Fire Hazards: Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction Notes

Fire Hazards

Learning Targets

  • Recognize elements of the fire triangle in different situations.

  • Analyze the different causes of fire.

  • Observe precautionary measures and proper procedures in addressing a fire incident.

  • Apply basic response procedures during a fire incident.

  • Follow fire emergency and evacuation plans.

Causes and Effects of Fire

  • Frayed or cracked wires:

    • Caused by old wiring, corrosion, heat, bending of wires, and rodent activity.

    • Leads to unsafe wiring conditions.

  • Unsafe wiring conditions:

    • Result in warm spots or scorch marks in outlet plugs.

    • May produce smoke from outlets or appliances.

    • Can cause crackling, buzzing, or sizzling sounds from outlets and switches.

  • Overloaded circuits:

    • Leads to constant resetting of circuit breakers.

    • Causes flickering or dimming of lights.

  • Burned electric meters:

    • Caused by poor installation, poor wire connections in the meter base, tampering, and overloaded circuits.

Fire Triangle

The fire triangle illustrates the three elements that must be present for a fire to be produced. These elements are:

  • Oxygen

  • Fuel

  • Heat

Heat + Oxygen + Fuel = Fire

Fire Doors vs. Fire Exit Doors

Feature

Fire Doors

Fire Exit Doors

Purpose

To slow down or stop the spread of fire

To exit or escape from a fire location

Location

Interior of a building

Exterior of a building

Locking

Need to be locked but allow exit/escape

Need not be locked

Regulations

Should comply with standards

Should comply with standards

Signage

Blue and white for positive instruction

Green signage as universal color for 'go'

Causes of Fire

  • Faulty electrical connections or electrical overloading

  • Unattended cooking

  • Candles

  • Cigarette butts

  • Flammable chemicals

Classes of Fire

  • Class A: Fires involving combustible materials that leave ash (e.g., paper, wood, plastic, rubber, cloth, and trash).

  • Class B: Fires involving flammable liquid and gas chemicals (e.g., petroleum oil, gasoline, paint, propane, and butane).

  • Class C: Fires involving energized electrical compounds (e.g., electrical appliances, motor equipment, and machines).

  • Class D: Fires involving combustible metals (e.g., potassium, sodium, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium).

  • Class K: Fires involving combustible household liquids (e.g., cooking oil, animal fat, and grease).

Best Practices: Get Out, Stay Out, and Call!

  • Scream, “Fire!” several times.

  • Get out of the building.

  • Use the stairs, not the elevator.

  • Do not open doors if they are closed and their knobs are warm. Use the alternative escape door.

  • If there is smoke, stay low while finding your way to the exit door.

  • Once out of the building, call the fire department.

  • Go to your family meeting place and contact your family members.

Fire Classes and Fire Extinguishers

Fire Class

Fire Extinguisher

A, B, C

Dry chemical

A, B

Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)

A, B, C

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC-123)

B, C

Carbon dioxide

A

Water

D

Dry powder

K

Wet chemical

PASS: Using a Fire Extinguisher

  • Pull (the pin).

  • Aim (at the base of the fire).

  • Squeeze (the lever).

  • Sweep (side to side).

Precautionary Measures Against Fire Incidents

  • Installing a Fire Alarm System

  • Buying a Fire Extinguisher and a Fire Blanket

  • Safe Cooking

  • Proper Disposal of Cigarette Butts

  • Handling of Appliances and Equipment

Fire Risk Assessment

  • Facility: SP Sand Pt. Park Headquarters HS-01

  • Unit - Location: PIRO - Sand Point

  • FMSS ID: 29613

  • Structure Type: Building

  • Structure Use: Admin

  • Owner: NPS

  • Field Crew: J Doke

  • Last Site Visit Date: 8/9/2015

  • Rating: High

  • Protection Level: Full

  • Resources of Concern Present? Unknown

  • Occupied? Yes

  • Local ID: [Local_ID]

  • In a Community? No

  • Lat(WGS84): 46° 27.1458"

  • Long(WGS84): -86° 36.4313'

  • Primary Access: Road

  • Ingress/Egress: One roads in/out

  • Access Width: 2 lanes (>24ft)

  • Access Condition: Surfaced-paved, grade<5%

  • Bridge Condition: None/nonflammable,load limit will not limit response

  • Access & Turnarounds: Access is <300 ft from facility w/turnaround

  • Facility Number/Sign: Marked and clearly visible

  • Defensible Space: 30 ft treated

  • Fuel Load (w/in 300 ft): Moderate

  • Fuel Type (w/in 300ft): Shrub or timber

  • Topography (w/in 300ft): Slope <5%

  • Roof Material: Combustible or no roof

  • Siding Material: Wood or open sided

  • Foundation: Open or deck

  • Fences/Decks: Combustible, adjacent, clear of veg/debris

  • Firewood: None

  • Propane Tanks: Present and little to no fuels clearance

  • Water Supply: Reliable water source nearby

  • Overhead Hazards: No overhead hazards

  • Safety Zones: Potential saftey zone(s) in area

  • Additional Obstacles: Hazmat, UXO,etc., PLEASE COMMENT

  • Triage Category:

  • Hazmat: Propane

  • Assessment Comments:

  • Score: 74

  • Rating: High

  • Asset Priority Index (API): 92

  • Factors Driving the Ratings

    • Access: 90

    • Environment: 30

    • Structure: 50 60

    • Protection: 50

Phases of Fire

  • Ignition (incipient):

    • Smoke and heat are present.

