Fire Definition

Definition of Fire:

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition. The flame is the visible portion of the fire.

Types of Fire:

There are six types of Fire.

"A" Class Fire:  Solid Fire:

Class A fires consist of ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, fabric, and most kinds of trash.

"B" Class Fie:  Liquid Fire:
These are fires whose fuel is flammable or combustible liquid.  Such as gasoline,

A solid stream of water should never be used to extinguish this type because it can cause the fuel to scatter, spreading the flames. The most effective way to extinguish a liquid fire is by inhibiting the chemical chain reaction of the fire, which is done by dry chemical and Halo extinguishing agents, although smothering with CO₂ Chemicals such as FM-200 are now the recommended halogenated suppressant.

PROPERTIES OF SOME COMMON LIQUID FUELS

Name	F.PoC	I.T  C	L/L	U/L	S.G	V.D
Ethyl Alcohol	13	423	4.3	19.0	0.8	1.6
Gasoline	-43	2 80 to 456	1.4	7.4	0.8	3to4
Kerosene	38	229	0.7	5.0	1.0	-
Petroleum Ether benzene	-46	22 8	1.1	5.9	0.6	2.5

"C" Class Fire:  Gas Fire:

Burning gases are separately designated "Class C". These fires follow the same basic fire tetrahedron (heat, fuel, oxygen, chemical reaction) as ordinary combustible fires,

"D" Class Fire:  Metal Fire:

Class D fires consist of combustible metals such as magnesium, potassium, titanium, and zirconium.

"E" Class Fire:  Electrical Fire:

Electrical fires are fires involving potentially energized electrical equipment.  This sort of fire may be caused by short-circuiting machinery or overloaded electrical cables.

These fires can be a severe hazard to firefighters using water or other conductive agents, as electricity may be conducted from the fire, through water, to the firefighter's body, and then earth. Electrical shock have caused many firefighter deaths.

"F" or "K" Fire: Kitchen Fire:

Class K fires involve unsaturated cooking oils in well-insulated cooking appliances located in commercial kitchens.

Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations.

It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire.

Types of Fire Extinguishers:

Water Type,        Foam Type,        Dry Chemical,    Wet Chemical,

Water Mist,         Dry Powder,       Clean Agent,       Cartridge Operated Dry Chemical