M1- What is Fire ?

Dr. Nagaraj Sitaram

Sr. Professor & Head

Department of Civil Engineering

School of Engineering, Jain University Jain

Global Campus, Bangalore -562112
1
 Ignition

• Ignitionis the process of initiating self

sustained combustion.

• The ignition temperature of a substance is the

minimum temperature to which it must be
heated for it to ignite.
Sources of Ignition

• Smoking
• Electrical equipment
• Heaters
• Process machinery
• Contractors tools and equipment
• Arson
 What is Fire?
The rapid oxidation of a combustible
material evolving heat, particulates,
gases and non-ionizing radiation

Fire Triangle
Fuel + Oxygen + Heat = Fire

• The air we breathe is about 21% oxygen.

• Fire requires an atmosphere with at least 16% oxygen.
 What is Combustion?
•Combustion is the act or process of burning. For
combustion to occur, fuel, oxygen (air), and heat
must be present together.

•The combustion process is started by heating the

fuel above its ignition temperature in the presence
of oxygen. Under the influence of heat, the
chemical bonds of the fuel are split.

•If complete combustion takes place, the elements

carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and sulphur (S) react
with the oxygen content of the air to form carbon
dioxide CO2 , water vapour H2O and sulphur
dioxide SO2 and, to a lesser degree, sulphur
trioxide SO3 .
Fire Tetrahedron: There must be Fuel to burn

Fire is a rapid chemical reaction of oxidant with fuel

accompanied by the release of energy, indicated by
incandescence or flame. Heat
(To start and continue)

FOHC
Chain Reaction Oxidiser

Fuel (to Burn)

Fire Tetrahedron
Anything that burns can act as a fuel. The majority of the fuels
encountered are Organic and contain Carbon and combinations
of Hydrogen and Oxygen, in varying ratios.
 Combustion Characteristics

For a fire to happen, the following elements are

essential

• Oxidiser to sustain combustion.

• Heat to reach ignition temperature.
• Fuel or combustible material.

This results in a chemical chain reaction which

starts a fire. Removing any of these elements will
extinguish the fire.
Heat Transfer (Always High Temperature
mass to Low Temperature mass)

During a fire heat transfer is a major factor and has an

effect on Ignition, Growth, Spread, decay and extinction.

It occurs by
•Conduction - transfer of heat within the material itself.
•Convection - transfer of heat by the physical movement of hot
masses of air.

•Radiation - refers to the emission of heat in the form of

electromagnetic waves.
Thermal Balance: Heated gases move to the
upper levels of a room. Highest temperatures will
be at the ceiling, and lowest temperatures and
best visibility will be at ground level.

Sporadic flashes of flame mixed with smoke

at the upper ceiling level just before
flashover occurs
Products of Combustion
 Consequences of Fire

•Loss of life
•Loss of friends or family
•Injury or disability
•Loss of home,
workplace, income, job
•Loss of irreplaceable
belongings
•Financial (uninsured
losses and premiums)
 Classification of Fire: Different types of fire
risks are classified according to the nature of fuel
Classification helps to decide upon the
suitability of the types of extinguishing agents
available for fire fighting
?
On the basis of the type of fuel, fires are
classified into the following

Class-A Fires — solid combustible materials of

organic nature such as wood, paper, rubber,
plastics, etc.

Class-B Fires—flammable liquids,petrol, solvents

 Fuels

• Paper and boxes etc

• Packaging (polystyrene beads etc)
• Plastics
• Solvents
• Soft furnishings (Mattresses,
cushions)
• Furniture
• Waste materials (rubbish, old pallets)
 Classification of Fire….
Class- C Fires — flammable gases, Methane,
Hydrogen under pressure including liquefied
gases.

Class- D Fires —Fire from reactive chemicals and

combustible Metals such as potassium, sodium,
magnesium etc.

Class- K Fires in Cooking appliances which

include vegetable oil, animal oil, and fats

Electricity can be involved in any class of fire

Many fires involve a combination of the

types of materials
 Basic Fire Prevention
• Be mindful of Fire Safety
• Don’t block fire exits, call points or
extinguishers, know your exits
• No smoking policy
• Take care with any hot process, follow
manufacturers instructions
• Maintain any machinery
• Observe good security
• Don’t wedge Fire Doors