Phase IV Course
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F LA S H O V E R
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 1
Phase IV Course
Compartment fire development
Fire development characteristics within a
compartment can be divided into four
consecutive phases:
• Growth
• Flashover
• Fully developed (Steady state)
• Decay
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 2
Phase IV Course
Typical compartment fire development curve
FLASHOVER
GROWTH STEADY STATE DECAY
TE M PE RATU R E
TIME
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 3
Phase IV Course
Typical non-enclosed fire development curve
GROWTH DECAY
TE M PE RATU R E
TIME
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 4
Phase IV Course
Typical residential fire compartment
Enclosure
Fuel load
Opening
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 5
Phase IV Course
Compartment fire - growth stage
Combustion
Smoke
Buoyant
Smallisfire
This alarm
called
combustion
develops
products
inthe
compartment
‘fireproducts
begin
plume’towould
rise
accumulate
towards
activate
at
the
at
ceiling
this
ceiling
point
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 6
Phase IV Course
Compartment fire - growth stage
Trapped
Convection
Upward
This causes
movement
smoke
causes
plume
forms
to
of
fire
increase
plume
aplume
layer‘entrains’
and
to
inrise
volume
begins
fresh
to
anddescend
air
cool
as ita rises
bit
Fresh air Fresh air
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 7
Phase IV Course
Two zone model
Cooler
The compartment
hot,
boundary
denser
buoyant
between
fresh
smoke
is air
soonthe
below
layer
divided
zones
is called
is
into
called
two
the the
distinct
‘underpressure
‘overpressure
‘neutral
zones
plane’
zone
zone’
Overpressure zone
Neutral Plane
Underpressure zone
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 8
Phase IV Course
Two zone model
Conservation
The fire now actsequations
like a heat
dictatepump
that- mass
fresh lost
air drawn
out the in
Asentrained
or
Soonthethe
air in
fire
the
neutral
grows
compartment
into the
plane
in size,
plume,
will
the
isdescend
fresh
either
process
air
used
below
is
continues
drawn
upthe
during
in
topthe
of
combustion
opening
the opening
opening
the bottom mustbalancing
be replaced
the smoke
by freshforced
air flowing
out theintop
Hot combustion
products flow upwards
& out of compartment
Air inside compartment
is used up
Fresh air drawn
in from outside
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 9
Phase IV Course
Products of combustion
Combustion products, otherwise known as smoke,
comprise a number of different substances:
• Carbon particles (soot)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN)
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 10
Phase IV Course
Products of combustion (cont’d)
• Water Vapour (H2O)
• Unburnt flammable fuel vapours
• Entrained Air
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 11
Phase IV Course
Developing compartment fire
This
Hot
Overpressure
Much
Some
A lotcombustion
begins
will
of
of that
this
radiate
to
heat
zone
raise
products
down
will
transfers
the
be
from
temperature
re-radiated
rise
the
heat
insmoke
the
to back
the
plume
of layer
all
compartment
into
to
the
and
into
the
fuel
the
increase
fire,
the
and
the temperature
boundaries,
compartment
increasing
lower
boundaries
part of
the
in
which
the
(amount
the
growth
of
compartment
compartment
in
theturn
rate
depends
overpressure
increase
(pre-heating)
on thermal
inzone
temperature
inertia)
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 12
Phase IV Course
Rollover
As overpressure
Oxygen
Flammable
Rollover
Gases will
isis
can
present
also
agases
clear
occur
ignite
zone
start
sign
in
atthe
as
the
temperature
to
that
they
air
neutral
ignite
flashover
that
reach
in
has
plane
tongues
increases,
an
been
isunlimited
interface,
imminent
entrained
of flame
oxygen
or at
by
flammable
referred
the
supply
fire when
ceiling
plume
to gases
above
asthey
‘rollover’
intoreach
the
exit
thesmoke
the
overpressure
self
compartment
ignition
layer temperature
zone
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 13
Phase IV Course
Flashover
Rollover is one of the signs of impending flashover,
what is the other most important sign?
