Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Slide 1: Unit 6.1 Fire Behavior Presentation Instructor Notes
Slide 1: Unit 6.1 Fire Behavior Presentation Instructor Notes
1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide 1
Recruit Firefighter
Slide 2
CHAPTER 6
Fire Behavior
Slide 4
CHEMISTRY OF COMBUSTION
1 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide 5 A basic understanding of how fire burns will give a
Chemistry
firefighter the ability to choose the best means of
• Understanding the • Fire behavior is one of
chemistry of fire will the largest
extinguishment
make you more considerations when
effective choosing tactics
Fire behavior and building construction are the
basis for all of our actions on the fire ground
Slide 6
What is Fire?
Slide 7
Types of Reactions
Exothermic Endothermic
• Gives off heat • Absorbs heat
2 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide 9 Water is a simple example of the 3 states of matter
States of Matter
• All fuels must be converted to a gas before they Solids must be heated to the point where they begin
will burn
to decompose and give off combustible vapors
Slide
11
PROPERTIES OF FUELS
3 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Hydrocarbon based fires are typically seen with
Organic Fuels
13 large volumes of black smoke
Hydrocarbon Based Cellulose Based
Hydrocarbons include any fossil fuel, plastics, and
synthetics that use any part of oil in their makeup
Slide
15
4 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Fires involving solid fuels are the easiest to handle
Solids
17
• Definite shape and size The fuel must be heated and change state in order
• As it is heated, Pyrolysis occurs to burn
– The material decomposes and gives off flammable
vapors
5 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Wall coverings burn easily but floors are often
Orientation of the Fuel
20 minimally damaged
• A solid fuel arranged vertically will ignite and
burn faster than one arranged horizontally Sides of furniture will spread fire faster than
horizontal surfaces
Slide
Surface Area
22
• A fuel with greater exposed surface area will
burn faster
• 1Lb. Of sawdust vs. a 1Lb. Block of wood
6 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide This occurs without an outside ignition source
Ignition Temperature
23 •Wood 572°
• The minimum temperature to which a substance •Gasoline- 536°
must be heated before it will spontaneously burn
•Carbon Monoxide- 1128°
Slide
25
Slide
26
HEAT AS ENERGY
7 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Temperature
27
• A measurement of energy
• Expressed in Fahrenheit or Celsius
8 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide We can see that a typical plywood wardrobe burns
Heat Release Rate
30 almost as fast as a pool of methanol
• Amount of heat released over a period of time
9 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Fires in mulch piles are a good example
Heat of Decomposition
34
• As materials decompose, they give off heat
The mulch also acts as an insulating blanket
keeping heat in
Slide
35
CLASSES OF FIRE
Slide
Class “A”
36
Preferred Method of
Ordinary Solid Fuels Extinguishment
• Wood • Cool with water
• Paper
• Cloth
10 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Once the equipment is de-energized, it can be
Class “C”
38 treated as a class “A” fire
Energized Electrical Preferred Method of
Equipment Extinguishment
• Transformers • De-energize the
• Electrical panels equipment
• Electric motors
• The fuel is the insulation
and lubricants
11 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
41
OXYGEN
Slide
Air Content
42
• Air contains approximately 21% oxygen
Slide
Low Oxygen Levels
43
• Materials can ignite and burn at levels as low as
14%
• At high temperatures, flaming combustion can
occur at low oxygen levels
12 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide High oxygen levels can be expected in medical
High Oxygen Levels
45 facilities, pool stores
• At high concentrations, fires can greatly intensify
Slide
46
SMOKE
13 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide The “ladder” gases simply demonstrate why we see
Ladder Gases
49 fingers of fire in smoke
• Acrolein - 450°
• Benzene - 928° The lower temperature gases light off faster
• Hydrogen Cyanide - 1004°
• Carbon Monoxide - 1128° These gases burning also accelerates the heating of
the other gases
Slide
50
FIRE DEVELOPMENT
Slide Older homes may have wood that has had time to
Fuels
51 dry longer
• Most fires involve solid fuels
• Ignition temperature of wood varies due to
density and water content
14 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide This causes fires to travel from lower floors to
Convected Heat
53 upper floors even without direct flame contact
• Hot smoke becomes buoyant
• The heat transfers to the other materials
• Nearby fuels pyrolize causing fire extension
15 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide Rollover typically precedes flashover
Rollover
57
• Heated gases (smoke) ignite across the ceiling
It can be a warning sign to flashover, but thick,
level dark smoke can prevent it from being noticed by
crews crawling on the floor
The heat then radiates into the room bringing
everything up to its ignition temperature
16 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide •Training fire
61 •Shows how flashover can be brought on by
improper ventilation
•There is initially no ventilation
• Opening the front door supplied oxygen
and allowed the heated gases to escape
• This is necessary and acceptable
on the fireground because we have
Connecticut Fire Academy – Recruit Program to get in somewhere!
