MODULE 2

Lesson 1.2 – Fire Suppression, Control and Extinguishment Agents

The proper selection of an agent or method of control or extinguishment is the most important
factor in determining the degree of a success of fire fighting operation.

Fire Suppression – means slowing own the rate of burning, whereas, control means keeping the
fire from spreading of holding the fire to one area. Extinguishment is putting the fire completely out.

Four Methods of Fire Extinguishment and how it Works

Extinguishing a fire is somewhat comparable to the elimination of life. For example; the cooling of
the fire may be compared to asphyxiation (elimination of the oxygen supply), and the separation
may be compared with malnutrition of starvation. The tetrahedron concept adds a fourth element –
chemical reaction.

Under the triangle – of – fire – concept, there are three (3) ways of suppressing, controlling and
extinguishing a fire, namely:

1. Cooling – the cooling process uses an extinguishing agent whose primary characteristic is heat
absorption. Water is the best general cooling agent for fire fighting purposes. Used on Class A fires,
the water absorbs the heat generated at the surface of the burning material, thus, reducing the
temperature of the material below its flashpoint. Water can be also used on class B fires, which
include flammable petroleum products. As with a Class A fire, the water absorbs much of heat,
reducing the vaporization rate of the liquid fuel. This is the most noticeable in a fire involving
lubricating oil, whose flashpoint is between 300 to 450 degrees F. it is of less value in a fire
involving gasoline, with its flashpoint at 45 degrees F. water could never cool gasoline below its
flashpoint. The extinguishing ability of the water is broken into fine particles to accelerate heat
absorption.

2. Smothering – excludes the oxygen from the fuel so that the gases or vapors of the fuel cannot
ignite and continue thecombustion.CO2 and AFFF are used for this purpose.
3. Separation – the removal of the fuel, as in the example of turning off a valve in a gas line
prevents the fuel and oxygen from coming together. If fuel is not available, then heat, regardless of
the temperature, cannot affect the fuel, therefore, there is no fire.

These three methods of extinguishment explain how fires are extinguished with the used of water,
CO2, and foam. They do not entirely account for the results obtained by vaporizing liquids or dry
chemicals.

Vaporizing liquids could not possibly absorb enough het to have the same effect as water, and dry
chemical do not exclude sufficient oxygen to smother a fire in the same manner as carbon dioxide.

The next paragraph will explain the fourth element, the chemistry of fire in terms of the theory of
reactivity.

4. Chemical chain reaction – the fourth, method of extinguishment is known as inhibition or the
interruption of chemical reaction.

The sequence of events in suppressing or extinguishing a fire with dry chemicals or vaporizing
liquids includes some aspects of the first three methods.
Using the potassium bicarbonate (dry chemical) as an example, you can follow the process of the
fourth method of extinguishment. Remember this is a rapid reaction and does not necessarily
happen one step at a time, as shown in Figure 14.29.1

First, the heat of the fire vaporizes the potassium bicarbonate thereby producing water, carbon
dioxide and potassium dioxide. In the process of vaporization and the change of these compounds,
a substantial amount of heat is absorbed by the water and some smothering occurs due to the
release of CO2.

Second, the chemical reaction resulting when the potassium dioxide unites with the water formed
by the fire creates an amount of potassium hydroxide.

Third, some potassium hydroxide reacts with certain products released from the fuel, thus forming
water and potassium monoxide. Other potassium hydroxide molecules react with the free hydrogen
of the combustion to form a potassium atom and molecules of water.

Finally, this combustion of reactions halts the process of fuel uniting with oxygen of the air, thereby
breaking the chemical chain reaction and stopping the fire.
Extinguishing Agents

The effectiveness of an extinguisher on a particular fire depends on the amount and type of agent
in the extinguisher. Different extinguishing agents can be used to put out a certain class of fire by
one or more methods.

1. Removing oxygen;

2. Removing the fuel;

3. Removing heat; and

4. Interrupting the chemical chain reaction

Some extinguishing agents may be able to extinguish more than one class of fire. They are marked
with multiple letters of multiple numerical – letter ratings.

The following are the most common extinguishing agents, the class of fire they are used, and the
extinguishing methods used:

1. Water – used only on Class A fires. Water is the most effective in cooling the burning material
below its ignition temperature. It is the most commonly used agent fire fighting.

In this natural state, it is highly stable and may be used to extinguish most types of fire if properly
applied. Due to its conductive properties, water should not be used on electrical fires.

Additives:

There are many additives for water used I fire – fighting. Each of these has a specific purpose and
effect on the water.

Ways or Methods Water Extinguishers Fires

Cooling – the outstanding heat absorbing qualities of water make it an excellent cooling agent. In
the cooling process, water is applied in large enough amounts to reduce the temperature of the
surface of the burning material to below its flashpoint. The amount of water required depends on
the burning material (temperature) and the manner in which water is applied (straight or fog steam).

Smothering – when water is used to smother a fire, stream must be generated in sufficient amount
to exclude or displaced air. If the stream generated is confined in the combustion zone, the
smothering action will be enhanced. In ordinary combustibles, the cooling effect of the water not the
smother – normally causes extinguishment. The smothering effect dos not completely extinguish
the fire; rather it has a tendency to suppress flaming.

Usage – water is generally used on Class A fires. Fires involving high flashpoint liquids (such as
heavy fuel oil, and asphalt) may be extinguished when water is effectively applied in spray form.
Water may also be used to extinguish Class C and Class D fires in some cases. In these cases,
use extreme caution to avoid injury to personnel and/or damage to equipment.

2. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) – a number of its properties make CO2 a desirable extinguishing agent.
It is non – combustible and non – reactive with most substances. CO2 provides its pressure for
discharge from storage cylinders or extinguishers. Being a gas, CO2 can penetrate and spread to
all parts of fire.

