The Elements of Fire Triangle

Group 8
Did you know:
Ancient Greeks considered
fire as one of their major
elements like water, earth
and air. Unlike water, earth
and air, fire is known to be
just an event that happened
when matter changes from
one form to another.
 Fire is the rapid
oxidation of a
material in the
exothermal chemical
process of
combustion,
releasing heat, light,
and various reaction
products.
Fire triangle
1. Fuel is any material that can be burned such as
solid, liquid, or gas.

•Combustion takes place when fuel is converted

into gaseous state as moisture is removed. This
happens when vapor is escaping from any
combustible material.

2. Heat is an energy that flows through object.

•Enough amount of heat would free the vapor from

solid and liquid forms of fuel. The lowest
temperature needed to form an ignitable mixture in
air near the surface of the liquid is called the flash
point.
Fire triangle

3.Oxygen is an element, estimated 21% of it can be

found in the air.

During combustion process chemical reaction takes

place.
•Oxygen is released and serves as an oxidizing
agent for combustible materials. Without an
oxidizing agent like oxygen there will be no fire even
if heat
and fuel are present.
Theory of fire extinguishment is based on removing any of the
elements in the fire triangle to suppress the fire:
1. REMOVING THE HEAT. The goal here is to lower the temperature which is
usually accomplished by adding water as an extinguishing agent. Other
extinguishing agents include chemical and mechanical foams.

2. REMOVING THE FUEL. In most cases, removing the fuel from the fire is not
a practical way of extinguishing fire except when dealing with flammable liquid
fires, valves can be shut off and storage vessels pumped to safe areas to help
eliminate the supply of fuel to the fire.

3. REMOVE THE OXYGEN. Air is mainly 21% oxygen and this is sufficient to
support combustion in most fire situations. Removal of the air or oxygen can
be accomplished by separating it from the fuel source or by displacing it with
other gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen and steam.
Analyze the Different
Causes of Fire
 Fire may start due to natural cause or
human-made incidents:

I. Natural causes of fire such as:

A. Lightning that strikes any combustible material which can set trees on fire
that might eventually result to forest fire or wildfire.
This is the most common natural cause of fire.

B. Volcanic activities could also cause fire. During volcanic activity, it spews hot
gases, ash and lava and when these hot materials get in contact with
flammable materials it might start a wildfire.
 Fire may start due to natural cause or
human-made incidents:

I. Natural causes of fire such as:

C. Spontaneous combustion is another natural cause of fire. This happens

when a hydrocarbon substance unexpectedly create fire without apparent
cause.
•Pyrophoric substances ignite spontaneously in air at or below 54˚C or
within 5 minutes after getting into contact with air. Examples of pyrophoric
substances are iron sulfide, plutonium and uranium.
 II. Human-made causes of fire are those products
of human errors or machine
failures. Wildfires or forest fires caused by human
activities such as machinery
sparks when cutting logs in the forest, cast-away
cigarette butts in dried
grasses and sometimes due to kaingin or even arson
(human inflicted fire by
directly setting the area to burn).
Housefire is a fire incident that is generally caused by
human and machine error. The following are common
causes of housefire:
1. Cooking equipment. Pots and pans can be overheated when a person gets
distracted while cooking or leaves cooking unattended. This is the most
common cause of housefire.

2. Heaters. Portable heaters can cause fire when it is placed near objects that
can easily burn like curtains and laundry clothes.

3. Smoking in bedrooms. A cigarette that is not put out properly can cause fire
as the cigarette butts can continuously burn in a few hours. It can also
immediately cause fire when get in contact with flammable materials.
4. Candles. It is not actually a hazard but when left unattended it can easily burst
into flames and cause fire.

5. Curious children. Kids can sometimes cause fire out of curiosity, so they
wanted to see what would happen if they set fire to an object.

6. Faulty wiring. Homes with insufficient wiring can cause fires from electrical
hazard. Signs that you can observe if you have faulty wirings are: lights dim if
you use another appliance; for an appliance to work, you have to disconnect
another; and fuse blow or trip the circuit breaker frequently.

7. Barbeques. This is a great outdoor activity or one of the famous street foods in
the Philippines. Avoid doing this activity near tablecloths, trees or even plants.
8. Flammable liquids. Petrol, kerosene or other methylated substances are the
most common flammable liquids found at home that can cause fire if not
properly stored. Always store in cool, dry place.

