1. MODULE 9
Fire Hazards
FIRE HAZARDS - include any physical phenomenon associated with fire that may produce adverse effects on
human activities.
Fire - is the visible effect of the process of combustion – a special type of chemical reaction. It occurs
between oxygen in the air, some sort of fuel and heat. The products from the chemical reaction are completely
different from the starting material.
BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) - is a governmentagency whose role is to suppress and prevent the outbreak
of destructive fires, enforce relevant laws, and provide or help provide emergency medical and rescue services.
Types of Fire Hazards
1. Wild fire- is any natural or anthropogenic-caused uncontrolled fire in remote areas where there is
extensive combustible vegetation or organic material like forests, grasslands, shrublands, brushlands,
scrublands, and peatlands.
Types of wildfire
Surface fires - burn only surface litter and duff. These are the easiest fires to put out and cause the least
damage to the forest.
Crown fires - burn trees up their entire length to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous
wildland fires.
Ground fires - (sometimes called underground or subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of
humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that become dry enough to burn. These fires move very slowly,
but can become difficult to fully put out, or suppress. Occasionally, especially during prolonged drought,
such fires can smoulder all winter underground and then emerge at the surface again in spring.
2. Structure/Building fire is a fire involving the structural components of various types of residential,
commercial or industrial buildings, such as barn fires.
Fire Triangle- is a model for conveying the components of a fire. The fire triangle’s three sides illustrate the three
elements of fire, which are heat, fuel and oxidization. The three elements mustbe combined in the right
proportions for a fire to occur. If any of the three elements are removed, the fire is Heat-extinguished.
Heat- the first element in the fire triangle, which is perhaps the most
essential of fire elements. A fire cannot ignite unless it has a certain
amountof heat, and it cannot grow without heat either.
Fuel- the second element in the fire triangle. A fire needs a fuel source in
order to burn. The fuel source can be anything that is flammable. Once the
fuel elementof the fire triangle is removed, the fire will go out.
Oxygen- the final elementin the fire triangle, also an essential component
of fire.
2. Stages of Fire
1. Incipient stage - this first stage begins when heat, oxygen and a fuel source combine and have a chemical
reaction resulting in fire. This is also known as “ignition” and is usually represented by a very small.
2. Growth stage - It is where the oxygen are used as fuel for the fire.
3. Fully-developed fire stage - it is when the growth stage has reached its max and all combustible materials
have been ignited, a fire is considered fully developed. This is the hottest phase of a fire and the most dangerous
for anybody trapped within.
4. Decay stage - Usually the longest stage of a fire, the decay stage is characterized a significant decrease in
oxygen or fuel, putting an end to the fire. Smoldering fir may start a new fire if its is not extinguished. There is also
possibility that backdraft may occur.
*Backdraft - is an explosive fir that happens due to the sudden introduction of oxygen into an enclosed area.
Classification of fire
Class A fires are ordinary combustibles: wood, paper, plastic, those
types of things we expect normally to be combustible and burn.
Class B fires are now flammable and combustible liquids and
flammable gases, and so some suppression systems work to
extinguish Class B type fires. We see a lot of Class B hazards in
manufacturing and industrial, not normal types of spaces where we'd
see Class A fires.
Class C fires are belong either to class A or B which also involve
powered electrical equipment.
Class D fires Involve combustible metals such as aluminum, lithium,
magnesium, potassium, sodium, titanium and zirconium.
Extinguishing fire using water only.
Class K fires are the last one, so cooking oils and fats. Every
restaurant you go into probably has a wet chemical hood system in
there to extinguish a fire at the fryer or the grill, and fairly common.
Most common causes of fire
1. Electrical Equipment
2. Cooking
3. Heating
4. Candles
5. Curious Children
6. Faulty Wiring
7. Barbeques
8. Flammable Liquids
9. Lighting
3. Effects of Fire
1. Global warming
2. Psychological effects
3. Economic effects
3. Suffocation
4. Deathly gases
5. Burns
a) First-degree burn - These burns only affect the outer layer of your skin. A mild sunburn’s one example.
Your skin may be red and painful, but you won’t have any blisters. Long-term damage is rare.
b) Second-degree burn - the outer layer of your skin as well the dermis – the layer underneath – has been
damaged. Your skin will be bright red, swollen, and may look shiny and wet.
c) Third-degree burn - Sometimes called a “full thickness burn,” this type of injury destroys two full layers of
your skin. Instead of turning red, it may appear black, brown, white or yellow. It won’t hurt because this
type of burn damages nerve endings.
d) Fourth-degree burn - This is the deepest and most severe of burns. They’re potentially life-threatening.
These burns destroy all layers of your skin, as well as your bones, muscles, and tendons.
Fire Safety tips
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
Test smoke alarms every month. If they’re not working, change the batteries.
Talk with all family members abouta fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.
If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP. Never go back inside for
anything or anyone.
Do's
Take fire alarms as an emergency.
Open the window if possible when a fire exit is unavailable/unreachable.
Close doors behind you when safely leaving the room.
Be aware of your neighbors, report any mising persons to proper authorities.
When there is heavy smoke above the room/tunnel towards the exit, crawl as there is less hazardous
gases.
Remain calm and exit in an orderly manner.
4. Don'ts
Don't assume that a fire alarm is a drill Take only vital objects, and head for the exit, as it consumes
precious time to collect your belongings.
Always use the stairs, never the elevator.
Don't panic.
Phases of Fire Emergency
1. Mitigation - this refers to the act of doing things that prevent the actual emergency case.
2. Preparedness - this refer to activities that increases community's or a person's ability to respond when a fire
occurs.
3. Response - this is the phase that includes all the necessary emergency services and equipments before,
during, and after a fire hazard.
4. Recovery - this involves the actions done for the recovery of the damages done by the fire. This includes the
restoration of basic service and the immediate repair of physical, economic, and social damages.
