I.

INTRODUCTION

A fire can occur at any moment Almost all

large fires start as a small one and almost all fires
small fires can be effectively managed with used fire extinguishers
properly. However, a fire extinguisher can only be as effective as the
the person who uses it, that is why training is so important.
When a fire breaks out, a person who does not know about extinguishers may have
fear of using it, another untrained person may take several minutes to
read the instructions on how to use it while the fire spreads, even the
people who have used fire extinguishers are unaware of the most effective way to
use them if they have not received training.

Fire extinguishers serve a vital role in the plan

fire protection of a workplace since, when
it starts a fire, they are the first elements that are used to try
control it. At those moments, the characteristics of the fire extinguisher, its easy

localization and the use made of it are determining factors for it to

whether or not to prevent the spread of the fire.

To achieve this goal, the action must follow a systematic approach.

general based on successive and/or simultaneous phases, to which will be added the
specific action protocols that must be followed according to the type of incident
or risk that they must face. These phases consist of the taking of a
set of decisions from the very moment the alarm is received or
notice of the incident. What occurs in all these phases is a constant
system for determining decisions and actions, applying objectives and
specific tactics, making new assessments and decisions in
Function of the development of the disaster (depending on whether it has stabilized, varied or

has increased).
 Objectives

•Know the theory of fire, understand its formation and its methods of
extinction.

Know the parts of a fire extinguisher.

Know and recognize the different types of fire extinguishers and their uses for
different types of fires.

•Describe the steps to follow to use a fire extinguisher in a fire

 II. FIRE

2.1. Chemistry and behavior of fire

Fire or combustion is a rapid chemical reaction of oxidation.

exothermic in nature, self-sustaining, with the presence of a fuel in
solid, liquid, or gaseous phase. Chemically, it is a process of rapid reaction,
strongly exothermic oxidation-reduction, in which a
combustible substance and an oxidizer, which is produced under conditions
favorable energy sources that release heat, light radiation, smoke
and combustion gases.

2.2. Basic Components of Fire.

The basic components of fire are Fuel, oxidizer, and

heat. The fuel can be any combustible substance, whether solid,
liquid or gas. We must take into account that what burns is almost always
they are the flammable vapors or gases of the substance, which implies that the
solids will require a greater amount of heat energy to begin their
combustion than liquids, and these in turn provide greater energy contribution than the
gases.

Other factors that also influence the amount of energy

necessary to start combustion are, in addition to the state of aggregation of
combustible, its physical state (large pieces, granules, finely powdered
divididos), el grado de homogeneización de su mezcla con el oxígeno (polvos,
mists or sprays of solids and liquids) and the temperature at which it is located
substance or mixture.

When combustion occurs throughout the entire mass of

combustible and not about the generated vapors, we encounter the process
called incandescence or ember.
2.3. Fire Triangle and Fire Tetrahedron

Fire is a combustion characterized by a release of heat.

accompanied by smoke or flame, or both, but its entire environment is
dominated and controlled by man. The fire is a combustion that
develops uncontrollably in time and space. This is represented by a
triangle-shaped graph, so that each of its sides is
corresponds with one of those three elements, forming what is called the
fire triangle.

For a fire to occur, three elements are required:

fuel, heat, and oxygen. If one of them is missing or is suppressed, the fire ceases to exist.

to exist.

- Fuel (Reducing Agent): Most fuels

reducing agents contain a high percentage of carbon and hydrogen.
Among the most common fuels are the following compounds
that produce fire: Carbon, Carbon monoxide, many rich compounds
in carbon hydrogen, such as gasoline and propane, materials such as
wood and textiles, many metals, such as magnesium, aluminum, sodium.

Oxygen (Oxidizing Agent): The oxygen side in the triangle of

fire has been replaced in the tetrahedron with the term 'oxidizing agent'. In
in most cases, the oxidizing agent will be the oxygen found in
the air; however, the use of the term oxidizing agents helps to explain how
some compounds such as sodium nitrate and potassium chloride, which release
its own oxygen during the combustion process, can burn in a
environment without oxygen.

Heat (temperature): For combustion to start and continue

It has to increase the energy level in the form of heat, which triggers
an increase in molecular activity of the chemical structure of a substance.
Temperature is the measure of molecular activity within a substance. In
presence of an oxidizing agent, a fuel with an energy level of
high enough can burn. The combustion then continues or renews
by itself, as long as heat and energy are present. The
agents that reduce or absorb this heat decrease the energy level
necessary for combustion to occur, resulting in the extinction of the fire.