9. Lighting. Lamp shades and light fittings can build heat if they are very
close to light bulbs. Too much heat can eventually ignite the materials
and result to fire incident.
Precautionary Measures
and Proper Procedures
in
Addressing a Fire
Incident
There is a saying that “It is better to be robbed than to lose all your belongings
or assets because of fire incident.” In order to prevent this from happening,
you should know the main cause of fire and fire hazards and to learn how to
deal with it. From this knowledge you are now equipped to make a
contingency plan for your family and community.

1. COOKING SAFETY

Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires, and unattended cooking is the top
contributing factor (Bitonio 2013). Since kitchen is the most used part of
the house and is most vulnerable to fire, it is very important to know the
most appropriate actions to be done when kitchen fire starts.
Many cooking fire injuries occur when people respond to kitchen fires with
inappropriate actions.
These are the following things to do and not to do in dealing with cooking
fire:
Things to do to prevent cooking fire:
• Do not leave your cooking unattended.
• Keep handles of pots and pans turned in.
•Don’t put anything that catches fire near your stove or burner.

Things to do to control cooking fire:

• Cover the fire by placing a lid over the pan.
• Turn off the burner or stove.
•In case of oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• In case of microwave fire, unplug the power source and keep the
door closed.
 2. CIGARETTES
Cigarettes are the leading causes of fire deaths in city, state, and national
level (Bitonio 2013). The fire victims include not only the smokers but their
families, friends and neighbors. Mostly, cigarette fires are due to improper
disposal of cigarette butts that are still lit. Normally, it will start outdoor
then spread out until it reaches some structures nearby. In some cases,
house fire due to cigarettes is caused by human negligence like falling
asleep while smoking or smoking near flammable materials.

Fires from smoking material can be prevented by following these tips:

• Do not smoke in bed or anywhere that you might fall asleep.

•If you smoke, do it outside.
•Do not discard cigarettes in potted plants, landscaping vegetation or
bark dust – they can easily catch fire.
 • Use a deep, sturdy ashtray or a non-combustible
container that cannot be tipped over.
• Before throwing away butts or ashes, douse in water or sand.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used.
 3. ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Electrical problem is one of the causes of structure fires and fire deaths.
Fire incidents due to electrical wiring are caused by faulty wiring and faulty
equipment or appliances

Fires caused by electric can be prevented by the following appropriate

actions.
• Avoid overloading outlets. One outlet is to one high-wattage appliance
at a time.
• Don’t use an extension cord with a major appliance like television, air
conditioner and refrigerator. Plug it in a major power outlet.
• In case a fuse blows or a circuit breaker trips often, light became dim,
or outlets or switches became heated, call a qualified electrician to
inspect and fix the problem.
• Before using a lamp bulb check the box or label first; the wattage of the
bulb should match the recommendation set by the lamp manufacturer.
 • Power strips with circuit breakers can be useful tools to temporarily
plug several items into an electrical outlet, but if used incorrectly they
can cause a fire. The use of power strips and multi-plug outlets
increases the draw of electricity through your home's wiring. Before
creating additional electrical demand, ensure that your wiring is in good
repair and capable of carrying the additional load (Bitonio 2013).
• Make sure your home has ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in
the kitchen, bathroom(s), laundry, basement, and outdoor areas, to
reduce the risk of electric shock (Bitonio 2013).
• Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) should be installed in your home
to protect electrical outlets, and prevent fires due to arcing (Bitonio 2013).
• Do not place extension cords under carpets or mattresses because
it will heat up and cause fire.
• Do regular checking of electrical cords and replace immediately if damaged.
 4. CANDLE SAFETY

During brown out or power outage, candles are the most popular source
of light because it is always available even in sari-sari stores.
The following are the safety tips on how to prevent candle fire from
happening.

• Use candle holders that are stable to prevent the candle from falling
into the floor or near something that is flammable or easily burn.
• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.
• Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to bed; avoid the use
of candles in rooms where people may fall asleep.
• Never burn a candle if medical oxygen or any flammable substance is
nearby
 5. Spontaneous Combustion
Spontaneous combustion happens when a material can produce or
accumulate its own heat and can cause increase in temperature without
drawing heat from its surroundings. If the material reaches its ignition
temperature, it will start to burn without any source of fire and that is
called spontaneous combustion. Examples of materials that are prone to
spontaneous combustion include: oily rags, hay, and other agricultural
products (Bitonio 2013).

