PetroServices GmbH

HSE Department

Fire Fighting
Introduction:

This course discussing what is :

• FIRES.

• REASONS OF FIRES.

• CLASSIFICATION OF FIRES.

• FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.

• HOW TO USE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.

What is the FIRE:
The fire is a chemical reaction involving oxidation or
burning of combustible materials.
In the past they supposed that fire arise only when three
elements available.

Fuel Oxygen Source of Ignition

Recently added to the three elements a new element
which is:
Chain Reaction

And the triangle becomes a tetrahedron as shown:

Description of Fire Elements:
1. Fuel:
Combustible Materials may be :
Solid
(Wood, Wool, Textiles, Papers, Cardboard)
Liquid
(Gasoline, Solvents, Alcohols)
Gases
(Hydrogen, Acetylene, Propane)
2. Oxygen
All materials need oxygen to ignite.
Oxygen ratio in air about 21% and oxygen ratio must be
not less than 16% to fire continue.
Every fuel combine with oxygen with specific ratio to
ignite (Flammability Limit).
3. Heat:
Heat is required to increase the temperature of the
material to start evolve vapors and combine with air
on the surface and ignition occur.
Sources of Ignition may be by:
Electricity.
Smoking.
Welding and Cutting.
Hot sources
 Open sources.
Hot surfaces.
Self ignitable.
Static electricity.
Friction.
Arson.
4. Chemical Chain Reaction:
When Fuel, Oxygen and Heat present in the right
condition and amount fire occurs, and free radicals
produced and fire continue.
Note:
The vapors of fuels is the responsible for initiation of fire
when it combine with air.
Vapors/ Air combination ratio which form the fire is
specific for each fuel.
Combustion Products:
 Flame Smoke Gases Heat

It’s the combustion Due to incomplete Results from It’s the energy
of the gases. combustion. modification in released by
And it’s the most the composition of combustion.
visible result of combustible.
combustion.
Now
Which product is responsible for spreading the

Fire
?
?
 HEAT
Because it’s heats up the entire environment and
therefore allowing the fire to continue.
Fire Classification

Fires are identified according to one or more fire classes.

Each class designates the fuel involved in the fire, and
thus the most appropriate extinguishing agent.
As in the next table
American European Aus/ Asian Fuel/ Heat
Source
A A A Ordinary
Combustible
B B B Flammable Liquid
C C Flammable Gases
C Unclassified D Electrical
Equipment
D D E Combustible
Metals
K F F Cooking, Oil, Fats.
Class A fires:
These are fires involving ordinary combustible such as:
Clothes, Papers, Rubber, Wood and many Plastics.
The most effective extinguisher are Water and Dry
Chemicals rated for A, B and C fires.
Class B fires:
These are fires involving combustible liquids or gases
such as:
Motor gasoline, Solvents, Alcohols.
The most effective extinguisher are Foam, Dry
Chemicals, Carbon Dioxide and Halons.
Class C fires:
These are fires involving Energized electrical equipment.
The most important thing should be taken in account
that extinguisher agent electrical Non-conductive.
The most effective extinguisher are Foam, Dry
Chemicals, Carbon Dioxide and Halons.
Class D fires:
They are fires involving metals such as (Sodium,
Potassium, Magnesium).
There are several Class D fire extinguisher agents
available, some will handle multiple types of metals,
others will not, But most A,B and C Powders used.
Class K fires:
They are fires involving Cooking oils and fats (kitchen
fires).
The most effective extinguisher are Wet Chemicals some
times Hoods can be used.
Flammable (Explosive) Limit:
When vapor of flammable or combustible liquid mixed
with air in a proper proportions in the presence of
ignition sources rapid combustion or explosion can
occur.
Proper proportion is called ‘Flammable
( Explosive )Range’
This range include all concentrations of flammable or
gas in air, in which a flash will occur.
As the difference between upper limit and lower limit is
large, the material consider more dangerous.

