Fire Behavior
Module 1
Chapter 5
Copyright: IFSTA, Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations, 6th Edition
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain the
science of fire
as it relates to Identify the
energy, forms products of
of ignition, and Recognize the self-sustained
modes of physical states chemical
combustion. of fuel. reactions.
Describe the Explain the
impact of relationship
thermal energy between
on heat, oxygen and life
temperature, safety.
and heat
transfer.
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UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE OF
FIRE CAN HELP FIREFIGHTER SAFETY.
Fire – Variety of forms
• Heat-producing chemical reaction between fuel
and oxidizer
Knowledge can help
• Translate into practical knowledge of fire behavior
• Recognize what is happening – Predict potential
behavior
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CHANGES
FIREFIGHTERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND.
Physical Chemical
change reaction
Changes in From one type
size, shape, of matter to
appearance another
Substance
Substance
chemically
changes
same
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THE CONCEPT OF ENERGY IS ALSO
IMPORTANT FOR FIREFIGHTERS TO KNOW.
In heat defined as Work occurs when
• Increasing • Force is applied
temperature of to object over
substance distance
• Substance
undergoes
chemical,
biological,
physical change
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THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF ENERGY THAT
FIREFIGHTERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
Courtesy of Dan Madrzykowski, NIST
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THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ENERGY AND ALL
CAN CHANGE FROM ONE TYPE TO ANOTHER.
• Chemical
• Thermal
• Mechanical
Types : • Electrical
• Light
• Nuclear
• Sound
In fire behavior
potential • Converted to thermal
chemical energy • Released as heat
is:
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YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO
MEASURE AND THE EXCHANGE OF ENERGY.
Chemical, physical
Measurement changes involve
exchange of energy
• Joules (J) in SI • Potential energy
• British thermal unit • Released during
(Btu) in customary combustion
• Converted to
kinetic energy
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ENERGY REACTIONS
THAT YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND.
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THE PROCESS OF IGNITION FOLLOWS A
SEQUENCE OF STEPS.
Sufficient heat transfer
• Causes pyrolysis (solid fuels);
Fuel heated – vaporization (liquid fuels)
Temperature increases • Releases ignitable vapors or
gases
Energy necessary for
ignition Continues production,
• Provided by external source ignition so combustion
• Fuel can be heated until ignites reaction sustained
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PILOTED AND AUTOIGNITION ARE
THE TWO FORMS OF IGNITION.
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FIRE AND COMBUSTION REQUIRE SIMILAR
CONDITIONS TO OCCUR.
Combustion – Chemical
Fire – One possible
reaction, can occur
result of combustion
without fire
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THE FIRE TRIANGLE IS THE OLDEST AND
SIMPLEST FIRE MODEL.
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THE FIRE TETRAHEDRON REPRESENTS THE
UNINHIBITED CHAIN REACTION THAT MUST BE
PRESENT FOR FIRE TO OCCUR.
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THERE ARE SEVERAL MATERIALS THAT AFFECT
BOTH IGNITION AND FIRE DEVELOPMENT.
Fuel
Passive
Heat
agents
Oxygen
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THE TWO TYPES OF COMBUSTION OCCUR
UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
Nonflaming Flaming
Burning is localized on Gaseous fuel mixes
or near fuel’s surface with oxygen in correct
– Where in contact ratio, heated to
with oxygen ignition temperature
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THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION
GENERATE AS FUEL BURNS AND CHANGES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.
Thermal energy
Toxic smoke
Smoke
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Flame
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WARNING
Smoke is fuel and
is always
potentially
flammable. Wear
full PPE and SCBA
anytime you work
in smoke.
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THERMAL ENERGY (HEAT) IS THE ENERGY
ELEMENT IN BOTH FIRE MODELS.
Kinetic energy transfers
from high-temperature
Always in transit
to low-temperature
substance
Vibrates molecules in
Thermal kinetic needed
fuel leading to break
to release potential
down, release of
chemical energy in fuel
vapors
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YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN HEAT AND TEMPERATURE.
