associated with lightning strikes- thunderstorms that are
accompanied by little to no rain (unheard in Philippines)
• Lava flows during volcanic eruptions
• extremely hot and dry weather that has reached a certain threshold temperature (Flash point)
• Rockfalls can also trigger wildfires

2. Human Activities
• responsible for majority of the reported wildfires (Philippines)
• Kaingin (slash-and-burn method of clearing land) & charcoal production(started intentionally and
gone out if control)
• Accidental fires (living lighted cigarettes or bonfires)
Controlling and preventing wildfires
SLIDE 19
• Forest should be well-maintained
• Primarily objective: minimize the amount of unwanted
flammable substances & break the horizontal and vertical
continuity of fuels
• Young forest are most vulnerable (isolating them, making
firebreaks, and reducing the quantity of flammable
material)
• Grazing: reduce fuel like brushes and to prevent fires
• Sanitation, thinning, pruning & removal of cutting
and other waste material
• Infrastructure and implements could be provided
 It is better to fall prey to thieves ten times than to
have one’s house razed by fire

8.3 BUILDING FIRES (with emphasis on HOUSE

FIRES)

How we may prevent uncontrolled fires from happening in

the first place?
Causes of Building Fires
1. Unattended cooking equipment and other household fire sources
SLIDE 21
LPG tanks Candles, gas lamps & Stoves, ovens, deep fryers,
• Turned off when not in use to avoid leaks
mosquito coils barbecue grill, dish towels,
• Kept away from direct sunlight • Placed on shaky and slanted tissue paper, gloves
surface, toppled by Trees grasses, bushes
• Should be check from time to time
children/pets, or win

Matches/lighters
Cigarette smoking • Out of curiosity, children may start
Oil • In bed and furniture fire
• Can easily overheat and ignite • Provide a proper ashtray • Never let any of these become easily
• Over heated oil- starts to froth and • Not extinguished because of accessible
smoke sleepiness and alcohol • Educate children
Causes of Building Fires
Counterfeit, uncertified
electrical appliances, DIY
electrical projects, skinned
power cords, overloading
Improper house wiring
Decorative lights should be
avoided leaving overnight
2. Electrical
appliances and
wiring problems
SLIDE 22
Sealed-tight and sturdy
containers Unlawful act or
Contain very potent intentionally burning
Far from exposure of and hazardous
buildings, vehicles,
direct heat/water substances farmland, other
Gasoline, kerosene, Stored, transported, property using
diesel, propane, butane, handled by chemicals, bombs,
nail polish, solvents, etc pyrotechnics experts etc. to inflict damage
3. Haphazardly stored 4. Fireworks and 5. Arson
flammable liquids &
firecrackers
other easily combustible
material
 Class A- fire involve fuel such as cloth, wood paper,
plastic, rubber and trash. Simply using water can
put out the fire
Class B- fire involve combustible liquid fuel such as
alcohol gasoline lacquers oil based paint,
petroleum oil and grease solvents. Hard to
extinguish by using only water but can be
extinguished by forming a blockade between
oxygen and fuel
Class C- involve fuel that belong to either class A or
B but which also involve powered electrical
equipment like home appliances. Requires
knowledge of special techniques and agents like
CO2 /dry chemical agents
Class D -fires involve combustible metals such as
aluminum, lithium, magnesium, potassium,
sodium, titanium, and zirconium. Salt-based
special powders and clean dry sand are effective in
extinguishing such fires.
Class K- fires involve fuels such as cooking oils and
greases (animal-and vegetable-fat derived).
Extinguishing this fire type by water is also very
Fighting Different Types of Fires dangerous. Only a fully-protected firefighter
should deal with such fires.
Choosing Fire Extinguisher

1 Water and
Foam
isolate the heat element while
2
Carbon Dioxide
isolate the oxygen from the
3 Dry Chemical
breaking the continuity of
foam extinguishers block fuel & reduce the heat due the chemical reaction
oxygen to prevent it from to the very cold emission most widely used
interacting with other
can be used to put out Class extinguisher
elements
B and C fires put out Class A, B and C
Water extinguishers should be
fires
used only for Class A
Choosing Fire Extinguisher
SLIDE 25
remove the heat in halogenated extinguishers
put only class D put out primarily
preventing the contain halon agents and fires by preventing class A fires, but
halocarbon agents
oxygen and fuel the oxygen and could work as well
from interacting breaking the continuity of the for class C fires by
chemical reaction
fuel from
interacting or by isolating the heat
extinguish class K used commonly for class B element from the
& A fires and C fires removing the heat
other elements

4. Wet Chemical 5. Clean Agent 6. Dry Powder 7. Water Mist

THE RULES FOR FIGHTING FIRES
3 A's SLIDE 26
1. Activate
building's fire alarm system or dial 117
notify the fire department
2. Assist
anybody who is in need of help to escape the building, without putting your own life at risk.

3. Attempt to put out the fire only doing these.

The size of the fire- extinguishing a fire while it is still small and contained
Presence of the toxic smoke- unsafe to extinguish the fire on your own.
A means of escape- planned route of escape in case the fire becomes unmanageable
Instinct- After checking the three considerations, to put out a fire in your own
FIRE EXTINGUISHER USE AND MAINTAINANCE

How to use: PASS!

P- Pull the pin
A- Aim the extinguisher hose/nozzle at the
base of the fire from a safe distance
S- Squeeze the lever to dispense the
extinguishing agent, and
S- Sweep the hose/nozzle sideways until
the fire is completely extinguished.
 “Pain and death are a part of life.
To reject them is to reject life itself.”
by Havelock Ellis