FIRE HAZARDS

It is important to have a basic understanding about how a fire occurs and behaves
within a building. The fire condensed spread through open doorways and wall penetrations,
or through concealed walls and ceiling cavities to other spaces in the building. Ultimately if
not suppressed, the fire can lead to a total loss of a building and its contents. Not to
mention the lost of lives. The self-sustaining nature of fire makes it extremely dangerous if
uncontrolled. Fire has been described as a living entity consuming both oxygen and matter
in order to survive. Even if its numerous uses, uncontrolled, it can be disastrous. Every year
there are 5k people are killed in Europe and more than 4k people in the USA.

Wildfire
-These are the uncontrollable fires occurring in the open, uninhabited areas such as
wilderness with combustible vegetation
-They can occur in any other areas that are highly conducive to the rapid and uncontrollable
spread of flames. In many instances, wildfires have invaded residential areas, eating up
houses and other human possessions. They are common in localities having a hot and dry
climate, such as Australia. In the Philippines, wildfires also do occur. Although they are not
as common as those in other countries. Wildfires are caused either by nature or man. A
lightning strike can heat a tree in a dry forest and start a fire. Given the right conditions the
fire can spread even to areas several miles away.
-Ambers are dangerous as the wind can blow them and cause another fire.

Bushfire
-Burning grasses, bushes, or woodlands result in a bushfire.
-It can occur anywhere. Be it in the city or outside.
-A doubling in wind speed causes fire to spread four times as fast.
-Regardless of the place where it happens, a bushfire is always dreaded because it causes a
threat to life, properties and the environment.
-Fire travels more quickly up a slope than down. The steeper the slope, the faster and more
intense the fire.
-Green cities where plants, and urban areas are more prone to bush or forest fires
-Fortunately, the people in those localities are disciplined. That is why despite their
vulnerability, there is low in terms of human-induced fires
-Amber attack- most common way houses catch fire
-The usual cause of fire is natural ignited by lightning
- What influences the occurrence of bushfires? The presence of fuel, type of weather or
climate, the presence of wind and the terrain or topography of the area.
 - Anything that can cause fire is considered as fuel for fire (lighted cigarettes, butts, paper,
leaves, and objects which when exposed to flame can easily burned. These objects can vary
in size and in type of material or substance. From plant or wood to plastics or even rubber.
The amount of moisture in an object also affect the ability to ignite fire such that the drier
they are the better fuel they can be

Forest Fires
-commonly used to describe fires in vegetation of more than 1.8 m height.
- uncontrollable fire in nature affecting largely the forests.
-Forests are large areas where huge trees abound, the fire may also be huge and much
more difficult to contain. Forest fires can lead to massive destruction if not contained
-It can spread to residential areas close to the forest.
-Forest fires like bushfires or grass fires can be precipitated by lightning strikes.

Grass fires
-It involves grass vegetation. It spreads rapidly but dies at the same rate.
-They do not produce much ambers like in forest fires.
-One common kind of grass in Ph is Cogon. They ignite quickly but also burn away quickly.
-Ningas Cogon means it is an initial strong of enthusiasm on something that diminishes
quickly.

Wild Fires interfere with the ecosystem’s balance, both negatively and positively.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS:
1.) Burn Vegetation
2.) Pollution (atmosphere)
-result of burn of vegetation- there will be no more plant roots that would hold
soil together. Accelerating soil erosion.
3.) Draining of water
4.) Landslide
5.) Kills WILDLIFE
6.) Migration of Wildlife (seeking of asylum elsewhere)

POSITIVE EFFECTS:
1.) They expose nutrient rich soils which stimulates the growth of new plants.
2.) Creates space through which other plants can grow faster and higher.
3.) The areas that have been affected become rejuvenated.
FIRE TRIANGLE OR COMBUSTION TRIANGLE
1. Fuel
-A material or substance to burn. It is any kind of combustible material including paper,
oils, woods, gases, fabrics, liquids, plastics, and rubbers. It undergoes change into
different materials.
-It can be solid (wood, charcoal or pit) and liquid (kerosine, alcohol or diesel) gaseous
(prophane, methane or butane)

2. Existence of an oxidizing agent

- (Oxygen is the most common oxidizing agent) (Oxidizing agents: Nitrates, peroxides,
iodine, permanganate, and chlorine) (Air is an oxidizing agent as it contains 21% oxygen.
-NOTE: the higher the amount of oxygen in the air, the more intense is the fire
-Fires require at least 16 percent oxygen content to burn. Oxygen supports the chemical
processes that occur during fire. A gas that combines with fuel in the burning process.

3. Presence of heat
-Is use to ignite the fire. It is responsible for the spread and maintenance of fire as it
removes the moisture from nearby fuel. The energy necessary for the particles of the
fuel to combine with oxygen.
Conduction- The transfer of thermal energy from one material to another by direct contact.
Convection- The transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or movement of a liquid or
gas
Radiation- When the energy is absorbed by the surface, it heats the surface.

Preventing fire
-We only have to take away at least one of the elements in the fire triangle
-We eliminate oxygen through using fire blanket or sand
-Pour water to lower the heat and let it die.