In house fires, oily rags are the most common item ignited by spontaneous
combustion and the garage is the most common area of fire origin (Bitonio
2103). Oily rags left clumped together can heat up and catch fire. To
prevent these fires at home, store oily rags in non-combustible (e.g. metal)
container with lid closed. Prior to disposal, soak rags in water then spread
them out in a safe outdoor area to dry.
 There are different types of fire and should be controlled
differently when
trying to extinguish. Some chemicals that can extinguish
one type of fire
can cause violent reaction when used with other types.
One good example
is, when fire is caused by faulty electrical wirings,
water and foam could
create some explosions or can increase the intensity of fire.
The table below shows the classification of fire and their respective sources
and symbols.

fire extinguisher, examine the label first to determine whether it can be used
to the class of fire you are dealing with.
Types of Fire Extinguisher
1. Water and Foam – only used to put out class
A fires
2. Carbon Dioxide – can be used to put out
class B and C fires
3. Dry Chemical – can be used to put out class
A, B and C fires
4. Wet Chemical – can be used to put out class
A and K fires
5. Clean Agent – also known as halogenated
extinguishers, can be used to
put out class A, B and C fires
6. Dry Powder – only used to put out class D
fires
7. Water Mist - can be used to put out class A
and C fires
The table shows the summary of classes of fire that can be extinguished by a
particular chemical extinguisher.
 Fire Safety Signs
☆Fire safety signs are color coded for easier identification and determination
which is mandatory and which should be avoided. It is very important to be
knowledgeable or to be familiar with the color and the corresponding meaning
of the picture presented.
☆Fire exit signs are colored green and white as this color combination means a
safe condition. Normally fire exit signs show rapidly walking man and an arrow.
However, some fire exit signs just show ‘fire exit’ text in lower case
letters.
☆Blue fire safety signs are used to indicate a mandatory action or a must do
action. These blue signs mean that you need to do the appropriate action for
your safety. Blue fire safety signs are circular in shape and feature a white
graphic or white text.
☆Red fire safety signs are used to indicate prohibition or you must not go on
that location because it might pose danger or harm. It also signifies the
location of fire equipment and supplementary information. When it means
prohibition, it is circular with a red border, white background and black
image. Fire equipment signs are square with red background and white
images and are used to tell you where to find the location of fire-fighting
equipment.
Response Procedure
During a
Fire Incident
Response Procedure
During a
Fire Incident
Response Procedure
During a
Fire Incident
 Common Fire Related Hazards
The main causes of fire in the workplace are:
1. Electricity – neglect or misuse of wiring can lead to short circuits
2. Rubbish and waste material – fire is likely to spread through
accumulated waste
3. Smoking – carelessly discarded cigarette butts or lit matches are one of
the major causes of fire
4. Cooking – kitchens provide opportunities for fire to start and materials
on which it can feed
5. Heating appliances – portable heaters are a threat when placed beside
combustible furniture or fittings
6. Combustible materials including - flammable liquids, glues and
solvents are all liable to combust unless stored and used properly
7. Arson or willful fire-raising.
Fire Safety Precautions
Good fire safety practice that you should follow includes:

1. Keeping your workplace tidy and having a good standard of

housekeeping;
2. Regularly removing combustible waste, including
accumulations of dust;
3. Keeping ignition sources away from combustible material or
flammable liquids and gases; and
4. Keeping use of flammable liquids to a minimum and closing
containers
Teachers, students, and other school personnel who are at or near the fire’s
point of origin, shall follow the procedures outlined by the R.A.C.E. Fire
Response Procedure.

 R-escue all stakeholders from direct danger.

Note: you will only try to RESCUE anyone in immediate danger from the
fire, if. It does not endanger your life.
 A-larm by pulling the closest fire station and reporting the location of the fire.
Sound the fire alarm in order to warn people of the approaching disaster
and safely evacuate all stakeholders.
 C-onfine the area by closing all doors.
A "contained” fire is one with a complete containment line around its perimeter.
A fire that's “under control” has a full containment line around it, and
there has been a degree of consolidation so fire escaping outside the lines is unlikely.
 E-xtinguish the fire if the fire is small. Evacuate all personnel from the.
area if instructed to do so by fire officials or school authorities
To extinguish a fire is to completely stop a fire.
What you should do during a fire incident?
1. Check the door.