The research conducted over the last 25-30 years has

discovered that behind the flame front there is a series of active species
(see chemical reaction) that are responsible for the chemical reactions that
are produced at that front. Consequently, the new representation is
add a fourth face to the triangle that will be the chemical or chain Reaction,
forming the tetrahedron.

Chain Reaction: The simple triangular representation (FigI)

It was accepted for a long time, however, they began to be observed
some phenomena that could not be fully explained until it was discovered
a 'new factor', the chain reaction. Chain reaction is the process
by which the reaction progresses within a combustible-oxidizer mixture
combustible. In the fire tetrahedron, each face represents one of the
basic elements for combustion to occur. Therefore, it will be enough to
remove one face of the tetrahedron to break the balance and extinguish the fire.

Figure 1. Graphical representation of the fire triangle and tetrahedron.

2.3. Fire Classification

According to the behavior of the various combustible materials,

their grouping has been normalized into the following classes of fire:

Class A fires: They involve solid fuels that retain

oxygen inside forming embers. They are called fires.
"dry". For example, wood, paper, fabrics, coal.
 - Class B fires: They are caused by liquid fuels. They are called
"greasy" fires. They only burn on the part of their surface that is in
contact with air oxygen. For example: gasoline, oil,
diesel. Also included in this group are those materials that
Even being solid at normal temperature, they liquefy before arriving.
at the ignition temperature, such as asphalts, paraffins, some types
of plastics.
Class C fires: These occur in electrical equipment.
connected or energized.
Class D fires: They involve combustible metals, whose extinction
it must be treated specially. For example, magnesium, aluminum in
powder, sodium, potassium.
Class "k" fires: Fire from vegetable oils (for example: oil of...
kitchen). They require special fire extinguishers. We must use a fire extinguisher
especially for suffocating and lowering the temperature. Potassium Acetate is the

ideal extinguisher agent.

2.4. Methods of Fire Extinguishment

We know that for a fire to occur, it is necessary that the

coincidence in the same time and space of the four elements that
comprise the so-called "fire tetrahedron": fuel, oxidizer, heat and
chain reaction. Consequently, the mechanism of extinction will consist of
to eliminate one or more of these factors. Depending on the factor removed, the method
of extinction will be named:

-Eliminación del combustible:

Directly when fuels are withdrawn or interrupted

flow of the same (in case of liquids or gases).
Indirect when the propagation of fire is hindered
cooling other nearby fuels or interposing
incombustible elements.

Suffocation or elimination of the oxidizer: it is achieved

covering the fuel to prevent its contact with air, preventing the
ventilation of the burned area, using inert gases or spraying water
pulverized that, when it turns into vapor, displaces the oxygen in the air.

Cooling or heat removal using some product

that, like water, absorbs the heat from the burning fuel. Water: It is the
Oldest, known, used, and cheap extinguisher agent, of a great
effectiveness, but dangerous and counterproductive, sometimes, with the advancement of the

new technologies. It is the Extinguishing Agent that has more capacity to

absorbs heat and when it evaporates and increases its volume, it dilutes the combination

air-gas that maintains combustion. - Inhibition or interruption of the reaction

in a chain, projecting a chemical product onto the flame capable of
combine with the free radicals produced by the decomposition of the
burning combustible, to prevent its reaction with oxygen. Thus, Agent
A fire extinguisher is a chemical product that, when applied to a fire, is capable of

extinguish it, acting on one or several of the components of the Tetrahedron

of Fire. It should be noted that no Extinguishing Agent acts on
one only of the components of fire, although the effect on one of them is
more evident than over the others.
 III. EXTINGUISHERS

3.1. Portable extinguishers

It is a device that contains an extinguishing agent that can

projecting and directing onto a fire due to the action of internal pressure. This
pressure can occur due to a permanent previous compression or through the
release of an auxiliary gas.

Portable fire extinguishers are designed to be carried and used.

by hand and that, under operating conditions, have a mass less than or equal to
a 20 kg. The mass or volume of the extinguishing agent contained in the extinguisher is its

load. From a quantitative point of view, the load of the devices based on
water is expressed in volume (liters) and that of the remaining devices in mass
(kilograms).

