Types of Fire

What is fire?
Fire is a chemical reaction that converts a fuel and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water. It is an
exothermic reaction, in other words, one that produces heat. This is due to
the fact that the chemical bonds in the oxygen molecule are fairly weak
and the new bonds produced are more stable – thus there is a net
production of energy.
Fuel + oxygen —> carbon dioxide + water
The fuel must be heated to its ignition temperature

for combustion to occur. The reaction will keep
going as long as there is enough heat, fuel and
oxygen. This is known as the fire triangle.
10 Major source of fire outbreak onboard ship:

However, ships are susceptible to source of fire due to the amount of heavy machinery installed.
Unlike land based fire, a ship’s crew are not able to walk away druing fire incident at sea and/or
rely upon the local Fire Department to extinguish it or evacuation of individual on risk zone.
With limited resources, crews are expected to deal with fire incidents that would test even the
most experienced of fire fighters.
Determining the causes of fire outbreak or source of fire, one need to identify the present of the
main ingredient of fire which includes; Air, fuel and heat to ignite and sustain their flames.
All ships have all three of the above fire ingredients, therefore best way to deal with fires on
board ships is to prevent them rather than letting them occur.
Looking into the main source of fire areas in a ship or where it could break out; it’s incorporate
with the amount of fire ingredients present in the area (such as fuel, electrical cables/motors,
temperature (°C), etc. The areas includes;
 Ship Engine Room
 Pumps Room
 Chain locker or fore peak
 Deck stores/paint room
 Galley (ship kitchen)
 Accommodation (crew
cabin’s)
 Incinerators (An apparatus for burning waste materials onboard ship)
 Boiler Space
 Fuel purification room
 Emergency generator room

Classes of Fire:
On the basis of what the main cause of fire or what the main fuel that
Fire uses, fire can be classified into 5 different classes.
1. Class A – Solid Materials (wood, paper, fabric, plastics etc.)
2. Class B – Liquid or Gas (Alcohol, gasoline, grease etc.)
3. Class C – Electric Failure (Appliances, wiring, equipment etc.)
4. Class D – Metallic Substances (sodium, titanium, magnesium etc.)
5. Class K – Grease or oil (Cooking oil etc.)
 Class A Fire:
Class A fires are the most common type of fire. They are produced
from common combustible materials including wood, paper, fabric,
rubber, and plastic. Class A fires have relatively low ignition
temperatures, and once the fuel or oxygen has been depleted, the fire
will burn out. A garbage fire is one example of Class A fires.
Generally speaking, if the fire leaves ash behind, it’s likely a Class A
Fire.
Water and foam agents are most often used when fighting Class A
fires.
 Class B Fire:
Class B fires occur when flammable liquids or gases such as alcohol,

kerosene, paint, gasoline, methane, oil-based coolants, or propane
ignite. Class B fires are most common in industrial settings, but they
may also occur in residential or commercial settings. Class B fires
have a low flashpoint, which means they burn easily at any
temperature if exposed to a fire source. Class B fires also spread
rapidly and produce a thick black smoke as they burn.
Water is not effective when dealing with Class B fires. Instead, Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) or dry chemical agents are often used to fight these
fires.
 Class C Fire:
Class C fires are those fires that have live electrical currents or
electrical equipment as a source of fuel. Such fuel sources could
include electric tools, appliances, motors, and transformers. Class
C fires are most common in industrial settings that deal with
energy or electrically-powered equipment, like wind turbines.
However, Class C fires can also occur in commercial or residential
settings due to issues like faulty wiring.
Electrical fires cannot be fought with water—in fact, it can make it

worse. Instead, a non-conductive chemical agent, including clean
agents, should be used to put out the flames.
 Class D Fire:
Class D fires describe those fires that occur with a combustible

metal fuel source. Common combustible metals include aluminum,
lithium, magnesium, potassium, titanium, and zirconium. These
types of combustible metals are most often used in laboratories and
in manufacturing, so the biggest danger for Class D fires occurs in
these industries.
Water can cause some combustible metals to explode, so it should

not be used to fight Class D fires. Instead, dry powder agents can be
used to absorb heat and smother the flames by blocking off the
fire’s oxygen supply.
 Class K Fire:
Finally, Class K fires are cooking fires that occur as a

result of the combustion of a cooking liquid like grease,
oil, vegetable fat, or animal fat. Class K fires are
technically a type of liquid fire, but they are separated out
as their own class because of their unique setting. Class K
fires are most common in the food service and restaurant
industry, but can occur in any kitchen.
Like other liquid fires, water should not be sprayed onto Class K fires.
Instead, wet chemical agents are the best method to use.
How can we prevent a potential fire at work?
Fire safety at home is just as important as fire safety at work. Fire presents significant risk to us
and our colleagues, who work in the same room and building.
It can kill or seriously injure employees or visitors and can
damage or destroy buildings, equipment and stock.
At the work place you should consider:

 Emergency routes and exits
 Fire detection and warning systems
 Firefighting equipment
 The removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
 An emergency fire evacuation plan
 Staff fire safety training.

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What is fire?

The fuel must be heated to its ignition temperature

10 Major source of fire outbreak onboard ship:

 Chain locker or fore peak

 Deck stores/paint room

 Galley (ship kitchen)

 Incinerators (An apparatus for burning waste materials onboard ship)

 Fuel purification room

 Emergency generator room

Class B fires occur when flammable liquids or gases such as alcohol,

Electrical fires cannot be fought with water—in fact, it can make it

Class D fires describe those fires that occur with a combustible

Water can cause some combustible metals to explode, so it should

Finally, Class K fires are cooking fires that occur as a

At the work place you should consider:

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