CHEMISTRY OF FIRE Understanding the information and the following the advice could save

most of those lives and minimize injury and property losses caused by fire.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Know your enemy
2. Learns how fire happens
3. Learn how it kills

Understanding how fire burns will result to better ways of extinguishing

fires.

Chemistry of fire
Top 3 Worst Fire Incidents in the Philippines
Kentex Manufacturing Fire Incident, Valenzuela City.
Fire has been both a help and a hindrance to mankind throughout history.
May 13, 2015, Kentex Factory in Valencusta City went into flames killing 74
Fire has heated our homes, cooked our food, and helped us to become
people and for the record, this has been declared the 3rd worst fire
technologically advanced. Fire, in its hostile mode, has also endangered us
incident in the Philippines
for as long as we have used it.

Top 2 Worst Fire Incidents in the Philippine

Fire - is a chemical reaction. It is the rapid oxidation of a fuel producing
Manor Hotel Fire Incident, QC. Killed 75 guests.
heat and light. It may be defined as chemical process accompanied by the
Manor Hotel fire survivors said that the hotel lacked fire exits which clearly
evolution of heat or a material oxidizing rapidly that produces a luminous
violated building safety standards and regulations. A fireman also shared
flame.
that majority of the victims were trapped in their respective hotel rooms
with possible exit windows blocked by metal grills.
Triangle of Fire
For many years, the fire triangle (oxygen, fuel
Top 1 Worst Fire Incidents in the Philippines
and heat) was used to teach the components of
Ozone Disco fire blazing through the night with 160 people dead
fire. While this simple example is useful, it is NOT
With an area that could only accommodate 100 guests at one time, Ozone
technically correct.
disco was filled with more than 300 teenage guests. This Quezon City disco
went beyond its capacity

Fire Tetrahedron
For combustion to occur, four components are necessary:
• Oxygen (oxidizing agent) SOLID LIQUID GAS
• Fuel coal gasoline
• Heat wood kerosene Hydrogen
• Self-sustained chemical reaction paper diesel acetylene
cloth alcohol propane
plastic lacquer butane
COMPONENTS OF FIRE
House garments Paints/varnish methane
• OXYGEN (Oxidizing Agent) - enough oxygen to sustain combustion.
• FUEL - some fuel or combustible material. HEAT
• HEAT - enough heat to reach ignition temperature. Heat is the energy component of the fire
• SELF-SUSTAINED CHEMICAL REACTION - together, they produce the tetrahedron. When heat comes into contact with
chemical reaction that is fire. a fuel, the energy supports the combustion
reaction.
OXYGEN (Oxidizing Agent)
Oxidizing agents are those materials SOURCES OF HEAT:
that yield oxygen or other oxidizing 1. OPEN FLAME
gases during the course of a chemical 2. ELECTRIC ENERGY/APPLIANCES
reaction. Oxidizers are not themselves 3. MECHANICALS/ENGINES
combustible, but they support 4. FLYING EMBERS
combustion when combined with a 5. LIGHTNING/ SOLAR ENERGY
fuel.
SELF-SUSTAINED CHEMICAL REACTION
1. IN NORMAL AIR 21%
2. TO SUPPORT COMBUSTION, APPROXIMATELY 16% REQUIRED
3. PEOPLE WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY OF THINKING CLEARLY AND
CONTROLLING THEIR MUSCLES.
4. BREATHING STOPS IF OXYGEN IN THE AIR IS 6% TO 10%.
5. 4 TO 6 MINS WITHOUT OXYGEN BRAIN DEATH OCCUR.
FUEL
Fuel is the material or substance being oxidized or burned in
the combustion process.
Combustion is a complex reaction that requires a fuel (in the gaseous or c.) Exclusion of Oxygen
vapor state), an oxidizer, and a heat energy to come together in a very d.) Inhibition of Self -Sustained Chemical Chain Reaction.

specific way. Once flaming combustion or fire occurs, it can only continue
when enough heat energy is produced to cause the continued
How fast can a fire develop?
development of fuel vapors or gases. Scientists call this type of reaction a
- In every 20-30 seconds, fire develops rapidly depending on the available
“chain reaction”. A chain reaction is a series of reactions that occur in
fuel around it.
sequence with the result of each individual reaction being added to the
- The lighter the fuel, the faster it burns.
rest.

