Fire Safety Information

Myths About Fire

Are all buildings required to have sprinkler systems?

In order to build to meet safety codes most buildings are required to have a system installed depending on several factors (commercial use, dimensions, and purpose). In the City of Seattle, automatic fire sprinkler systems must be installed by technicians with appropriate certifications from the Fire Department. Depending on the type of work performed, sprinkler technicians will require an AS-1, AS-2 or AS-3 certification. Information regarding the requirements for work to be performed by Seattle Fire Department certified technicians can be found in the Fire Department Administrative Rules. However there are some very large homes and garages that do not have them. It is true that internationally it is not required that there be sprinkler systems installed even in countries like the Germany and France!

Will everyone panic during a fire?

It is expected that people will always panic and like the movies depict there will be mass chaos in any fire even if the sprinkler system is just pulled by the bad guy. However, this is not the case.

Researcher (J.D. Sime and G. Proulx) have proven that people remain quite rational in these situations. Their studies were test in a subway system to observe people decision making ability and they found people remain very composed.

One key aspect for keeping people composed was the set up of fire escape routes and labeling (Fire Action Notices.) Offering people several mapped out ways to safely exit the premises is key for saving lives.

Firefighters are highly trained for these intense situations and prepared to make the right judgment call every time. There is no doubt that these great men deserve the utmost respect, but sometimes it is fear that is driving them too.
So this myth that every one results to panic is busted.

Do sprinkler systems cause more damage than provide good?

Strait to the facts on this one: Some 90 percent of fires are extinguished by four or fewer sprinklers and 65 percent by a single concentrated sprinkler.

The notion that they just flood the building and destroy everything along with the fire is not as true. Yes they do emit massive quantities of water but they are more there for giving people a little extra time to escape with their lives. So this is a personal judgment.

It is also a great precautionary step to have spare hose reels and spares on hand during an emergency.

Are elevators the worst place to be during a fire?

This used to be the case but in recent scenarios elevators and shafts are being designed to withstand several different emergency situations. So unless you are in a 1907 iron wrought gated elevator than you should be given ample stability to escape. Also todays elevators are designed to have an escape route in the case of an emergency with directions to safely get out.

Do all alarms sound safely before the fire or is it too late?

There are many different types of detectors and alarms that are able to test the air quality and match it to proven safety standards. If the detector sense the slightest adjustment to the air quality that is harmful they will sound (Modern alarms can even be set off from those cozy hot showers steam)

It is never a bad idea to prep your home with several types of alarms and place them in the area where that emergency is prone to happen..

Is Steel or Concrete stronger in a fire?

Actually is it still be researched but a major factor deterring from the strength of the steel and or concrete depends on the distribution of weight. Many architects are building structures with this distribution safety in mind to get the maximum strength during the highest temperature exposure.

Depending on the type of concrete mix and steel employed, reinforced concrete structures can support 300 to 500 times their combined weight and behave, according to general mechanics, as a single structural entity. Although concrete and steel would appear to have a weight disadvantage, this support ratio is competitive with student balsa-wood bridges.

Common Fire Safety Tips that you should remember


Step 1: Prep your home with strategically placed Fire Safety Tools such as: Detector, Alarms & Extinguishers

Step 2: Be sure to plan & test routes that include both "normal" exits (through doors) and other exits, such as windows.

Step 3: There should be a a safe meeting place for everyone to go in case of an emergency.

Step 4: In the case of an emergency that cannot be controlled - Remember to stay low and locate the safest possible exist away from danger. Always remember your planned exit route.

