Spread Fire

SPREAD FIRE
How Fires Start
The process is called oxidation which is the

process of combining oxygen with other
substances. A fire starts because the heat/energy
created as part of the oxidation process is created
faster than can be released, quickly causing
combustion and the resulting flames. Whilst
oxidation is a process that happens everyday such
as when metal rusts, the difference is the speed of
which it occurs. Fire is a rapid oxidation process
that spreads quickly and will keep burning until
one or more of the three necessary components is
How Fires Start
Fire is a chemical process that requires three
components to be present:
Heat – enough to make the fuel burn

Oxygen
Fuel – anything that will burn whether solid, liquid or gas
How Fires Spread
Once a fire has started it grows through the transfer

of the heat energy from the flames. This can happen in
three different ways:
Conduction
Fire spreads through direct contact between
materials. Materials like metal that are good conductors
absorb the heat from the fire and pass this throughout
the molecules of the material. This can cause any
combustible materials that come into contact with the
item to ignite.
Convection
The flow of fluid or gas from hot areas to cooler
areas. The fire heats the air around it which rises,
taking the smoke along with it, but can become
trapped by the ceiling if in an enclosed space. As a
result the hot air is forced to travel horizontally and
eventually downwards, spreading the heat from the
fire across a wider area and making it very dangerous
very quickly.
Radiation
Heat is transferred via electromagnetic waves in the
air. This heat is then absorbed by combustible objects
in its path causing them to heat up and possibly ignite
without even touching the fire. Although some materials
such as concrete do not allow radiation to pass through
them, the radiated heat from a burning building can
cause surrounding structures to catch fire.
How Fires Spread
There are 4 different stages to the life a fire
which depending on the circumstances of
each individual fire may vary in in the time it
takes to get from one to the other but will still
follow the same pattern:
Ignition/incipient – When the oxidation process
begins and a small fire starts that is controllable with
a fire extinguisher.
Growth – Additional fuel ignites due to the heat
being generated by the fire causing the fire to grow.
Fully Developed – Any combustible materials and
fuel sources available have caught fire and
temperatures have reached their highest.
Decay (Burnout) – As the available fuel has already
been consumed by the fire, temperatures decrease
and the fire begins to get less intense.
How Fires Spread
Classification of Fires
Depending on the type of fuel that is burning fires

can be separated into 5 different classifications
which makes it easier to choose the most
appropriate method to fight the fire.
Class A – Fires involving ordinary combustible
materials. These are things such as wood and
textiles and are the most common type of fire,
occurring when materials become heated to ignition
temperature.
Class B – Fires involving flammable liquids. Petrol,
alcohol and paint are all examples of flammable liquids.
They spread quickly, burn easily, have an ignition
temperature less than 100°C and produce thick toxic
smoke.
Class C – Fires involving flammable gases. Gases
such as butane and propane have the potential to
explode through a single spark and can be one of the
most dangerous types of fire to fight.
Class D – Fires involving burning metals.
Although a lot of heat is required to ignite most
metals, they are good conductors so transfer heat
quickly to their surroundings. Some metals can
also burn when in contact with air and water,
meaning that if the wrong fire fighting method is
used explosive reactions could happen as a
result.
Class F – Fires involving cooking oil. Due to the
high temperatures involved in cooking oil and fats
these fires can pose a difficult challenge. Common
in both homes and professional kitchens water
should be avoided as it can cause the flames to
rapidly spread out, making the fire worse.
Electrical Fires – As electricity does not actually
burn but is the element that sets surrounding material
alight (a source of ignition rather than a fuel), an
electrical fire can fall into any of the above
classifications. For this reason it does not have its own
classification but does have it’s own fire safety
requirements.
Hannah Cheshire | Head of Marketing

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SPREAD FIRE

How Fires Start

The process is called oxidation which is the

Heat – enough to make the fuel burn

Once a fire has started it grows through the transfer

Depending on the type of fuel that is burning fires

Hannah Cheshire | Head of Marketing

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