CLASSES OF FIRE AND ITS EXTINGUISHING AGENTS

FIRE EXTINGUISHMENT THEORY
Fire is extinguished by limiting or interrupting one or more of the essential
Class A - Ordinary combustible materials
elements in the combustion process (fire tetrahedron). A fire may be
• Examples - wood, trash, cloth, paper, rubber and
extinguished by:
many plastics
a.) Reducing its Temperature
• Extinguishing agent - Water
b.) Removal of available Fuel
 BY PRODUCTS OF FIRE
Class B - Flammable liquids, greases and gases • HEAT
• Examples - Gasoline, kerosene, LPG, thinner, paints • LIGHT
• Extinguishing agent- Dry powder and Foam • SMOKE
• OXYGEN DEFICIENCY
Class C - Energized electrical equipment • ASHES AND EMBERS
• Examples - fuse, overheated electric appliance, short • CARBON DIOXIDE
circuit, worn out insulation. • CARBON MONOXIDE
• Extinguishing agent – de-energized, apply non- • HYDROGEN CYANIDE
conductive extinguisher. • HYDROGEN CHLORIDE

Class D - Combustible metals MODES OF HEAT TRANSFER

• Examples - TNT, C4, titanium, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, zirconium CONDUCTION - direct contact.
• Extinguishing agent- use special powders based on
sodium chloride or other salts; also, clean dry sand.

Class K - Fires in cooking appliances that involve

combustible cooking media
• Examples - vegetable or animal oils and fats.
• Extinguishing agent - use type CO2 and Foam Fire
Extinguisher.

NEVER use WATER to

put out a cooking oil
or grease fire in your
kitchen! .
CONVECTION - Transmission of heat through conductor/ medium such as 10 PHASES OF FIRE OPERATION
pipe, hot air duet.
1) PRE-FIRE PLANNING - To know the problem which may be encountered
and what to do at the fire ground in case fire starts in a particular building
or area.
a) Gather information about existing conditions at the vicinity of the
building or area which is subject for planning.
b) Conducting fire company inspection.

2) SIZING UP – Mental evaluation by the Ground Commander which

enables him to determine his course of action and to accomplish his
mission.
- To estimate the situation.
- Begins after alarm is received.
a) Nature of fire.
b) Tools or equipment available.
c)The action to take. (decision from the Ground Commander)
d)Wind direction.

3) RESCUE – Removal of the victim/s from endangered area and bring to

RADIATION - transmission by means of rays, or straight line from a source
the place of safety.
to receiving material without heating the intervening medium
➢Looking for victim/s.
➢Extrication of victims.
➢Determining the nature of injury.
➢Stabilizing the victim.
➢Bringing victims to a safe place.
➢Stabilizing the scene of incident.
➢Wrap up (collect equipment and accounting of personnel).
➢Post incident analysis.
CONDITIONS IN WHICH VICTIMS MAYBE FOUND: INDIRECT ATTACK - If the fire involves a large area and confined by locating
➢Injured victim ➢Shocked the Hottest portion and applying a stream over hottest portion.
➢Unconscious ➢Sleeping COMBINATION ATTACK – If the whole building is already involve by the fire
➢Wounded ➢Intoxicated and entry is difficult.
➢Burned ➢Bedfast/Bedridden
➢Panicky
8) SALVAGE – To protect properties of value from preventable damages due
to sources other than fire.
4) COVER EXPOSURE – To prevent the fire into extending/spreading to
➢Covering properties endangered of indirect damage. (water or heat).
other uninvolved buildings.
➢Removing endangered properties.
➢ Placing fire streams directly to exposed building.
➢Removal of excess water.
➢ Placing fire streams between burning building and exposed building.
➢ Entering exposed building and from windows placing fire streams
4 SALVAGE PRACTICES
directly to burning building.
1) Removal or evacuating of properties according to its priority.
2) Removal of properties to avoid fire spread.
5) CONFINEMENT – To prevent the fire extending to the other portion of
3) Protect properties by arranging covering to avoid damage.
the burning building Involves protection of avenues of from extension.
4) Removal of personal belonging of the victims for safe keeping
UPWARD EXTENSION – Most rapid thru stairways, windows and air ducks.
SIDEWARD – thru combustible partitions and doors.
9) OVERHAULING – To prevent the fire from rekindling.
DOWNWARD – Slow thru combustible floors, stairways, and air ducks.
➢ Looking for remaining sources of ignition such as embers, open flames,
sparks among debris.
06) VENTILATION - To displace hot smoke, poisonous and toxic gases from
➢ Making the area safe and habitable.
contaminated area and replacing fresh air from outside.
➢ Gathering physical evidences among debris to determine cause of the
a) Make an opening (forced ventilation).
fire.
b) Use of fog streams.
c) Always consider the wind direction.
10) POST FIRE ANALYSIS – To conduct a critique of what was done during
the fire operation.
7) EXTINGUISHMENT – To put out the main body of fire.
➢ Is a cooperative discussion of fire personnel about all phases of fire from
a) Locating the main body of fire.
the time of the alarm was received until return to the station
b) Proper use and techniques of applying fire streams.
DIRECT ATTACK – If fire is limited and approachable. Applying a solid
stream directly to the base of the fire.