Answer: Dramatic, rapid rise in temperature
• Heat is being produced faster than it can escape
• This results in radiant feedback from boundaries
• Feedback increases fire development, which in turn
increases heat out put, and so on
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 14
Phase IV Course
Typical compartment fire development curve
FLASHOVER
GROWTH STEADY STATE DECAY
TE M PE RATU R E
TIME
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 15
Phase IV Course
Flashover
At this
Radiant
Unburnt
Temperature
Fire rapidly
point
heat
fuels
envelops
flashover
is
from
begin
sufficient
smoke
tothe
has
pyrolyze,
entire
for
layer,
occurred,
these
and
compartment
usually
vapours
from
andgiving
fire
thetoitself,
fire
ignite
offhas
a
heatsreached
visible
almost
accompanied
now up
whitish
immediately
the rest
aby
vapour
steady
aofdramatic
thestate
compartment
increase in heat output
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 16
Phase IV Course
Ventilation controlled fire
Often
Fire
The
Sinceamount
size
there
opening
is now
may
of size
oxygen
limited
be and
insufficient
available
by
location
the amount
oxygen
is (normally)
a function
ofavailable
oxygen
of
constant,
the
for
it has
size
available
and
the
combustion
fire
location
size
(known
is
to
ofalso
occur
anyasconstant
openings
athroughout
‘ventilation
in the
the
controlled
compartment
entire compartment
fire’)
Fresh air
drawn in
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 17
Phase IV Course
Ventilation controlled fire
FLASHOVER
GROWTH STEADY STATE DECAY
TE M PE RATU R E
TIME
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 18
Phase IV Course
CONTROLLING
F LA S H O V E R
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 19
Phase IV Course
Controlling flashover
The Fire Service must frequently enter structures
where flashover is a danger. What are two ways of
reducing the risk?
• Cool the overpressure zone
• Ventilate the compartment
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 20
Phase IV Course
Controlling flashover
Why not just extinguish the fire?
• Making entry or approach
• Seat of fire may not be visible
• Search and rescue operations being carried out
• Delivery may not be large enough to effectively
extinguish the fire
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 21
Phase IV Course
Cooling the overpressure zone
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This must be achieved while keeping the neutral plane
intact (referred to as ‘maintaining the thermal balance’)
Neutral plane MUST remain intact
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 22
Phase IV Course
Cooling the overpressure zone
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The fog
This
Firefighters
disrupts
streamenter
direct
experience
the
is neutral
compartment,
converted
hose significant
stream
plane,
to steam
into
forcing
observe
discomfort
overpressure
insuperheated
the
rollover
or injury,
and
zone
realise that
steam,
visibility
overpressure
smoke
is lost,
flashover
zone
and
victim
flame
and
istenability
expands
imminent
into the up
significantly
lower
to 3400
part times
ofreduces
the room
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 23
Phase IV Course
Cooling the overpressure zone
In
As order
Radiant
Thermal
Short to maintain
overpressure
bursts
heat
balance
allow
fromzone thetemperature
issmoke
precisethermal
maintained
layer
control
bybalance,
into lowerthe
balancing
(compensate
reduces, fog
part stream
flammable
the
offor
steam
time
should
gases be applied
compartment
expansion
lag between
drop with
below incontracting
application
is the
reduced
selfshort bursts
ignition
and
(below
steam gases2)as they cool
temperature
fire
20KW/m
expansion)
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 24
Phase IV Course
Ventilating the compartment
What are the three types of ventilation available to
firefighters?
• Vertical
• Horizontal
• Positive pressure
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 25
Phase IV Course
Other options
• Positive Pressure Ventilation
• Anti-ventilation
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 26
Phase IV Course
Ventilating the compartment
• This is NOT a training session on tactical
ventilation
• No type of ventilation should be attempted
without adequate training
• Under NO circumstances should ventilation be
carried out during firefighting operations without
the authorisation of the officer in charge
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 27
Phase IV Course
Summary - Flashover
• Flashover is a phenomenon that occurs within
compartment fires
• Every combustible item ignites at the same time
• Extreme amounts of heat energy and combustion
products are released from the compartment
• Occurs very rapidly
• Result of extreme heat build up within
compartment
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 28
Phase IV Course
Summary - Flashover (cont’d)
• Primarily caused by re-radiation from
compartment boundaries
• Preceded by rollover and dramatic rise in
temperature
• Neither victims nor firefighters can survive
flashover for long
• Onset can be countered by cooling the
overpressure zone and/or venting the
compartment
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 29
Phase IV Course
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END
National Service Centre - Training Support No. 30
