The Fundamentals of Fire Extinguishment

Basic Elements
FIRE Fire burns because three elements are present – heat, fuel and oxygen. In technical language,
fire is a chemical reaction: It happens when a material unites with oxygen so rapidly that it
produces flame. Think of fire as a triangle. If any one of three sides – heat, fuel or oxygen – is
taken away, the fire goes out. This is the basis for fire extinguishment. Heat can be taken away
by cooling, oxygen can be taken away by excluding air, fuel can be removed to a place where
006422 there is no flame, chemical reaction can be stopped by inhibiting the oxidation of the fuel.

REMOVE HEAT Cooling a fire calls for the application of something which absorbs heat. Although there are
others, water is the most common cooling agent. Water is commonly applied in the form of a
solid stream, finely divided spray or incorporated in foam.
006423

REMOVE FUEL Often, taking the fuel away from a fire is difficult and dangerous, but there are exceptions.
Flammable liquid storage tanks can be arranged so their contents can be pumped to an
isolated empty tank in case of fire. When flammable gases catch fire as they are flowing from a
006424 pipe, the fire will go out if the flow can be valved off.

REMOVE Oxygen can be taken away from a fire by covering it with a wet blanket, throwing dirt on it
OXYGEN or covering it with chemical or mechanical foam. Other gases which are heavier than air, such
as carbon dioxide and vaporizing liquid, can be used to blanket the fire, preventing the oxygen
006425 from getting to the fire.

STOP THE Studies made during recent years have indicated that the familiar statement, ‘‘Remove heat,
REACTION remove fuel, or remove oxygen, to extinguish a fire’’ does not apply when dry chemical or
halogenated hydrocarbons are used as the extinguishing agents. These agents inactivate
intermediate products of the flame reaction resulting in a reduction of the combustion rate [the
006426 rate of heat evolution] and extinguishes the fire. A more detailed discussion of this action
appeared in the April 1960 issue of the quarterly of the NFPA under the title of ‘‘The Chemical
Aspects of Fire Extinguishment.”

Classification of Fires
CLASS A fires occur in ordinary combustible materials such as wood, cloth and paper. The
most commonly used extinguishing agent is water which cools and quenches. Fires in these
materials are also extinguished by special dry chemicals for use on Class A, B & C fires. These
provide a rapid knock down of flame and form a fire retardant coating which prevents reflash.
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CLASS B fires occur in the vapor-air mixture over the surface of flammable liquids such as
grease, gasoline and lubricating oils. A smothering or combustion inhibiting effect is necessary
to extinguish Class B fires. Dry chemical, foam, vaporizing liquids, carbon dioxide and water
fog all can be used as extinguishing agents depending on the circumstances of the fire.
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CLASS C fires occur in electrical equipment where non-conducting extinguishing agents must
be used. Dry chemical, carbon dioxide, and vaporizing liquids are suitable. Because foam,
water (except as a spray), and water-type extinguishing agents conduct electricity, their use
can kill or injure the person operating the extinguisher, and severe damage to electrical
003811
equipment can result.

K
CLASS K fires occur in cooking appliances that involve combustible cooking media (vegetable
or animal oils and fats) UL test requires that the fire in the fryer be completely extinguished
prohibiting the re-ignition of the vegetable oil for 20 minutes, or until the temperature decreases
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to at least 60 °F (16 °C) below the auto-ignition temperature, whichever is longer.

CLASS D fires occur in combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium and
sodium. Specialized techniques, extinguishing agents and extinguishing equipment have been
developed to control and extinguish fires of this type. Normal extinguishing agents generally
should not be used on metal fires as there is danger in most cases of increasing the intensity of
the fire because of a chemical reaction between some extinguishing agents and the burning
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metal.
CHARACTERISTICS Flammable liquids are always covered with a layer of vapors. When mixed with air and
OF FLAMMABLE contacted by an ignition source, it is the vapor, not the liquid which burns.The fuel vapor and
LIQUIDS oxygen provide two sides of the fire triangle. A flammable liquid is usually more dangerous
when temperatures are high because more vapors are generated. Four terms are commonly
used with flammable liquids:

FLASH POINT: The lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapors to form a flammable mixture
with air.

FIRE POINT: The lowest temperature at which the vapor-air mixture will continue to burn after it is ignited.
This is generally a few degrees above the flash point.

IGNITION The temperature at which a mixture of flammable vapor and air will ignite without a spark or
TEMPERATURE: flame. This term is also applied to the temperature of a hot surface which will ignite flammable
vapors. The temperature varies with the type of surface.

FLAMMABLE The range between the smallest and largest amounts of vapor in a given quantity of air
OR EXPLOSIVE which will explode or burn when ignited. The amount is usually expressed in percentages.
RANGE: For instance, carbon disulfide has an explosive range of one to 50 percent. If air contains more
than one or less than 50 parts of carbon disulfide vapor, the mixture can explode or burn.

GASOLINE The most commonly known flammable liquid is gasoline. It has a flash point of about
AS A –50 °F (–65 °C). The ignition temperature is about 495 °F (232 °C), a comparatively low figure.
FIRE HAZARD Burning gasoline has a temperature above 1500 °F (945 °C). Therefore, it can heat objects in
the fire area above its ignition temperature. To prevent reignition after extinguishment, the
agent should be applied for sufficient time to allow hot objects in the fire area to cool below the
ignition temperature of the gasoline.

The flammable range of gasoline is only 1.3% to 6%. Gasoline vapors are heavier than air.
They tend to flow downhill and downwind from liquid gasoline, making it possible for explosive
mixtures to collect – in low points such as pipe trenches or terrain depressions.

If the amount of oxygen in a given atmosphere is reduced from its normal 21 per cent to 14
percent, by diluting with carbon dioxide, most petroleum products cannot burn. As a result, a
gasoline fire can be ‘‘suffocated’’ by diluting the atmosphere with an inert gas.

It is dangerous to use water in a solid stream on a gasoline fire because it may spatter the fuel
or raise its level in a container so it overflows.

A LAST WORD Classification of fires is important. It determines the way fire must be put out. Smouldering
embers must not be left in a Class A fire; water, which may spread gasoline or other flammable
liquids, is dangerous on a Class B fire; conductors of electricity, such as water, should not be
used on a Class C fire; and Class D combustible metals require special types of extinguishing
agents.

But knowledge of fires is not enough. Real fire protection means knowledge backed up by
dependable fire extinguishing equipment. The complete line of ANSUL fire extinguishers has
been developed through research.

A staff of highly trained engineers backed by complete laboratory facilities and the resources of
the company’s unique 27 acre Fire Technology Center has been responsible for much of the
recent progress in fire protection. ANSUL units from the smallest 2 3/4 pound extinguisher
through hand portable and wheeled units, up to the largest automatic piped systems and fire
trucks, stand guard in industry throughout the world. ANSUL technicians are also available to
survey plant fire protection needs, conduct training and provide visual aids.

For your every fire protection need – for the most complete fire protection program ever offered
– call your local ANSUL Distributor.
We manufacture a complete line of listed and approved dry chemical extinguishers, hand
portables, wheeled, stationary, mobile equipment and automatic piped systems.
One Stanton Street 800-862-6785 (United States, Canada)
Marinette, WI 54143-2542 715-735-7411 (International)
USA www.ansul.com

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