Fire

Fire, or burning, is the rapid exothermic oxidation of an ignited fuel. The fuel
can be in solid, liquid, or vapor form, but vapor and liquid fuels are generally
easier to ignite. The combustion always occurs in the vapor phase; liquids are
volatized and solids are decomposed into vapor before combustion.

Fire Triangle
The essential elements for combustion are fuel, an oxidizer, and an ignition
source. These elements are illustrated by the fire triangle


There are two important factors to remember in preventing and extinguishing a
fire:
i) If any of the three components are missing, then a fire cannot start.
ii) If any of the three components are removed, then the fire will go out.

Various fuels, oxidizers, and ignition sources common in the chemical industry
are

Fuels
Liquids: gasoline, acetone, ether, pentane
Solids: plastics, wood dust, fibers, metal particles
Gases: acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen

Oxidizers
Gases: oxygen, fluorine, chlorine
Liquids: hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, perchloric acid
Solids: metal peroxides, ammonium nitrite

Ignition sources
Sparks, flames, static electricity, heat


Classes of Fire:

Fire can be classified in four classes viz. A, B, C & D

Class A Fires:
Class A fires involve three groups of materials commonly found onboard a
vessel, including:
Wood and wood-based materials
Textiles and fibres
Plastics and rubber

Class B Fires
Class B fires involve two groups of materials commonly found onboard a
vessel:
Flammable liquids
Flammable gases

Class C Fires
Electrical equipment involved in fire, or in the vicinity of a fire, may cause
electric shock or burns to firefighters. This Subsection discusses some electrical
installations found aboard a vessel, their hazards and the extinguishment of fires
involving electrical equipment.

Class D Fires
Metals are commonly considered to be non-flammable. However, they can
contribute to fires and fire hazards in a number of ways. Sparks from the ferrous
metals, iron and steel, can ignite nearby combustible materials. Finely divided
metals are easily ignited at high temperatures

ISO Standard 3941
Class A: Fires involving solid materials, usually of an
organic nature, in which combustion normally takes place
with the formation of glowing embers
Class B: Fires involving liquids or liquefiable solids.
Class C: Fires involving gases.
Class D: Fires involving metals.




Provision for Fire Fighting

Following are the types of fire extinguishing system:

1. Fixed Gas Fire Extinguishing Systems
2. Fixed Water Fire Extinguishing Systems
3. Foam Fire Extinguishing Systems
4. Gas Carrier Cargo Area Fire Extinguishing Systems
5. Portable/Semi-portable Fire Extinguishers

Fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems typically suppress fires by reducing the
available oxygen in the atmosphere to a point where combustion can no longer
take place or by interrupting the chemical reaction necessary for the progression
of the fire.

Fixed water extinguishing systems are normally considered to include water
spray, water sprinkler and water mist systems. These systems utilize fixed
piping systems with distributed arrays of nozzles located in the overhead, which
are supplied from dedicated pump(s).

Fire fighting foam is used to form a blanket on the surface of flaming liquids.
The blanket prevents flammable vapours from leaving the surface and prevents
oxygen from reaching the fuel.
Foam is produced by the combination of three materials:
Water
Air
Foam making agent

Gas Carrier Cargo Area Fire Extinguishing Systems : Dry chemical
extinguishing agents are chemicals in powder form. Dry chemical powders,
such as sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate and urea potassium
bicarbonate can be very effective in extinguishing small LNG or LPG fires.

Portable/Semi-portable Fire Extinguishers: Because a fire starts small, most
fires that are discovered early and attacked quickly are usually controlled and
extinguished before they can grow out of control. When used properly, both can
be very effective in controlling and extinguishing a small, localized fire.

Not all extinguishers are the same. Fire extinguishers can vary in size, as well as
the extinguishing medium that they use.