For more information about safety escape standards and other knowledge please visit www.firstfireextinguishers.com

Types of Fire

Red

Just visible: 525 °C (977 °F)
Dull: 700 °C (1290 °F)
Cherry, dull: 800 °C (1470 °F)
Cherry, full: 900 °C (1650 °F)
Cherry, clear: 1000 °C (1830 °F)

Orange

Deep: 1100 °C (2010 °F)
Clear: 1200 °C (2190 °F)

White

Whitish: 1300 °C (2370 °F)
Bright: 1400 °C (2550 °F)
Dazzling: 1500 °C (2730 °F)

Typical Fire Temperatures:
1: Oxyhydrogen flame: 2000 °C or above (3645 °F)
2: Bunsen burner flame: 1300 to 1600 °C (2372 to 2912 °F)
3: Blowtorch flame: 1,300 °C (2372 °F)
4: Candle flame: 1000 °C (1832 °F)

Classes of Fires

A - Ordinary combustibles
B - Flammable liquids and gases
C - Energized electrical equipment
D - Combustible metals
K - Cooking oils

There are no current standards for the different type of extinguishers , although most are typically red (except for class D, which are Yellow). Typically there are pictograms on the extinguisher defining what type of fire it is approved and tested to work.

Types of Fire Extinguishers

1: C02 Extinguisher
2: Foam Extinguisher
3: Water Additive Extinguisher
4: Powder Extinguisher
5: Chrome Extinguishers
6: Automatic Extinguisher
7: Wet Chemical Extinguisher



Each family should own at least one Extinguisher. It is important to know that there are different fire extinguishers for different types of fires.
Most people use a dry powder extinguisher that treats classes A, B, and C. They are all compatible but at the fire hazard becomes more dangerous they equipment used should be approved.

Fire Extinguisher Accessability & Placement

Wall Fixing - Keep the extinguisher visible and accessible on a nearby wall in the case of an emergency. You want to place your extinguisher near where a fire might start but at a safe distance so you can reach it.(i.e. in the kitchen opposite the stove)

Transportable Brackets - Allow you to safely carry an extinguisher on just about any mode of transportation (i.e. car, boat, plane) Brackets for transport have webbed straps and safety buckle for easy retrieval, these are of high grade material that can withstand movement and bring up to a 5 kg fire extinguisher.

Fire Extinguisher Boxe - Come in 3 kinds, for vehicle, buildings and structures and for boats. The kinds are distinguished by the materials or combination of materials that make up a fire extinguisher box. What all the fire extinguisher boxes have in common, they all have safety locks. A slight break in the seal of an extinguisher will render a unit useless in an emergency.

Some types of Fire Alarms and Detectors

First, there are ionization smoke alarms. These tend to respond more quickly to a fast fire that moves very quickly.

Second, Photoelectric alarms are particularly sensitive to slow fires, such as smoldering and smoky flames.

Third, Carbon Monoxide Detectors that pick up traces of carbon monoxide in the air, which standard alarms cannot detect. A Carbon Monoxide detector has been in the market for the past 17 years and is proven to detect this silent killer.

Finally, there is what we call a dual sensor smoke alarm, which combines both ionization and photoelectric alarms into one all-purpose device.

There are also some smoke alarms are also made with the hearing-impaired in mind. These smoke alarms may vibrate or have flashing strobe lights in order to properly notify people of an emergency.

Other fire safety tools

Fire Blankets - Fire blankets are made from inflammable glass fibre fabric. To extinguish a fire, cover it totally with the fire blanket to smother it and put it out. Always discard a fire blanket that has been used or is broken and get a new one to replace it.

First Aids Kits - A collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, particularly in a medical emergency. Most first-aid kits contain bandages for controlling bleeding, personal protective equipment such as gloves and a breathing barrier for performing rescue breathing and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and sometimes instructions on how to perform first aid.

Fire Safety Signs - not mandatory for home use - For commercial or public places these are required to guide people effectively to safety.

Fire Sand Bucket - They are often kept next to ovens, barbecues, and other area where fires can occur. A normal bucket filled with sand which is used to put out fires. In order to extinguish the fire, the sand in the bucket is dumped on the fire to starve it of the oxygen it needs to stay alive.

Focus Groups for Fire Safety

The main focus for this Fire Safety Information is directed towards youth and elderly, since during the case of a fire the require direct attention.

