What is Fire

 

Fire

What is Fire:

A fire is a type of accident caused by uncontrolled fire that can cause structural and physical damage.

The term fire comes from the Latin incendium , which in turn derives from the word candere (to burn), and means "result of burning" or "result of setting fire".

Types of fires

There are various classifications of fires depending on the combustible material, the location of the incident, the magnitude of the damage and the risk that will occur in the future.

Types of fires according to the combustible material

In the United States, Mexico, and some Latin American countries, a fire classification is used that encompasses five categories of materials:

  • Class A fires : they are caused by the burning of paper, some types of plastic, rubber, synthetic materials, paper and wood.
  • Class B fires : these are accidents that involve the use of flammable materials, paints, gases, oils or gasoline.
  • Class C fire : generated by the combustion of materials, equipment or electrical installations.
  • Class D fires : these are accidents in which combustible metals or metal filings, such as sodium or potassium, were used.
  • Class K fire : refers to fires that are generated in the kitchen ( kitchen , in English).

In the European classification, class K fires correspond to category E, because the alphabetical order is followed, in addition, category F is added, which also exists in Australia and corresponds to fires caused by the combustion of oils.

Types of fires according to the scene of the incident

Depending on the place of the event, fires are classified into four types:

Forest fires

They are claims that involve partial or total damage to wild or forest land, affecting existing vegetation, flora, natural resources and fauna. It is subclassified into three types:

  • Subsoil forest fires : tree roots are burned.
  • Surface forest fires - Damage affects areas such as gardens, shrubs, dry grass, or other organic matter that sits on the surface.
  • Crown forest fires : the fire extends to the highest part of the trees.

Urban fires

In this case, the fire starts in places where there is a physical infrastructure (houses, buildings, shops) and a high population concentration.

Industrial fires

They are those that occur in facilities where raw materials are processed, especially fuels or flammable material.

Transportation fires

They are those that are generated within a means of transport (car, cargo truck, etc.).

Types of fires according to their magnitude

The level of structural damage caused by a fire is classified into three categories:

  • Outbreak of fire : it is a disaster that can be quickly controlled with standard type extinguishers, such as those for domestic use.
  • Partial fire : in this case, the incident can no longer be controlled and has caused structural damage. It is necessary to leave the place quickly and call the competent authorities.
  • Total fire : structural damage can spread to other areas. They are highly dangerous and difficult to control, like the wildfires that occur each year in California.

Types of fires according to risk

The presence of certain types of flammable materials or elements, as well as the level of occupancy of a building or structure and the presence (or not) of alarms or fire extinguishers can help determine the possibility of an accident occurring. In that sense, there are two basic classifications.

  • Ordinary fire risk : there is a low or moderate amount of flammable materials, or failing that, there is an infrastructure that allows preventing, detecting or controlling a fire should it occur.
  • High fire risk : there is a high amount of flammable material, or the studied area lacks fire prevention, detection or control systems.

Causes of fires

For a fire to occur, the presence of three elements is necessary, which are known as the fire triangle:

  • A fuel : any material that, when oxidized, gives off energy in the form of heat in a violent way.
  • An oxidizer : an oxidizing agent, that is, one that oxidizes fuel, such as oxygen.
  • Activation energy: the minimum energy required to generate a temperature high enough to activate the process of oxidation and energy release.

When these three components are present and combined, a fire can be generated, and although there are several types of claims and risks, the reality is that no matter how small it may be, it can quickly get out of control and cause irreparable material and physical damage.

Some factors that can influence the activation of a fire are:

  • Natural causes, such as severe droughts that can cause forest fires.
  • Inappropriate use of flammable materials.
  • Industrial machine friction, which increases its temperature and can start fires.
  • Human activity: throwing unstuck cigarettes, household accidents in the kitchen area, intentional damage, uncontrolled use of pyrotechnic material, etc.
  • Equipment or electrical installations in poor condition.

For this reason, it is vital to have adequate fire prevention and control systems, as well as risk prevention regulations, to know how it is possible to minimize or eliminate the possible causes that start the fire.

    • Update date: March 8, 2021.

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What is Fire
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