| Fire is a devastating experience. It is important | | | | present. The fuel is the wood while the heat |
| for each and every one of us to know the basic | | | | source is provided by another fire such as a |
| procedures and techniques on how to fight fires. | | | | lighter. Oxygen is naturally available in the open air |
| In firefighting, fires are categorized into 5 classes. | | | | of the environment and the fourth element is the |
| Each class is classified according to the fuel | | | | uninhibited or self sustaining chemical chain reaction |
| involved in the fire. This classification was | | | | called combustion that produces heat that keeps |
| formulated to better understand how each class | | | | the fire burning. This last element links all the other |
| can be prevented and put out effectively. This | | | | three component of the fire tetrahedron. Class A |
| arrangement also allows the proper selection of a | | | | fires are not dangerous and easy to contain. |
| fire extinguisher for a specific fire to avoid | | | | However, this type of fire can grow out of |
| unwanted side effects. For instance, a dry | | | | control if fire burns in a less constrained |
| powder fire extinguisher is used for common | | | | environment. |
| combustibles, flammable gases or liquids and | | | | There are many fire safety equipment you can |
| electrical fires while an electrical extinguisher is | | | | use to put out a Class A fire. One of them is the |
| effective only for fires caused by electricity. | | | | fire blanket. It is a safety device used to |
| Among the five main classifications, Class A is the | | | | extinguish a small contained fire. It is made out of |
| most common. This consists of ordinary | | | | a sheet of fire retardant material which is placed |
| combustible materials like paper and wood. It also | | | | over a fire to smother it. Small fiberglass blankets |
| includes vegetation fires and derived products | | | | are used in homes and can be folded easily into a |
| such as straw, cotton, linen, cardboard, wood and | | | | quick release container for storage. |
| textile. On the other hand, synthetic polymers | | | | Another way of preventing a Class A fire from |
| fires take in rubber and plastics. | | | | erupting is through the use of a fire extinguisher. |
| Wood is an organic solid material and when it | | | | The hydrospray fire extinguisher is most suitable |
| becomes adequately hot and oxygen is available | | | | in Class A fires. It has a special additive which is |
| to it, combustion will take place. This material will | | | | able to reduce the water's surface tension and |
| burst into flames and will continue burning given | | | | inhibit fire propagation. On the other hand, a dry |
| that heat, fuel, oxygen and a supporting chemical | | | | powder fire extinguisher is used for Class A, B |
| reaction is accessible to it. | | | | and C fires. It is pressurized by nitrogen and is |
| Camping and cooking out in the backyard is an | | | | filled up with a particular powder. The foam fire |
| example of this kind of fire. This fire is used in | | | | extinguisher puts out Class A and B fires by |
| controlled conditions. For instance, in camping fire | | | | forming a reactive film on the liquid to extinguish |
| the four elements of the fire tetrahedron are | | | | the fire. |