Fire Extinguishing Basic Principles
A fire cannot start or continue if one side of the fire triangle—fuel, oxygen, or heat—is missing, or if there is an interruption in the chemical chain reaction that supports combustion. If any of these three elements can be removed, or if the chemical chain reaction can be disrupted, the "triangle" is broken, and the fire will cease to burn.
Cooling
One of the most effective methods of fire suppression is reducing the heat, with water being a common extinguishing agent. A fire is extinguished when the heat generated by the fire is less than the heat absorbed by the water.
Note
Water is unsuitable for extinguishing fires in electrical equipment, as well as fires caused by cooking oils, fats, or flammable liquids.
Starving the Fire
A fire will self-extinguish when it runs out of combustible material. For example, an open fire in an isolated area without wood or dry grass will naturally burn out. Similarly, a gas fire will be immediately extinguished once the gas supply is cut off, as when turning off a gas stove.
Smothering
Oxygen is a vital component in the combustion process. Reducing or removing the oxygen supply can effectively extinguish a fire. For example:
- Smothering the flame of a pan with a fire blanket deprives the fire of oxygen, reducing the level below 16%, which is the minimum required for combustion.
- Covering a candle with a glass creates a vacuum, suffocating the flame.
Smothering techniques are most effective for solid fuel fires. However, some materials may contain enough oxygen within their chemical composition to continue burning.
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