What part of the fire is normally attacked first?

The fastest-moving portion is designated the “head” of the fire, the sides of the fire are known as the “flanks”, and the slowest moving portion is known as the “tail” or “heel” of the fire. The origin of the fire is usually near the heel.

What is the first stage of fire?

Stages of fire

Ignition: Fuel, oxygen and heat join together in a sustained chemical reaction. At this stage, a fire extinguisher can control the fire. Growth: With the initial flame as a heat source, additional fuel ignites. Convection and radiation ignite more surfaces.

What Burns first in a forest fire?

The first, broadcast burning, involves lighting fires across a tract of land, from a few hectares to thousands of hectares in size. The second, pile burning, involves stacks of vegetation that are burned individually. Pile burning can be used when conditions are not safe to set a larger fire.

What are the 3 stages of a fire?

of fire, how fire develops and significant events which can occur during a fire. Traditional Fire growth in a room can be divided into three distinct stages: the growth stage (incipient), the fully developed stage (free-burning), and the decay stage (smoldering).

What are the five stages of a fire?

Gastroparesis Signs

Which comes first smoke or fire?

Smoke occurs when there is incomplete combustion (not enough oxygen to burn the fuel completely). In complete combustion, everything is burned, producing just water and carbon dioxide. When incomplete combustion occurs, not everything is burned. Smoke is a collection of these tiny unburned particles.

What happens when a fire starts?

A fire will continue to burn until actively extinguished or until the combustibles or oxygen is exhausted. If not otherwise extinguished or exhausted, the fire will continue burning and at a certain point will suddenly and very rapidly expand from a small, localised fire to one filling the entire room.

What are the 4 stages of a fire?

Compartment fire development can be described as being comprised of four stages: incipient, growth, fully developed and decay (see Figure 1). Flashover is not a stage of development, but simply a rapid transition between the growth and fully developed stages.

What is the second stage of a fire?

Stage Two - Growth

Once a fire reaches this stage, it becomes harder to control. If a fire detector recognizes a fire at this point, you have little time to put it out before it reaches flashover.

How do fire start?

Fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat, in the right combination, to occur naturally. If just one of those elements is taken away, a fire can't happen. Nature has been making fires since the planet first sprouted trees, introducing the abundance of fuel and oxygen needed for fires to take place.

How do most forest fires start?

Nearly 85 percent* of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson. Lightning is one of the two natural causes of fires.

How do forest fires ignite?

Sometimes, fires occur naturally, ignited by heat from the sun or a lightning strike. However, most wildfires are because of human carelessness such as arson, campfires, discarding lit cigarettes, not burning debris properly, playing with matches or fireworks.

Does fire burn uphill or downhill?

One of the first things wildland firefighters learn is that fires burn much faster uphill. It's simple physics: heat rises, so the heat from the fire warms and dries out the upslope fuels fastest.

What is the initial or first action to be undertaken upon discovering a fire on board ship?

In case of fire, raise the Fire/General alarm as soon as possible. Try to stop fire and if it is not possible, muster according to the Fire Muster List.

What is the life cycle of fire?

The six elements of the life cycle of fire are described by Dawson Powell in The Mechanics of Fire. These elements are input heat, fuel, oxygen, proportioning, mixing, and ignition continuity. All of these elements are essential for both the initiation and continuation of the diffusion flame combustion process.

Where does the fire start?

Fires start when a flammable or a combustible material, in combination with a sufficient quantity of an oxidizer such as oxygen gas or another oxygen-rich compound (though non-oxygen oxidizers exist), is exposed to a source of heat or ambient temperature above the flash point for the fuel/oxidizer mix, and is able to ...

What is the first thing you do if you discover a fire?

Pull the fire alarm and call for help. Alert people in the area to begin evacuation. Assist those with disabilities. If you know how to use a fire extinguisher and have a clear exit path behind you, bring the extinguisher within 6 feet of the fire.

What makes a fire worse?

Dust. No one ever thinks about dust making a fire worse, but dust burns quickly due to its dry nature. Some dusts, such as dust that comes from solid materials or metals, are combustible, and may start a fire by interacting with the surrounding air.

Does smoke build from the floor or ceiling?

If you are caught in a smoke filled atmosphere, try not to panic. Smoke builds from the ceiling down in layers. The hottest and potentially most toxic area is at ceiling level. There will be fresh air at floor level.

Can smoke start a fire?

Smoke can be flammable, though it is not always. Smoke is produced by incomplete combustion of the fuel in a fire. This leaves unburnt fuel in the smoke (especially in dark, black smoke) that can ignite when the ideal combination on fuel, heat and oxygen is reached.

Can there be fire without smoke?

Yes there are flames that don't produce smoke, but the reasons are complicated and depend on the conditions of the flame as well as the key fuel creating the flame. The obvious example of a smokeless flame is hydrogen.

Do fires burn up or down?

On Earth, gravity determines how the flame burns. All the hot gases in the flame are much hotter (and less dense) than the surrounding air, so they move upward toward lower pressure. This is why fire typically spreads upward, and it's also why flames are always "pointed" at the top.

Does fire spread up or down?

As the smoke and flames spread on one floor, it reaches the elevators that then funnel it upwards or downwards, where it quickly reaches the other floors, destroying property as it goes. Considering how fast fire spreads, protecting buildings against fire is essential.

What is the hottest fastest moving part of a fire?

Mostly, predictions are made for the fastest moving part of the fire called the head fire which spreads generally in the direction of the wind.

What is fire ignition?

Fire is the combination of heat, fuel, oxygen, and an ignition source—known as the fire triangle. Natural fuels include grasses, needles, leaves, brush, and trees. Natural ignition sources include lightning and lava.