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THERE ARE SEVERAL SOURCES OF THERMAL
ENERGY YOU SHOULD RECOGNIZE.
Electrical
• Resistance
heating
Chemical • Overcurrent or Mechanical
overload
• Arcing
• Sparking
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UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF HEAT
TRANSFER CAN HELP IN SEVERAL WAYS.
Transfer
Estimate size occurs from
Understand
of fire before warmer to
transfer from
attacking – cooler –
initial fuel
Evaluate Same
package to
effectiveness temperature
others
of attack cannot
transfer
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THE CONCEPT OF TRANSFER RATE IS
INFLUENCED BY SEVERAL FACTORS.
Related to temperature differential – Thermal
conductivity
Greater temperature difference – Greater transfer
rate
Heat flux
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CONDUCTION IS THE TRANSFER OF HEAT
THROUGH AND BETWEEN SOLIDS.
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CONVECTION IS THE TRANSFER OF THERMAL
ENERGY BY CIRCULATION OR MOVEMENT OF FLUID
(LIQUID OR GAS).
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RADIATION IS THE TRANSMISSION OF ENERGY AS
AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE, WITHOUT AN
INTERVENING MEDIUM.
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FUEL IS THE MATERIAL OR SUBSTANCE
OXIDIZED OR BURNED IN COMBUSTION.
Inorganic Organic
• Do not contain • Contain carbon,
carbon other elements
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THE CHEMICAL CONTENT OF FUEL
INFLUENCES HEAT OF COMBUSTION AND
HEAT RELEASE RATE.
Heat of combustion
• Total amount of thermal energy released when specific
amount of fuel oxidized (burned)
Heat release rates
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GASEOUS FUEL CAN BE THE MOST
DANGEROUS OF ALL FUEL TYPES.
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THE PROPERTIES OF LIQUID FUEL ARE
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
Mass, volume
but no shape
Will not
expand to fill
all of
container
Will flow
downhill, can
pool in low
areas
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VAPORIZATION IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF
A LIQUID TO A VAPOR OR GASEOUS STATE.
Flammable liquids
with high vapor
pressure present
special hazard
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SOLUBILITY IS A FACTOR TO CONSIDER
REGARDING LIQUID FUELS.
Solubility – • Miscible – Mix in any
Extent to which proportion
substance will • Hydrocarbon – Do not mix
mix with water • Polar solvents – Readily mix
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DENSITY IS ALSO A FACTOR TO
CONSIDER REGARDING LIQUID FUELS.
Liquids less dense • Fuel will not mix with water –
than water difficult Adding may disperse burning liquid
to extinguish with
water alone • Extinguish with appropriate agent
Water-soluble mix
with agent – • Avoid use with foams specifically
Become less designed for polar solvents
effective
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THE PROPERTIES OF SOLID FUEL
INFLUENCE THE PROCESS OF PYROLYSIS.
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OXYGEN IS THE PRIMARY OXIDIZING AGENT
PRESENT AT MOST FIRES.
At normal
temperatures Limited oxygen
21 percent oxygen
• Materials can ignite, burn diminishes flaming
typical
at concentrations as low as combustion
14 percent
Ambient temperature
impacts Higher oxygen
• Nonflaming concentrations than
• Flaming normal
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COMBUSTION OCCURS AFTER A FUEL HAS BEEN
CONVERTED TO A GASEOUS STATE AND MIXED WITH
AN OXIDIZER IN PROPER RATIO.
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SELF-SUSTAINED CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CREATE SEVERAL PRODUCTS.
Combustion of methane
Flaming combustion
and oxygen
• Production of CO2, • Free radicals
water • Will burn until fuel or
• Release of energy in oxygen exhausted
form of heat, light • Chemical flame
• Production of CO, inhibition occurs when
formaldehyde extinguishing agent
• Different free radicals applied
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SUMMARY
You need to understand the combustion process, how
fire behaves, and how to select appropriate
extinguishing agents.
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