Fires and burns currently are among the leading causes of "unintentional injury deaths in the United States" according to the C.D.C. and over 50% of them occur in homes. Smoke alarms and detectors do decrease your chances of being injuried, however there are still much needed precautionary measures that should be taken in homes.

One-fourth of U.S. households lack working smoke alarms, and do not prep alternate fire escape routes with their families or safe meeting places during an emergency.

This lack of preparation are the root of problems in the case of these life-threatening emergencies.

3 ways you can delay flashover.

1.) Open the windows of the burning room. This releases the build up of heat and slows down flashover in addition to improving visibility in smoke-filled conditions.

2.) Don't ventilate and close the door to the burning room. By not venting, you starve the fire of oxygen, which slows down the combustion rate. This may be done when there is a delay in stretching a hose-line and all persons are out of the burning room.

3.) A portable fire extinguisher to cool the room temporarily and also delay flashover.

BREAKING FIRE NEWS

FIRE AT DISNEY
Disney's Animal Kingdom has closed after a small fire broke out last Sunday. One woman went to the hospital with minor injuries.

Learn More

FIRE IN GEORGIA
Fire from Port PentWorth Georgia leaves 2 men missing and silos still burning while everyone on site is still trying to smother it out from last week.

Learn More

FIRE IN THE CAROLINA'S AND VIRGINIA
60 homes evacuated this past weekend as a fire sent smoke billowing above parts of the Carolina's and Virginia. 11,000 people over 15 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach were affected.

Learn More

please also visit for more in-depth coverage on these matters
http://www.sugarrefineryexplosion.com/

www.wjbf.com

How much?

Helmet - $300.00
Coat - $800.00
Breathing apparatus - $4,000.00
Gloves - $90.00
Pants - $600.00
Boots - $250.00

Total $6,040.00

According to the National Fire Protection Association

(1) There were 3,245 deaths as the result of fire.

(2) There were 16,400 injured as the result of fire.

(3) There were 106 firefighter deaths on duty.

(4) 81 percent of all fire deaths occurred in residences.

(5) 1.6 million fires were reported last year.

(6) $11.3 billion in property damage

(7) 31,000 arson attacks with 305 civilian deaths.

(8) $755 million in property damage for arson attacks.

According to the NF PA - Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined.

Estimated number of firefighters in 2006: 1,140,900 (career: 316,950, volunteer: 823,950)

Firefighters Age:
16-19 (3.9%),
20-29 (21.1%),
30-39 (28.7%),
40-49 (26.4%),
50-59 (14.9%)
60 and over (5.0%)

The kitchen is most common place for fires to start and naturally cooking is the leading cause.

More often than not the fires are caused from human
error versus mechanical failure.

Also careless smoking habits have often been found to start fires in homes or residences.

For commercial properties arson is the leading cause for any fire related event and for residential areas arson takes the second leading cause of fires.

Heating systems are said to come in third. These systems are rarely maintained regularly and cause fires commonly in single family homes or apartments.

Homes fire:
25 percent - kitchen fire
14 percent - Bedroom fire
9 percent - Livingroom fire
52 percent - Other Areas fire

Condos and Apartments fires:
50 percent - kitchen fire
14 percent - Bedroom fire
6 percent - Livingroom fire
30 percent - Other Areas fire

Adults 65 and older

Children 5 years old.

Men are injured or die from fires more often than Women

It takes on average 30 seconds for a little flame to become an uncontrollable blaze. On average it will on take a matter of minutes for a home to be engulfed completely by flames. Take the necessary steps to protect your home, family and yourself.


The photo above was taken by photographer John Mccolgan north of Sula, Montana in 2000.

Actually - It is proven that the heat of fire is more detrimental than the flames.

At the floor level a common fire can reach over 100 degrees and at average eye level it hits about over 600 degrees. Just breathing in the air near a common house fire can scorch your lungs beyond repair.