Effects:
Extinguishment with CO2 is primarily by smothering. It covers or blankets the burning materials and
reduces the oxygen content to below levels needed for combustion. Even though it is very cold, it
has a little cooling effect on fire when compared with equal amounts of water. This is the reason
when fires that have been apparently extinguished with CO2 re – ignite from hot surfaces or
embers as the CO2 dissipates.

Usage:

Due to its non – conductivity, CO2 is very effective for use on Class C fires. It is also used on Class
B fires, but another agent is needed in blanketing or smothering on large are fires to prevent re –
ignition.

CO2 can cause unconsciousness and death in connections needed for extinguishment. A 9%
concentration is about all most people can take without becoming unconscious within just a few
minutes.

3. Dry Chemical – they dry chemical extinguishing agents in use today are mixtures of powders
and various additives that improve the storage, flow and water repellency of the powders. Sodium
bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate and mono ammonium phosphate are some of the powders
commonly used today. Dry chemical is stable at low temperatures, but it has an upper storage
temperature of 140 F. at temperatures above 140 F some caking or sticking of the powder occurs.
These agents are said to be non – toxic, but in discharging large amounts they may cause some
breathing and visibly problems.

Effects:

Flames banish almost at once when dry chemical is applied directly to the fire area. But the exact
chemistry and mechanism directly to the fire area. But the exact chemistry and mechanism of the
extinguishing agent are not fully known. It has been suggested that the dry chemical agents inhibit
the chain reaction in the combustion zone has a greater effect in the extinguishment than the
smothering or cooling actions and radiation shielding have.

Usage:

There are two basic types of Dry Chemical:

a. Ordinary and regular dry chemical – generally refer to those powders that are intended for use
on Class B or Class C fires.

b. Multi – purpose dry chemical – refers to powders listed for use on Class A, B, C fires.

Be careful not to confuse ordinary, regular or multipurpose dry chemical with “dry powder”.

4. Dry Powder – dry powder is generally term for agents used to extinguish combustible metal
fires. No one dry powder has been found to be effective on all types of combustible metals.

Effects:

Dry powder generally extinguishes fires by excluding air from the combustible metal. To some
extent, heat is absorbed by the powder to lower the temperature of the metal to below ignition point
(as with G.I. powder).

Usage:

Dry powder is used primarily on Class D and should not be used on other types of fire, due to its
limited value on these fires.
5. AFF – Aqueous Film Forming Foam has replaced protein foam for all around fire fighting
purposes. Protein base foam is now used primarily for runaway foaming operations and for some
training purposes.

Effects:

The quick “knock down” and “heat reduction” properties of AFF have proven it to be a highly
effective agent. These properties, combined with its ability to seal the surface or burning
hydrocarbon fires to prevent “flashback”, make it an outstanding and effective extinguishing agent
with which to work. When AFFF is applied to the surface of a flammable liquid fire, the surface
active material (surfactant) provides a vapour sealing effect. This is not only extinguishes the fire
but also prevents the release of fuel vapors which could result in flash backs. This vapour seal is
also very hard to break up by walking or moving some hose lines through it.

Usage:

As with any other extinguishing agents, its effectiveness depends on the proper application. The
AFF is designed to be applied at a 6% mixture (94 parts water to 6 parts AFFF concentrate). This
mixture should be applied in a rainfall manner, or lobbing effect to allow rapid spreading over the
surface. It is used primarily to extinguish on Class B fires. It may be used on Class A fires but may
be less effective than plain water. Foam spray (fog) is more conductive than plain water foe,
because the material contained in the foam allows the water conduct electricity.

6. Halons (Halogenated Agents) – these agents have been used for over 50 years. Continuous
research has brought these agents to the present high degree of effectiveness in interrupting the
chain reaction they possess along with a decrease in life safety hazard.

The older (better known) agents such as carbon tetra-chloride (Halon 104) and
chlorobromomethane (Halon 1011) are less effective and more toxic than the newer agents now in
use.

Halon 1211 (bromochlorodifluoromethane) is a gas at normal temperature, bur with its relatively
high boiling point (+25 F), requires pressurization to expel it at a satisfactory rate for
extinguishment. Halon 1211 is discharge both partly as a liquid spray and partly as a gas.

Halon 1301 (bromotrifluoromethane) is treated as a liquefied gas and, like carbon dioxide, requires
no pressurizing agent for expulsion at normal temperature. Nitrogen may be added to storage
containers when temperature is below 0 F, to ensure adequate discharge pressure.

Halon 1301 is the least toxic Halons. This low toxicity allow for safe discharge from total flood
systems in occupied spaces such as computer rooms.

Halon is a generic term for halogenated hydrocarbons and is a chemical compound that contains
carbon plus one more elements from the halogens series (fluorine chlorine, bromine, or iodine).

Although a very large number of halogeneratedcompounds exist, only a few are used to a
significant extent as fire extinguishing agents. Halogenated vapour is a non – conductor of
electricity and is effective in fighting surface fires in such commodities as flammable liquids, most
solid combustible materials and electrical fires.

Effects:

Halogenated agents work chemically to extinguish fire. They stop combustion process by breaking
the fire chain reaction and prevent further fire propagation. This chemical fire – stopping action
happens with only a low concentration of halogenated agent used. Application of the agent may be
applied locally by using a compressed bottle of non-combustible gas similar to a carbon dioxide fire
extinguisher. This type of application is effective in controlling o extinguishing surface fires involving
flammable liquids, solids, or gases such as dip tanks, quench tanks, spray booths, oil – filled
transformers or vapour vents.

Usage:

Halogenated agents are very effective on Class B and Class c and have some effects or success
on Class A fires.