Check if there is smoke coming from under the door or if the door is hot
to touch. If the door is cool to touch, open it slowly and pass. If not,
keep it closed and stay in the room. Place wet towels on the gaps to
prevent fire and smoke from coming in. Have someone pop out of a
window and wave something bright, like a flashlight or a brightlycolored
cloth, to signal for help. Once out of the room, use your building’s emergency
exit and evacuate immediately without panic.
2. P.A.S.S.

To use a fire extinguisher, first P-ull the pin in the handle. A-im the
nozzle at the base of the fire. S-queeze the lever slowly and S-weep from
side to side. Use a fire extinguisher if and only if it is within reach, and
only to put out small fires. If the fire is big, leave!
 3. Stay low
Crawl and cover your nose and mouth. Smoke is toxic and inhaling
large amounts can render you unconscious. Once you are outside, call
the fire department. Do not attempt to go back to the burning building.

4. Stop, Drop, and Roll

If your clothes caught fire, do not panic or touch the flame as it could
only spread the fire. Stop-moving, Drop-on the ground,
and Roll-around until the fire is put out. Doing this will lessen injuries
and put out the fire as quickly as possible.

5. National Emergency Hotline 911

Nothing is better than being prepared. Before fire happens, be aware of
the fire exits in your building and homes. Make sure you know the
emergency numbers for your town or city
What you should NOT do during a Fire Incident?
1. Don’t install smoke alarm detectors.
A smoke detector gives early warning of a fire increasing the chances
of escape. They are so cheap and easy to fit you can have no excuses

2. Pop upstairs to retrieve heirlooms, passports and pets.

Fire can spread very quickly blocking your escape route. Keep that
sort of stuff on the ground floor.

3. Open doors that have smoke flowing from the joints.

Opening the door will add oxygen that will fuel the fire and cause a
fireball that could take you off your feet for good.
A contained fire may burn out for lack of oxygen.

4. Throw water on a chip pan fire.

We all know that water doesn’t mix with oil. The burning oil will explode
spreading the fire and engulfing you in the process. If you are going to
throw anything make it a purpose made fire blanket or use a class F
extinguisher.
5.Try and escape using an Elevator.
The electric circuits are often the first to blow. Being trapped in an
elevator in a fire could roast you alive. Always use the stairwells.

6.Jump from an upstairs window.

The fall could kill you. Use blankets as a rope and throw mattresses
out to cushion the landing or better still use a purpose made
escape ladder.

7. Hide in a cupboard or under the bed.

Hard enough for the fire service without having to play hide and seek
and it won’t save you from the smoke and heat.

8. Delay calling the Fire and Rescue Services.

Don’t dilly dally. Make them your first call to action.
Seconds save lives.
 School Fire Safety Education
☆ Educating and preparing students for a fire emergency should be
a priority.
☆Conduct expected and unexpected monthly school fire drills in which
everyone participates.
☆Inspect exits regularly to ensure stairways, doors and windows are
unblocked and working properly.
☆Train students on how to respond to a fire alarm during a school
fire drill.
☆ Know locations of the fire protection system, fire alarm pull stations
and sprinklers.
☆ Make sure every room has a map showing 2 exits.
☆ Pair students with specific needs to an adult or classmate for
extra assistance.
☆ Have a predetermined location where students know to meet once they
exit the building and practice during a school fire drill.
☆ Have a list to ensure every student is accounted for.
☆Encourage parents to practice home fire drills, and prepare them in the
event of a residential fire.
 On-Campus Fire Safety
☆ Cook only in designated areas.
☆ Keep cooking areas clean and free of clutter.
☆Never leave cooking unattended.
☆ In case of a fire inside a microwave, close thedoor and unplug the unit.
Campus Laboratory Fire Safety

☆ Never leave laboratory experiments or pressure containers

unattended.
☆Keep flammable gases and chemicals away from heat.
Maintaining Your Computer Room to Prevent Fire
There are some things that you can do to prevent a fire from breaking out—
in some cases, fire prevention is more powerful than any fire protection
system.

