The Elements

of Fire Triangle
Ancient Greeks considered fire as one of their
major elements like water, earth and air. Unlike
water, earth and air, fire is known to be just an
event that happened when matter changes
from one form to another.
Fire is considerably a friend but once fire is not
controlled it could be one of our greatest enemies.
Irresponsibility may lead to disaster and everything
may change as fast as a split of a second.
Based on the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), an
average of 42 fire incidents were recorded from year
2013 to 2017. You probably have heard of a fire
that broke out at Kentex Manufacturing, a factory
of slippers and shoes in Valenzuela, Metro Manila
on May 13, 2015. It is considered as the third worst
fire incident in our country killing 74 people
trapped inside the said factory, next to the 1996
Ozone Disco Club fire and the 2001 Manor Hotel
fire that led to the death of 162 and 75 people,
respectively.
In all fire cases, loss of lives, jobs, investments and
properties can literally go up in smoke just in a
matter of hours. Knowledge on the behavior,
causes, effects and safety tips can help save lives
and properties.
FIRE
It is the rapid oxidation of
a material in the
exothermal chemical
process of combustion,
releasing heat, light, and
various reaction products.
This diagram demonstrates
the fire triangle.
Fire Triangle
1. Fuel
Any material that can be
burned such as solid, liquid, or
gas. Combustion takes place
when fuel is converted into
gaseous state as moisture is
removed. This happens when
vapor is escaping from any
combustible material.
Fire Triangle
2. Heat
An energy that flows through object. Enough amount of heat
would free the vapor from solid and liquid forms of fuel. The
lowest temperature needed to form an ignitable mixture in air
near the surface of the liquid is called the flash point. The
higher the flashpoint, the more difficult it is to ignite the material.
The ignition of fire to solid and liquid fuels varies. Most solid
combustible materials ignite immediately. Other solid
combustible materials take time to ignite due to its density
Fire Triangle
3. Oxygen
An element, estimated 21% of it can be found in the air.
During combustion process chemical reaction takes place.
Oxygen is released and serves as an oxidizing agent for
combustible materials. Without an oxidizing agent like oxygen
there will be no fire even if heat and fuel are present
Theory of Fire Extinguishment
The theory of fire extinguishment is based on removing any of
the elements in the fire triangle to suppress the fire
1. Removing the Heat
2. Removing the Fuel
3. Removing the Oxygen
Theory of Fire Extinguishment
1. Removing the Heat
The goal here is to lower the temperature which is
usually accomplished by adding water as an
extinguishing agent. Other extinguishing agents
include chemical and mechanical foams.
Theory of Fire Extinguishment
2. Removing the Fuel
In most cases, removing the fuel from the fire is
not a practical way of extinguishing fire except
when dealing with flammable liquid fires, valves
can be shut off and storage vessels pumped to
safe areas to help eliminate the supply of fuel to
the fire.
Theory of Fire Extinguishment
3. Remove the Oxygen
Air is mainly 21% oxygen and this is sufficient to support
combustion in most fire situations. Removal of the air or
oxygen can be accomplished by separating it from the
fuel source or by displacing it with other gases like
carbon dioxide, nitrogen and steam. Examples of
separation would be foam on a flammable liquid fire, a
wet blanket on a trash fire, or a tight fitting lid on a
skillet fire. Foam does not only lower temperature but
also remove oxygen
Fire Hazards:
Concepts and Causes
Spot the HAZARDS
Dried Grass under the Blue Sky
Dried Grass under the Blue Sky
Natural Causes of Fire
1. Lightning
That strikes any combustible
material which can set trees
on fire that might eventually
result to forest fire or
wildfire. This is the most
common natural cause of fire.
Natural Causes of Fire
2. Volcanic activities
During volcanic activity, it
spews hot gases, ash and
lava and when these hot
materials get in contact with
flammable materials it might
start a wildfire.
Natural Causes of Fire
3. Spontaneous combustion
This happens when a hydrocarbon
substance unexpectedly create fire
without apparent cause. Pyrophoric
substances ignite spontaneously in air
at or below 54˚C or within 5 minutes
after getting into contact with air.
Examples of pyrophoricsubstances are
iron sulfide, plutonium and uranium.
Natural Causes of Fire
3. Spontaneous combustion
Sometimes, it is also due to combustion of dry fuel such
as sawdust, dried leaves and grasses. Spontaneous
combustion can arise in the presence of substances with
low ignition temperature (requires a not too high
temperature to be ignited) like hay, straw and other types
of grasses. When these dried grasses stacked together, it
releases heat and in the presence of oxygen and moisture
or even bacterial fermentation will spontaneously
produce fire.
Human-made Causes of Fire
Those products of human errors or machine
failures. Wildfires or forest fires caused by human
activities such as machinery sparks when cutting
logs in the forest, cast-away cigarette butts in
dried grasses and sometimes due to kaingin or
even arson (human inflicted fire by
directly setting the area to burn)
Housefire is a fire incident that is generally
caused by human and machine error.
Common Causes of House Fire
1. Cooking Equipment
Pots and pans can be overheated when a person
gets distracted while cooking or leaves cooking
unattended. This is the most common cause of
housefire
Common Causes of House Fire
2. Heaters
Portable heaters can cause fire when it is placed
near objects that can easily burn like curtains
and laundry clothes.
Common Causes of House Fire
3. Smoking Bedrooms
A cigarette that is not put out properly can
cause fire as the cigarette butts can
continuously burn in a few hours. It can also
immediately cause fire when get in contact with
flammable materials.
Common Causes of House Fire
4. Candle
It is not actually a hazard but when left
unattended it can easily burst into flames and
cause fire.
Common Causes of House Fire
5. Curious Children
Kids can sometimes cause fire out of curiosity,
so they wanted to see what would happen if
they set fire to an object.
Common Causes of House Fire
6. Faulty Wirings
Homes with insufficient wiring can cause fires
from electrical hazard. Signs that you can
observe if you have faulty wirings are: lights dim
if you use another appliance; for an appliance to
work, you have to disconnect another; and fuse
blow or trip the circuit breaker frequently.
Common Causes of House Fire
7. Barbeques
This is a great outdoor activity or one of the
famous street foods in the Philippines. Avoid
doing this activity near tablecloths, trees or
even plants.
Common Causes of House Fire
8. Flammable Liquids
Petrol, kerosene or other methylated substances
are the most common flammable liquids found
at home that can cause fire if not properly
stored. Always store in cool, dry place.
Common Causes of House Fire
9. Lighting
Lamp shades and light fittings can build heat if
they are very close to light bulbs. Too much
heat can eventually ignite the materials and
result to fire incident.