WHAT IS FIRE?

 A form of combustion

 A chemical reaction, exothermic oxidation

 Not a state of matter

 Release of energy, mainly in a form of light and heat

 Self-sustaining burning of combustible fuel with adequate supply

of oxygen or other oxidizer is subjected to enough heat

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 FIRE TRIANGLE

Three components must be present at

the same time to produce fire:
 FUEL or combustible material
 OXYGEN to sustain combustion
 IGNITION SOURCE / HEAT to
reach ignition temperature
Together, they produce the CHEMICAL
REACTION that is fire

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FIRE TRIANGLE (CONTINUED)

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FIRE CLASSIFICATION
Class A Fire : cause by solid (that
are not metal)  wood , paper , cloth
, plastic etc.

Class B Fire : cause by flammable

liquid / gases  oil , grease , diesel
thinner , etc.

Class C Fire : cause by electricity 

energized electrical equipment ,
computer , fuse box etc.

Class D Fire : Metals—potassium,

sodium, aluminum, magnesium etc.

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TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Pressurized Water
(Silver)

AFFF Foam
(Cream)

Carbon Dioxide
(Black)

Dry Chemical
(French Blue)
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WATER TYPE EXTINGUISHER

 Extinguish fire by taking away the

“heat” element of the Fire Triangle.

 Designed for Class A fires only: Wood,

paper, cloth.

 Using water on a flammable liquid

fire could cause the fire to spread.

 Using water on an electrical fire

increases the risk of electrocution. If
you have no choice but to use an
Water on an electrical fire, make sure
the electrical equipment is un-
plugged or de-energized.

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FOAM TYPE EXTINGUISHER

 Extinguish fire by taking away the

“heat” element of the Fire Triangle.

 Also by removing Oxygen and

smothering the fire.

 Designed for Class B fires:

Flammable liquid and gas.

 Also designed for Class A fires:

Wood, paper, cloth.

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 CO2 EXTINGUISHER
 CO2’s are designed for Class B and C
(Flammable Liquids and Electrical
Sources) fires only!
 Carbon dioxide is a non-flammable gas
that takes away the oxygen element of the
fire triangle.

 CO2 is very cold as it comes out of the

extinguisher, so it cools the fuel as well.

 A CO2 may be ineffective in extinguishing a

Class A fire because it may not be able to
displace enough oxygen to successfully
put the fire out. Class A materials may
also smolder and re-ignite.

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DRY POWDER EXTINGUISHER

 Dry chemical extinguishers put out

fire by coating the fuel with a thin
layer of dust. This separates the
fuel from the oxygen in the air.

 The powder also works to interrupt

the chemical reaction of fire. These
extinguishers are very effective at
putting out fire.

 An “ABC” extinguisher will have a

label like this, indicating it may be
used on Class A, B and C fires.

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HOW TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Pull the pin at the top of the extinguisher that keeps the
handle from being accidentally pressed,
Always TEST before next step

Aim the nozzle toward the base

of the fire.

Stand approx.8 feet away from the fire,

Squeeze the handle to discharge the
extinguisher. If you release the handle,
the discharge will stop

Sweep the nozzle back and forth

at the base of the fire. After the
fire appears to be out, watch it
carefully since it may re-ignite !..
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PURPOSE OF USING FIRE WATER

 Protection (people,
equipment, structure)
 Cooling (the fire and
adjacent exposures)
 Displacement (pushing the
fire)
 Flushing (sweeping the fuel
away)

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WATER SPRAY PATTERN
 Straight Stream
 Advantages:
 Greater reach
 Good penetration
 Good for pushing the fire and flame
 Good flushing and fire control
 Can be aimed accurately
 Disadvantages:
 Difficult to handle
 Poor heat absorption
 Require greater aiming accuracy
 Covers a small area
 Can cause electrical hazard
 Can do damage
 Wide Spray
 Advantages:
 Excellent personal shield
 Good heat absorption
 Covers large areas
 Good for vapor dispersion
 Disadvantages:
 Poor reach
 Obscures vision
 Diminishes sense of fire intensity
 Loss of water endangers hose team

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RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING
Before deciding to fight the fire, keep these things in mind:
 Know what is burning. If you don’t know what’s burning, you won’t know
what kind of extinguisher to use.
 Even if you have an ABC fire extinguisher, there may be something in the fire
that is going to explode or produce toxic fumes.
 Is the fire spreading rapidly beyond the point where it started? The time to
use an extinguisher is at the beginning stages of the fire.
 If the fire is already spreading quickly, it is best to simply evacuate the
building.
 As you evacuate a building, close doors and windows behind you as you
leave. This will help to slow the spread of smoke and fire. But DO NOT lock.

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RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING (CONTINUED)

 Select proper type of fire extinguisher

 Act fast – turn off equipment / power, warn other,
activate facility alarm system etc.
 Do not extinguish a gas fire until the source has been
isolated – it can easily re-ignite
 Do not attempt to fight a large fire

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RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING (CONTINUED)
 Do not fight the fire if:
 You don’t have adequate or appropriate equipment. If you don’t
have the correct type or large enough extinguisher, it is best not to
try fighting the fire.
 You might inhale toxic smoke. When synthetic materials such as
the nylon in carpeting or foam padding in a sofa burn, they can
produce hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia in addition to carbon
monoxide. These gases can be fatal in very small amounts.
 Your instincts tell you not to. If you are uncomfortable with the
situation for any reason, just let the fire department do their job.

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RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING (CONTINUED)
 Smoke is a combination of lethal gases, vapors and particles of
partially burnt materials. Most fires release smoke and ALL smoke
is dangerous - more than half of fire related deaths are as a result
of smoke inhalation.
 If you see smoke coming from behind a closed door, NEVER open it
- there is the possibility of a violent explosion as a result of a
sudden in rush of air. Remember that without a supply of air
(Oxygen) the fire will suffocate.
 If you become trapped by smoke, you should:
 Lie on the floor;

 Breathe through your nose;

 Crawl to safety;

 Raise the alarm when it is safe to do so.

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RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING (CONTINUED)
 The final rule is to always position yourself with
an exit or means of escape at your back before
you attempt to use an extinguisher to put out a
fire.
 In case the extinguisher malfunctions, or
something unexpected happens, you need to
be able to get out quickly. You don’t want to
become trapped.
 Once the fire is out, keep an eye on the area in
case it re-ignites.

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