The operating time is the period during which, and without

there is no interruption, the projection of the extinguishing agent takes place, without having

consider the emission of propellant gas.

The average range is the distance measured over the ground, in a

standardized laboratory test, between the projection hole and the center of the
container that collects the greatest amount of the extinguishing agent.

3.2. Classification of fire extinguishers

- According to their physical condition:

Solids
Liquids
oGases
Solids: It is Dry Chemical Powder (D.C.P.). Monoammonium Phosphate.
Also known as A B C.
Líquidos:Puede ser agua, agua ligera. Espumas: Químicas: agua
+ concentrated, Mechanics: water + air + concentrated.
 Gases:CO2, Halotrón.

- According to the type of fire

On the labels of the fire extinguishers, we can always see what type of extinguisher it is.

Yes, those letters can be A, B, C, and D. Referring to the type of fire that can be
suffocate the extinguisher. Here you have information on the types of extinguishers according to the

fire classes.

In summary, the types of fire extinguishers according to the fire are:

Class A: fires with solid fuels such as wood, cardboard,

plastic, etc.
Class B: fires where the fuel is liquid, for example, oil,
gasoline or paint.
Class C: fires where the fuel is gases such as butane,
propane or city gas.
Class D: they are the rarest, the fuel is a metal, the metals
the ones that burn are magnesium, sodium or aluminum in powder.

3.3. Parts that make up a fire extinguisher

Manometer: It is used so that we can observe the gas pressure.

interior pressurizer, the pressure gauge has a needle that should be
indicating the green area if the pressure inside is correct and if it is
indicating in the red zone is that it is under pressure.
Valve: When this part of the extinguisher is pressed, it allows for the expulsion of
content of the extinguisher.

Hose: It is the duct through which the extinguishing agent exits.

Nitrogen: Nitrogen and other gases act as a propellant for the agent.
used extinguisher.
Siphon tube: It is the internal conduit of the container through which the agent exits.

fire extinguisher
Cylinder: It is the container where all the elements to put out a fire are located.
the fire.
- Extinguishing Agent: Currently, there are many extinguishing agents, according to the

needs where we have to use the extinguisher, we will need one.

 others. The most commonly used are ABC dry chemical powder, AFFF foam,
Carbon dioxide CO2 etc...
Nozzle: It is used to hold the hose and spread the content of the
fire extinguisher

Figure 2. Parts of a fire extinguisher

3.4. Steps to follow when using a fire extinguisher

STEP 1. Fire notice and alarm
STEP 2: Determine the class of fire.
Class A: Wood, cardboard, paper, and fabric
Class B: Flammable liquids and gases
Class C: Electrical equipment
Class D: Metals

STEP 3: Check the fire extinguisher label, make sure it is the type that
applies to the class of fire.

STEP 4: Make sure the fire extinguisher is charged. Check the pressure gauge.

STEP 5: Pull the clamp and remove the safety pin.

STEP 6: Aim the hose and nozzle towards the base of the fire. Lean in
slightly forward to reduce the impact of the heat and the gases that
They are at the top of the fire.

STEP 8: Stop pressing the lever and place the extinguisher on the floor.
 V. CONCLUSIONES

It was known that the theory of fire is caused by the presence of

four basic elements: heat or ignition source, combustible material, a
appropriate concentration of oxygen and the chain reaction. It was graphed the
relationship of these four elements as a pyramid in which each element
represents one side and they join together in a symbiotic relationship.

The parts of a portable fire extinguisher are known, among these are:
Cylinder Label or Stamp, Valve, Stem Labels, Hose or Nozzle
Extinguishing agent, Discharge tube, Expelling agent, Manometer.
The different types of fire extinguishers and their uses were known for the
different types of fires, as well as their classification according to their physical state and type

of fire.

The procedure to follow for using a was described step by step.

fire extinguisher in case of a fire occurrence.
 VI. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

BELENGUER, S. 2010. Manual de instalaciones contra incendios. El Fuego.

Agentes Extintores. Cálculo Hidráulico. (1ª edición) 210 p.

COMMISSION OF SECURITY AND HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE. Behavior of

fire. [en line ([Link]
/security/fire_extinguisher_behavior.pdf

SEGUMAR, 2011 Chemistry of fire [online][Link]

/user/segumar/Laura/material/Chemistry%20of%[Link]
VII. ANNEXES