Chemistry of Fire
Chemistry of Fire
Chemistry of Fire
OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe chemistry and physics of fire.
2. Identify the sources of heat.
3. Describe the effect of oxygen on fire.
4. Describe the three types of heat transfer.
5. Identify the products of combustion.
6. Explain the classes of fire and the risks associated
with
each class.
7. Identify the dangers of fire.
8. Describe the basis for the theory of fire
extinguishment.
INTRODUCTION
Fire is a natural phenomenon and critical to
human survival on earth. People have used fire
as a tool for hundreds of years. Treated with
respect and care, it heats and lights our homes
and cooks our food.
Fire has caused destruction, injury and death
and will continue to do so unless people develop
greater knowledge and respect for its powers.
The majority of fires are caused by human
carelessness, lack of knowledge, and
misinformation.
To understand fire, fire prevention and fire
response, you must be aware of the different
types of fire, what causes fires and common
ways to prevent them from happening in the
first place.
FIRE
Fire is a rapid self-sustaining
oxidation process
accompanied by the evolution
of heat and light of varying
intensity.
Technically, Fire is a
chemical reaction that
requires fuel, oxygen and heat
For many years, the fire triangle (oxygen, heat and
fuel) was used to teach the components of fire.
While this simple example is useful, it is not
technically correct. For combustion to occur, four
components are necessary:
FIRE TETRAHEDRON
Oxygen
Fuel
Heat
Self-sustained Chemical Reaction
FIRE TETRAHEDRON
Each component of the
tetrahedron must be in place to
occur. Remove one of the four
components & combustion will not
occur. If ignition has already
occurred, the fire is extinguished
when one of the components is
removed from the reaction.
OXYGEN
Heat
Flame
Smoke
Fire gases
HEAT
HEAT IS A FORM OF ENERGY THAT
IS MEASURED IN TEMPERATURE TO
SIGNIFY ITS INTENSITY
FLAME
Is the visible, luminous body of a
burning gas
SMOKE
The smoke encounters in most
fires consist of a mixture of oxygen,
nitrogen, divided carbon particles
(soot) and a miscellaneous
assortment of products that have
been released from the material
involved.
WHAT MAKES FIRE
DANGEROUS?
FIRE IS . . .
FAST:
A fire will double every 30 Seconds under normal conditions.
In as little as 3 minutes, a small fire can erupt into a “FLASHOVER”.
DARK:
A small fire can produce enough smoke to fill a building in
minutes.
Smoke results in:
Teared eyes
Choking sensation
Impaired judgment due to Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Loss of special recognition
Sedation effect - Respiratory failure
FIRE IS . . .
HOT:
Within minutes, air temperature in a burning room can reach 300
degrees Celsius. This temperature is hot enough to melt clothes,
skin and scorch your lungs in one breathe.
Temperatures can climb to between 650-760 degrees Celsius.
DEADLY:
Most people who die in fires, die from breathing smoke and toxic
gases.
Carbon Oxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Ammonia and hundreds of
other
irritants attack your eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
They numb your senses and leave you dazed.
FIRE IS . . .
CARBON MONOXIDE:
Makes you disorientated and stops you from thinking and breathing.
NITROGEN OXIDE:
Makes you breathe faster, which puts to rest the option of holding
your breath.
CARBON DIOXIDE:
Mixes with moisture in the eyes, nose and throat, which causes
coughing and hacking. Then turns into nitric acid, which starts to burn
the tissue.
FIRE EXTINGUISHMENT THEORY
FIRE - is extinguish by
limiting or interrupting one or
more of the essentials
elements in combustion
process (Fire Tetrahedron). A
fire may be extinguished by:
FIRE EXTINGUISHMENT THEORY
•Extinguishment by Temperature
Reduction
• Extinguishment by Fuel Removal
• Extinguishment by Oxygen Dilution
• Extinguishment by Chemical Flame
inhibition
TEMPERATURE REDUCTION
One of the most common
methods of extinguishment
is cooling with water. This
depends on reducing the
temperature of a fuel to
point where it does not
produce sufficient vapor to
burn.
FUEL REMOVAL
In some cases, fire is effectively
extinguished by removing the
fuel source may be remove by
stopping the flow of liquid or
gaseous fuel or by removing solid
fuel in the path of a fire. Another
method of fuel removal is to
allow a fire to burn until all fuel
is consumed.
OXYGEN EXCLUSION
Reducing the oxygen content
in an area also puts out the fire.
Reduction of the oxygen can be
done by flooding an area with
inert gas such as carbon
dioxide, which displaces the
oxygen, or the oxygen can be
reduced by separating the fuel
from the air such as blanketing
CHEMICAL FLAME INHIBITION
Extinguishing agents, such as
dry chemicals and halogenated
hydrocarbons (halons), interrupt
the flame producing chemical
reaction and stop flaming. This
method of extinguishment is
effective on gas and liquid fuels
because they must flame to burn.
THANK YOU
Remember:
“When fighting a foe, one of the best weapons one
can have is knowledge and understanding of the enemy”