It is when everything in the area of the hazard gets so hot that it ignites and bursts into flames. On average it takes about 5 minutes for a normal house room to reach this temperature.

When a fire starts it is very bright and then it begins giving off a black smoke smothering the vicinity in complete darkness. It can actually disorient the home owner so much they can lose their way in their own home. That is why it is so important to have a fire exit plan established in any area. So it is often that you hear from those individuals who work around fire to say

"Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black!"

It has been researched and discovered that the toxic gases given off by fires cause more deaths than the anything else.

Fires deprive all of the oxygen out of the air causing it to grow and the giving off poisonous gases that are highly toxic. These gases commonly cause victims to become drowsy and bewildered. You will experience an extreme shortness of breath while these odorless and colorless gases take over the surrounding area.

These gases vary depending on the source and the flame but always remember that you can protect your home with the proper equipment. It is always safe to have several kinds of detectors for safe measures. Please visit www.firstfireextinguishers.com for any concerns or questions.

Fire fact 1:
Fire isn't matter!

It is unlike water and air and most things on Earth that are made up of matter. Fire is actually comprised of millions upon millions of atoms forced together. It is visible and considered by many scientist to be the tangible effect of matter that is undergoing change.

Fire fact 2:
Fire is caused by the reaction between O2(oxygen) and some source of fuel (Wood or Gas ect.) In order for this fire to actually flare-up it must have some sort of ignition.

Fire process (example wood)
The wood begins to heat up due to some source.
When the wood gets to 300 degrees F(or 150 C) the immense heat begins to break down the materials in the wood.

The smoke you begin to see is actually gases (hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen) which burn toxic and very harmful.

Fires also give off "Char"(nearly pure carbon). Charcoal fires don't give off smoke because all of the deadly gases have been removed leaving almost 100% carbon. That's why when you grill out you don't get a bunch of smoke like normal fires.

"Ash"(Calcium, Potassium, ect.) all the things that don't burn in the wood

"Soot" is formed when the carbon particles rise and lay on the surface of the object.

Fire & Incandescence
As the source begins to reach higher temperatures and heat up more it begins to give off rising atoms that produces light. "Heat produces Light" which is the same reason you hit the switch and the light bulbs work. That is you have the visible flames. Now since the fire does not burn at the same temperature all over you end up with different variations of color. The hottest is Blue and the cooler parts are a yellow-orange.

The worst situation is to give a fire more sources to let the fire absorb more oxygen. This will keep the fire alive and allow it to in a sense seek out more sources to engulf. This is a self-igniting fire which you will see often in the forest fires.

Gravity

Gravity is a strong factor controlling the shape and expansion of fire. Typically the hot gases in the flames are much hotter and less dense than the air around it, so they move upward nearer to lower pressure. The is why fire goes whenever you see it.



If you were to light a fire in space it would look like a blob or a sphere (assuming it lite in a place with oxygen present)



May of 2007 - The U.S. built space station recognized a dangerous fire hazard that could have lead to a fatal ending.

The hazard originated from the oxygen tank lines that were mounted on the exterior of the station. The metal used in the walls of high-pressure gas lines were reaching near potential for an "ignition event" aboard the space station or in plain English, a spark. These lines were designed to distribute oxygen from storage tanks to other locations on the station.

The concern was that with the large amounts of pure oxygen under such high pressure, this metal can burn as easy as common fuels such as wood, plastic or food particles.

Realistically the metal would be ignited by striking or scraping along the interior of the line at high speed. The flash of heat would be enough to ignite other nearby particles, setting off an explosion.

A similar fire tragedy happened aboard Apollo 1 in 1967 and a series of fires on Russia's Mir space station, including the near-fatal one in 1997. The only difference was that none of those fires involved oxygen under high pressure.

According to NASA officials, "We haven't gotten over the scars of the Apollo fire%u2026so when people say 'oxygen' we perk up our ears and pay special attention."

What the worst?

If it punched a big enough hole in the side of the airlock, it could lead to rapid depressurization of that portion of the station. There would be no recovery or enough time to react to such a volatile incident.