    • Oxygen level: 21\%.

    • Temperature is building.

    • Radiant heat warms fuel.

    • Plumes of hot gases and flames rise.

    • Hot gases spread sidewards.

    • Breathing and ventilation not a significant problem.

    • Direct water application at the base of the fire is effective.

    • Heat + Oxygen + Fuel \implies Source

  • Growth (free burning):

    • More fuel is burned.

    • Oxygen level: > 21\%.

    • Temperature: 640°C to 870°C.

    • Energy released by burning increases.

    • Thermal layering occurs (hot layers at the top, cooler layers near the floor).

    • Carbon monoxide increases.

    • Breathing becomes difficult.

    • Gas layer volume, temperature, and pressure increase.

    • High gas pressure affects all openings.

    • Combustible materials are ignited.

    • Flashover can occur.

    • Fire expands, oxygen decreases, and temperature increases.

  • Full Development:

    • Hottest phase.

    • Greatest energy release.

    • Fire is dependent on oxygen amount.

    • Oxygen level: > 16\%.

    • Excessive carbon monoxide.

    • Flammable gases spread.

    • Backdraft is a risk.

  • Decay (smoldering):

    • Longest stage.

    • Oxygen and fuel decrease, which may cause backdraft.

    • Temperature remains very high.

    • Breathing is not possible.

    • Indirect methods needed to extinguish the fire.

    • Oxygen or fuel is consumed.

How Fire Spreads

  • Convection: Hot rising gases move towards the ceiling, travel horizontally, and thick layers of hot gas move downwards.

  • Conduction: Direct contact with fire transfers heat energy to another material.

  • Radiation: Burning structures radiate heat to surrounding buildings or houses, with heat passing through glass to ignite objects.

Basic Response Procedures Inside a Burning Area

  • Locate the exit.

  • Evacuate immediately once the fire alarm is heard.

  • Pull the fire alarms if a fire is seen.

  • Inform other people in the affected area when vacating the premises.

  • Try and extinguish the fire if it is still small and controllable.

  • Touch doors first to see if they are not warm before opening them to ensure the other side is not burning.

  • Close all openings that can be closed, such as doors, when exiting.

  • Use the stairs, not the elevators.

  • Stay low when leaving the area to prevent inhalation of smoke.

  • Get someone else’s attention if getting out of a burning place is too difficult.

Basic Response Procedures Outside a Burning Area

  • Stay away from the burning area.

  • Do not attempt to go inside the burning area.

  • Contact the Bureau of Fire Protection and other emergency hotlines that respond to fire incidents.

  • Relay information to those in the surrounding area.

  • Organize and participate in bucket relays to help firefighters extinguish the fire.

  • Listen and follow the orders being relayed by verified emergency response teams.

Basic Response Procedures If an Individual Is Caught on Fire

  • Stop, drop, and roll to extinguish the fire

  • Immediately attend to the burned wounds to reduce the chances of infection

Fire Risk Mitigation Plan in Barangay 97

  • Problem Statement: Electrical connections and faults account for 50 percent of fires and fire-related injuries in Barangay 97.

  • 5,701 households with an average of 4.07 members per household.

  • Total population of 24,971 with a land area of 0.5062 km².

  • It is crowded, and the streets are very narrow.

  • Interviews with the barangay officials reveal that they worry about the fire risks the barangay faces. The barangay is densely populated and crowded with houses made up of light materials. Hence, the barangay officials seek solutions and partnerships to reduce fire risks.

Emergency Response to Fire

  • How did each individual respond to a fire emergency?

  • How did the barangay respond to a fire emergency?

  • Everyone should learn to respond by doing get out, stay out, and call.

Perspectives in DRRR: Fire Prevention Perspective

According to the report of National Strategies for Fire Loss Prevention, their strategic areas are:

  • prevention advocacy;

  • prevention marketing;

  • prevention culture;

  • prevention technology;

  • prevention codes and standards; and

  • prevention model measurement.

It is an investment to protect lives and properties. With prevention as a perspective, it is believed that it is the key to a firesafe community.

Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan (FEEP)

A fire emergency evacuation plan (FEEP) is essential in preventing and mitigating losses during a fire hazard. FEEPs depend on several factors that must be maximized to create the most efficient evacuation plan.

Mode of Evacuation

  • Simultaneous evacuation: all occupants exit the burning premises simultaneously.

  • Phased evacuation: typically done in larger and more complex structures or buildings where those at greater risk from fire hazards are evacuated first.

Identification of Escape Routes

More than one escape route is recommended. Floor layouts with marked escape routes are posted in strategic areas of a building for familiarity and reference during fire emergencies.

Assignments of Duties and Responsibilities

The following are key duties and responsibilities for fire incidents:

  • Routine fire drills

  • Ensuring the best route for evacuation

  • Implementing close-down procedures

  • Aiding disabled and visiting persons to the exit

  • Checking precautionary fire measures regularly

  • Accounting for the total number of people within the premises

Calling the Fire Department

Hotline numbers of the fire department and other agencies should be posted or readily available for anyone to report a fire incident immediately.

Assembly Point

An open, predetermined, and safe assembly point gathers all people from the burning structure to account for their safety and physical presence.

Fire Drill

A fire safety drill includes not only evacuation but also other fire emergency safe practices such as using a fire extinguisher, knowing basic procedures like “get out, stay out, and call,” “get down, get low, and get out,” and “stop, drop, and roll.”