• Placing the PPV fan in the front door acted
like a “bellows” on the fire, causing it to
intensify and flash over
• This is especially true with the
lack of ventilation at any other part
of the building
•PPV fans should never be used during fire attack,
ESPECIALLY after crews have entered the house
and with no adequate ventilation opposite the
crews & fan
17 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Signs of Flashover
•Some visible signs may not be obvious while
64 operating inside the building
• High heat
• High volume of dense “velvety” looking smoke
• Fingers of flame in the smoke
Slide
Fully Developed
65
• When all combustible materials in the room are
burning
• Maximum heat and large amounts of gases are
released
• Fire is ventilation controlled
Slide
Decay
66
• Fuels are consumed or oxygen levels are
decreased to a level where they can not support
combustion
• Visible flame is reduced
• High concentrations of heat may remain
Slide
Backdraft
•Flashover and backdraft are often confused
67 • Backdraft occurs from oxygen being
• Explosion that occurs when oxygen is introduced introduced into a room which is oxygen
to a compartment which still has high heat and
combustible gases deprived
• The result has a concussive, explosion
type of effect
• Flashover is caused by heating of the
contents
Connecticut Fire Academy – Recruit Program • Not explosive in nature
18 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Signs of Backdraft
•When confronted with suspected backdraft
68 conditions, vertical ventilation is a priority
• Little visible flame
• Smoke stained windows
• Pressurized turbulent smoke
• “Breathing” building
19 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
72
20 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide •No signs of backdraft visible
75
Slide •Harrison, NJ
77 •Signs of backdraft present quickly followed by
explosion
Slide
78
21 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
79
FIRE SPREAD
Slide
Heat Transfer
80
• Heat transfers from hot to cold
• The greater the temperature difference, the
faster the transfer
Slide
Conduction
•Direct flame contact to an object or a heated
81 object transferring heat to another
• Heat transferred by direct heat / flame contact
Slide
Convection
•Typically how fires travel from lower floors to
82 higher ones
• Transfer of heat through smoke and air currents
• Flows from the hot gases to the cooler objects
22 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Radiation
•Typically the biggest concern with exposures
83
• Transfer of heat in the form of an invisible wave
• Travels in all directions in a straight line
Slide
Size of the Compartment
•Obviously fires of equal size would behave
84 differently in the two occupancies shown
• The size of the fire room / area will dictate how
fast the fire will develop
Slide
Ventilation and Fire Behavior
•As much as proper ventilation can help fire attack,
85 improper ventilation can hamper it
• How, When, and Where we ventilate can help or
limit fire spread
Slide
Gas Fuel Fires
86
• Knowing the fuels vapor density will help predict
potential ignition sources
• Vapor density is measured against air
– <1 gas will rise
– >1 gas will sink
23 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Flammability Limits
87
LEL UEL
• The minimum • The maximum
concentration of a fuel in concentration of a fuel in
air that will burn air that will burn
• Propane - 2.1% • Propane – 10.1%
• Acetylene - 2.5% • Acetylene - 81%
Slide
BLEVE
•BLEVE video
88
• Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion
Slide
90
METHODS OF
EXTINGUISHMENT
Connecticut Fire Academy – Recruit Program
24 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Cooling
•Typically the best for class “A” fires
91
• Use water to cool the surface temperature of the
fuel
• Enough water must be applied to overcome the
heat being produced
Slide
Fuel Removal
•Typically the best means for flammable gas fires
92
• Close valves / pipes supplying flammable liquids
or gases
• Allow a combustible material to consume itself
Slide
Smothering
•Typical for combustible liquid fires
93
• Separate the surface of the fuel from the air
supporting combustion
Slide
Oxygen Exclusion
•Must be applied until the fuel is shut off or it has
94 cooled enough to prevent re-ignition
• Eliminate the oxygen supporting combustion
25 of 26 Revision: 011414
The Connecticut Fire Academy Unit 6.1
Recruit Firefighter Program Chapter 6
Presentation Instructor Notes Fire Behavior
Slide
Chemical Flame Inhibition
•Fires typically won’t flare back up after dry-chem
95 is applied
• Agents interrupt the chemical chain reaction
• Effective on liquid and gas fires
Slide
96
26 of 26 Revision: 011414