The pressure in some of these lines, specifically along the joints, reach a brief surge of air that pump the air or particles near the speed of sound - this far exceeds the safety pressure limit of below 100 feet/second.

The First


Ctesibius of Alexandria invented the first fire pump around the 2nd century B.C. This fire pump was later taken by Europeans and then reinvented in the 1500s.

Then in England in 1906 there was the first sight of the horse pulled steam fire engine. In order to pump water there was a steam engine on board that pushed out water. The Horse-drawn steam fire engine didn't appear in the U.S. until late 19th century.

By 1730, Newham, in London, had made the first successful fire engine and they were first used in New York City (in 1731). The amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted the institution of an organized fire company by Benjamin Franklin in 1737.
John Ericsson made a similar one in New York in 1840 that was the first American steam-powered fire engine.


Aging of pumps

Water used to be put into wooden pipes under the streets and a "fire plug" was pulled out of the top of the pipe when a suction hose was to be inserted.
Pressurized fire hydrants, where the pressure was increased when a fire alarm was sounded shortly followed but there was a high risk involved for keep these used properly. This was found to be a harmful system, and unreliable.
Today when you see hydrants they are valved hydrant systems are kept under pressure at all times, although additional pressure may be added when needed. Pressurized hydrants eliminate much of the work in obtaining water for pumping through the engine and into the attack hoses

Aerials on the trucks (the latters)

The 19th century was very dangerous job for reaching tall structures for putting out fires. At first, manually-extendable ladders were used; as these grew in length (and weight) these were put onto two large wheels. The monstrous latter's were on wheels and carried behind fire engines.
The turntable ladder or TL which was even longer, mechanically-extendable was installed directly onto the fire truck. Since the late 1930s, the longest turntable ladders have reached a height of 150 feet (45 metres), requiring the specially designed truck to carry such ladders.
After the Second World War turntable ladders were supplemented by the aerial work platform (sometimes called 'cherry picker'), a platform or bucket attached onto a mechanically-bending arm (or "snorkel")

1666
Sept. 2, England: "Great Fire of London" destroyed much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral. Damage £10 million.

1835
Dec. 16, New York City: 530 buildings destroyed by fire.

1871
Oct. 8, Chicago: the "Chicago Fire" burned 17,450 buildings and killed 250 people; $196 million in damage.

1872
Nov. 9, Boston: fire destroyed 800 buildings; $75 million in damage.

1876
Dec. 5, New York City: fire in Brooklyn Theater killed more than 300.

1903
Dec. 30, Chicago: Iroquois Theatre fire killed 602.

1904
Feb. 7, Baltimore, Md.: blaze spread through downtown Baltimore. More than 1,500 buildings were destroyed. Damages $150 million, but no lives lost.

1907
Dec. 6, Monongah, W. Va.: coal mine explosion killed 362.
Dec. 19, Jacobs Creek, Pa.: explosion in coal mine left 239 dead.

1908
Jan. 13, Boyertown, Pa.: fire in Rhoads Opera House killed 170 people who were attending church-sponsored stage performance.
March 4, Collinwood, Ohio: fire in Collinwood school killed 176. Led to revision of fire codes for schools.

1923
May 17, Beulah, S.C.: fire started by a candle during a Cleveland school play killed 77.

1937
March 18, New London, Tex.: explosion de-stroyed schoolhouse; 294 killed.

1940
April 23, Natchez, Mississippi: 209 die when a packed dance hall erupts in flames during a performance by Walter Barnes and His Royal Creolians Orchestra. The blaze is fueled by decorative Spanish moss covering the building's rafters, which generated flammable methane gas once burned. Among those to perish were Barnes and nine members of his band.

1942
April 26, Manchuria: explosion in Honkeiko Colliery killed 1,549.
Nov. 28, Boston, Mass.: Coconut Grove nightclub fire killed 491.