For Examples:
LEL for Gasoline is 1.6% and UEL is 7%.
LEL for Acetylene is 1.5% and UEL is 82% which is
consider more dangerous than Gasoline.
 Lower Upper
material Flammability
S Flash Point flammable flammable
name degree
level (LEL) level (UEL)

readily= 3
1 Acrylic acid ignitable
46°C %2 %8

Methyl very= 4
2 methacrylate flammable
13°C % 2.1 % 12.5

readily= 3
3 Toluene ignitable
5°C % 1.1 % 7.1

Styrene readily= 3
4 (monomer) ignitable
31°C % 1.1 % 6.1

very= 4
5 Ethyl acrylate
flammable
10°C % 1.4 % 14

Methyl very= 4
6 Acrylate flammable
6°C % 2.1 % 14.5

Monoethanola very= 4
7 mine flammable
6°C % 2.1 % 14.5

very= 4
8 Methanol
flammable
C° 12 %6 % 36
Classification of Combustible and Flammable
Liquids.
Flammable Liquids Classes
Class IA Class IB Class IC

liquids have a flash liquids have a flash liquids have a flash

point below 73 °F point below 73 °F point greater than or
(22.8° C )and a boiling (22.8° C )and a boiling equal to 73 °F(22.8° C )
point below 100 °F point greater than or and below 100 °F (37.8°
(37.8° C) equal 100 °F (37.8° C) C)
 Combustible Liquids Classes

Class II Class III

Class IIIA Class IIIB
liquids have a flash liquids have a flash liquids have a flash
point greater than or point greater than or point greater than or
equal to 100 °F (37.8° equal to 140 °F (60° C) equal to 200 °F (93.3°
C) and below 140 °F and below 200 °F C)
(60° C) (93.3° C)
Types of Fire Extinguishers:
1. Water fire extinguisher (APW)
Air pressurized water fire extinguisher is commonly used for
Fire class (A).
It’s filled with ordinary tap water and pressurized and can
eject water to 9-12 meter.
2. Foam fire extinguisher
It’s used for fuel fires, Class A and B fires.
Foam substance that is formed by trapping many gases
bubbles in liquid (Water)
Foam may be:
Chemical: formed from reaction between Sodium Bicarbonate and
Aluminum Sulfate.
This type is rarely used.
Mechanical: it’s formed form steering of highly concentrated foam with
dilution in water in a specific ratio with source of air.
Foam function is to isolate flammable liquid from Oxygen to prevent
continuing fire, and blanking effect to prevent evolving vapors which
responsible to continuing fire in presence of source of ignition, and
cooling effect by decrease flammable liquid temperature as it contains
water, and finally form emulsion layer(between particles upper of
layer foam and the flammable liquid which reducing burning if
flammable liquid.
3. Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher
Available in many size (1,3,6,12) it’s used for Class A,B and
C.
Advisable to not used in electrical equipment since powder
particles can cause damage to the equipments.
It’s extinguishing the fire by covering the fire with powder
film preventing oxygen to reach the fire.
And cause interruption for chemical reaction by absorbing
the free radical produced from the chemical chain
reaction so chain reaction stop.
Types:
Air Compressed powder.
Co2 cartridge pressurized powder.
4. Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher.
Available in different sizes (2, 6, 10, 20, 30), for class B
and C.
Very effective in electrical fires because it’s not leaves
any residues on the equipments.
5. Halon fire extinguishers.
It’s discharged as a mixture and liquid droplets gives
good projection and long throw and react with he
radical produced from the chain reaction
Halon is evaporating material so it’s compressed by
nitrogen.
Halon has a great effect on ozone (ozone depletion)
6. Wet chemical fire extinguishers.
Used for class A and K fires, make a non-combustible
soapy film on the fire prevent the oxygen to
continuing the fire.
7. Dry powder fire extinguisher.
Used for A, B, C fires.
The same technique by covering fire by thin film of
powder to prevent the oxygen to continuing the fire.
Fire Extinguishing:
To start extinguishing you must remove one elements
(fuel, heat, oxygen, chain reaction).
Ways of extinguishing:
1) Fire Starvation.
By moving the flammable materials away which feed the
fire.
2) Fire Smothering
By suppressing the fire by preventing oxygen to reach the
fire.
3) Fire Cooling.
By decreasing the temperature by water.
4) Stopping the chemical reaction.
Some compounds absorb the free radicals to prevent
chain reaction to continue.
General rules in using fire extinguishers:
a. Fight fire in up wind direction.
b. Starting fight the fire from a safe distance (3-5) meter
away from the flame.
c. Direct the stream on the base of fire.
d. Sweep the stream form side to another side.
e. Don’t leave the fire unless you sure that fire would
not ignite again.
Generally:
The End