1. Keep your computer room free of storage—storing combustible materials

in your computer room can increase the chance and spread of a fire. Keep
minimal supplies in the area and store boxes, packaging, and manuals
elsewhere.
2. Inspect power cords—frayed or damaged power cords increase the risk of
fire, as a spark could easily ignite the room. Check for damage and have
repairs done immediately.
3. Maintain and clean computer systems—allowing dust and debris to settle
on your equipment only adds to flammable materials. Think of dust as
kindling.
4. Train employees and display fire emergency plans—ensuring your
employees know how to respond to a fire (whether that means proper use
of a fire extinguisher or immediately evacuating to safety) can save lives
and help prevent further damage.

5. Schedule regular inspection of your fire protection systems—your life

safety and fire protection systems are only effective if they are in working
order. Schedule regular inspections with a local, professional fire
protection company, like State Systems Inc. They can ensure that your
equipment is not only in working order but that it meets all local and state
fire codes.
Fire Emergency and
Evacuation Plans
 What is a fire drill?
•A fire drill is a process of practicing how an establishment/building would be
evacuated in the event of a fire or other emergencies. The purpose of fire drills
in buildings is to ensure that everyone knows how to exit at the fastest and
safest way.
The Conduct of Fire Drills in School
1. Alarm – Fire alarms are signaled.
2. Response – Students will have to be alert for fire, and smoke.
3. Evacuation – All school personnel and students evacuate, following predetermined
ways to the evacuation areas.
4. Assembly – At the designated evacuation area, students are grouped accordingly.
5. Head Count- When drill participants reached the designated evacuation
area, teachers-in-charge must check the attendance of the class to make
sure that everyone is counted in.
6. Evaluation – Evaluation of the drill is conducted to identify problems during
the drill and how to correct these problems.
Fire Escape Plan
 Fire and Emergency Plans

Emergency evacuation plans are what should be developed in order to

ensure the most efficient as well as the safest evacuation time of all expected
residents of a city, region or structure. An "evacuation time" benchmark for
different conditions and hazards is established. Such benchmarks can be
established by using regulations, simulations (e.g., modeling the flow of
people in a building) and best practices for determining the benchmark.

The proper planning is what uses at least a few exits, the so-called
“contra-flow lanes” as well as the special technologies in order to ensure fast,
complete and full evacuation. It is also important to consider for personal
situations as they may affect some individual's ability to evacuate. It may
include the alarm signals with both visual and aural alerts and all the needed
evacuation equipment (e.g., pads, sleds and chairs for disabled people)
 In order to create the right building fire and emergency plans, the
regulations such as building codes can be also used so it can reduce the
possibility of panic. In this way, it may allow the individuals to process the
need to self-evacuate having no causing alarm. The right planning can
implement a so-called “all-hazards approach” meaning that the plans can be
reused for the other hazards that can appear.

Any emergency planning should be focused on preventing the

emergencies from occurring as failing that it may be possible to develop a
good action plan for mitigating the effects as well as the results of any
emergencies. In order to reduce or to avoid the significant losses to a
business, emergency managers should be focused on identifying and
anticipating the potential risks in order to reduce their probability of
occurring.
•Evacuation plans allow us to know where to go exactly after leaving the
school building or a house that is on fire. It lets all concerned people to
know where they should be when evacuation happens.
How to Create a Fire Evacuation Plan for your
☆ Plan for everyone. Household
In planning a fire evacuation plan, one must consider the special needs
of all persons concerned. Adults must assign someone to help the young
children and the elderly.

☆ Find two ways out.

Make sure that your house has two ways out. Household elders must
ensure that all passages in going in and out of the house are free from
obstructions. These passages must be known to all household members.

☆Involve children in planning.

Draw a map of the home and mark the entrance and exit routes. The
drawn family escape plan must be explained well to the children.
Children must be taught of the family’s meeting place outside of the
house during fire emergency.
Choose a place that is visible to people and is accessible to fire
emergency responders. Adults must also explain to the children that
they are NOT allowed to go back of the house after they leave during an
emergency. Respond quickly. Make sure everyone knows that if the
smoke alarm sounds, he or she needs to get out immediately.

☆Have a backup plan.

There must be back up plan for the installed fire evacuation plan of the
family. It must be explained that in cases where family members are
trapped in the house, they can do any of the suggested ways below:
1. Place a towel under the door and go to an
exterior-facing window.
2. Call the fire authorities to report your location.

☆Share with everyone.

Explain your fire evacuation plan to all family members. It must also be
known to your guests or visitors especially those who will stay overnight
in your house.

☆Practice regularly.
Conduct regular family fire drills and review your fire evacuation plan
as the need arises.
 💜
Thank you