1946
Dec. 7, Atlanta: fire in Winecoff Hotel killed 119.

1947
April 16-18, Texas City, Tex.: most of the city destroyed by a fire and subsequent explosion on the French freighter Grandcamp, which was carrying a cargo of ammonium nitrate. At least 516 were killed and over 3,000 injured.

1958
Dec. 1, Chicago: fire at Our Lady of Angels, a Roman Catholic grade school, resulted in deaths of 90 students and 3 nuns.

1969
Jan. 14, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise ripped by explosions; 27 dead, 82 injured.

1977
May 28, Southgate, Ky.: fire in Beverly Hills Supper Club; 167 dead.

1999
March 24, Chamonix, France: fire in Belgian truck carrying margarine and flour in the Mont Blanc tunnel trapped dozens of cars. Death toll was at least 42.

2000
Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole was heavily damaged when a small boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. Seventeen sailors were killed in what was apparently a deliberate terrorist attack.

2000
Nov. 11, nr. Kaprun, Austria: cable car transporting skiers to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier broke into flames in a mountain tunnel, killing 156. It was Austria's worst Alpine disaster.
Dec. 25, Luoyang, China: at least 309 people were killed in fire at shopping center. Most of the victims had been attending Christmas party at unlicensed disco in building.

2002
Jan. 27, Lagos, Nigeria: explosions at military depot triggered a stampede from the surrounding neighborhoods. More than 1,000 killed; many of the victims drowned in two muddy canals as they tried to flee.
June 20, Jixi, Heilongjian province, China: gas explosion at a coal mine killed 111 people. China's mining industry is one of the deadliest; it is estimated that more than 5,000 mining-related deaths occurred in 2001.

2003
Feb. 18, Daegu, South Korea: subway fire, started by an arsonist, raced through two trains, killing 189 people and injuring more than 140.
Feb. 20, West Warwick, R.I.: fire, caused by a pyrotechnics display at a rock concert, engulfed a nightclub, The Station, killing 100 and injuring more than 150.

2004
July 16, southern India: thatched roof of a school caught fire, killing 94 children.
Aug. 1, Asunción, Paraguay: fire, caused by a gas leak, in a supermarket killed at least 400 people.
Nov. 27, Shaanxi province, China: gas explosion at Chenjiashan Coal Mine in northwest China killed 166 miners. In October, another blast killed 148.
Dec. 30, Buenos Aires, Argentina: a lit flare started a fire at a nightclub, killing 175 people.

2005
Feb. 14, Liaoning province, China: A gas explosion killed 209 miners at the Sujiawan mine. It was the deadliest reported mine disaster in China since 1949.

2006
Jan. 1, Sago mine, W. Va.: Thirteen mine workers were trapped underground for more than 40 hours after a methane explosion. Only one emerged alive. Subsequent investigation revealed that lightning was the most likely ignition source of the explosion.

2007
March 19, Ulyanovskaya, Russia: A methane explosion in a coal mine killed 110 people, making it the worst mine disaster in recent Russian history.
May 24, Novokuznetsk, Russia: Two months after the Ulyanovskaya explosion, another methane blast killed 38 in the nearby Yubileninaya coal mine.
June 18, Charleston, S.C.: Nine firefighters were killed when the roof collapsed during a fire in a furniture warehouse.
August 25-27, Greece: Over 220 separate fires ravage the Greek countryside and endanger ancient Olympic sites around Athens. At least 59 people die in the blazes.
Oct. 21-25, southern, Calif.: 16 wildfires from Simi Valley to the Mexican border are fanned by 50 to 60 mph winds burning 500,000 acres. Two people die, 25 firefighters and civilians are injured, and nearly 1,300 homes are destroyed. Over 500,000 people evacuate their homes while nearly 1,000 firefighters fight the flames.

Feb. 8 - Savannah Ga. - Dixie sugar refinery so far 52 fatalities and over 100 injuries.

I was able to find many of these terrible tragedies through infoplease if I didn't know about them already