COURSE INFORMATION

1. Course Code CDI6

2. Course Unit 3 units

3. Course Name/ Fire Technology and Arson Investigation

Title

4. Course The entire course covers the principles of technology of fire and
Description its behavior. It also emphasizes fire investigation and the role of
firefighters during fire suppression and investigation, the study
of Fire and Building Code, and law on destructive arson including
arson investigation.

5. Time Frame 54 hours

6. Instructor Patrolman Jason Resurrecion Sanchez, RCrim

Title: UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS FIRE, IT’S TECHNOLOGY AND ELEMENTS Topic:

Fire Meaning

Elements of Fire

Stages and Characteristic of Fire

Time Frame: 13 Hours Introduction:

ILO/At the end of this chapter, the students can:

• Define and understand what is fire
• Know the elements and development of fire
• Understand the stages and characteristic of fire
PRE-TEST:

Instruction: Choose the letter of the best answer. (Answer it religiously)

1.) An active chemical reaction that takes place between fuel, heat and oxygen in The
form of light and noticeable heat.
A. Fire C. Heat
B. Fuel D. None of the following

2.) Anything that will burn when heated with sufficient oxygen.
A. Fuel C. Energy
B. Heat D. Fire

3.) The energy component of the fire tetrahedron.

A. Fire C. Heat
B. Fuel D. None of the following

ACTIVITIES:

Instruction: Please read the following:

Activity 1: Read the following.

FIRE - a rapid, self-sustaining oxidation process accompanied by the evolution of heat and
light of varying intensity

- An active chemical reaction that takes place between fuel, heat and oxygen in the
form of light and noticeable heat.

-a chemical reaction; the rapid oxidation of a fuel producing heat and light.

-an oxidation taking place with a rate rapid enough to produce heat and light.
FUEL
- The material or substance being oxidized or burned in the combustion

process.

FUELSOURCES

1. Solid- molecules are closely packed together

2. Liquid – molecules are loosely packed

3. Gas – molecules are free to move

TECHNOLOGY

- The branch of knowledge that deals with industrial arts and sciences - The

application of such knowledge that is used to produce the material necessity

of society.

ELEMENTS OF FIRE OR TRIANGLE OF FIRE

FUEL

- Anything that will burn when heated with sufficient oxygen.

OXYGEN

- aids in combustion; comes from the atmosphere we breath; the atmosphere contains:

21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and 1%impurities

HEAT

- Source of ignition

TRIANGLE OF FIRE

• For many years, the fire triangle (oxygen, fuel and heat) was taught as the

components of fire. While this simple example is useful, it is NOT

technically correct.

TETRAHEDRON OF FIRE

- a geometric representation of what is required for fire to exist, namely, fuel, an

oxidizing agent, heat, and an uninhibited chemical reaction.

 FIRETETRAHEDRON

- Oxygen (oxidizing agent)

- Fuel

- Heat

- Self-sustained chemical reaction

Each component of the tetrahedron must be in place for

combustion to occur. Remove one of the four components and combustion will

not occur. If ignition has already occurred, the fire is extinguished when one of

the components is removed from the reaction.

OXYGEN (Oxidizing Agent)

- A colorless, odorless gas and one of the compositions of air which is approximately

21 % percent by volume.

TEMPERATURE

- A measure of the degree of molecular activity of a material compared to a reference

point.

Types of Energy (common sources of heat)

CHEMICAL ENERGY

The most common source of heat in combustion reactions. When any combustible is
in contact with oxygen, oxidation occurs. The reaction of this process results in the
production of heat.

Ex. Heat generated from burning match, self-heating (spontaneous heating) .

ELECTRICALENERGY

- can generate temperature high enough to ignite any combustible material near the heated
area.

Examples:

• over current or overload

• arcing
• sparking
• static
• lightning

NUCLEAR ENERGY

- generated when atoms either split apart (fission) or combine (fusion)

• fission heats water to drive steam turbines and produce

electricity
• Solar energy is a product of a fusion reaction.

1) Heat of friction - the movement of two surfaces against each other, thus producing
sparks.

2) Heat of compression-heat is generated when a gas is compressed in a container or

cylinder

SELF-SUSTAINEDCHEMICALREACTION

Combustion is a complex reaction that requires a fuel (in the gaseous or vapor state),
an oxidizer, and heat energy to come together in a very specific way. Once flaming
combustion or fire occurs, it can only continue when enough heat energy is produced to
cause the continued development of fuel vapors or gases. Scientist’s call this type of reaction
a “chain reaction”.
 A chain reaction is a series of reactions that occur in sequence with the result of each
individual reaction being added to the rest.

FIRE DEVELOPMENT

When the four components of the fire tetrahedron come together, ignition occurs. For
a fire to grow beyond the first material ignited, heat must be transmitted beyond the first
material to additional fuel packages.

STAGESOFFIRE
- Ignition
- Growth
- Flashover
- Fully-developed
- Decay

IGNITION

- describes the period when the four elements of the fire tetrahedron come together and
combustion begins.

GROWTH

- Shortly after ignition, a fire plume begins to form above the burning fuel. As the plume
develops, it begins to draw or entrain air from the surrounding space into the column.

FLASHOVER

- The transition between the growth and the fully developed fire stages and is not a specific
event such as ignition. During flashover, conditions in the compartment change very
rapidly as the fire changes from one that is dominated by the burning of the materials first
ignited to one that involves all of the exposed combustible surfaces within the
compartment.

FULLY-DEVELOPED
- occurs when all combustible materials in the compartment are involved in the fire

DECAY

- As the fire consumes the available fuel in the compartment, the rate of heat released begins
to decline.

THREE (3) STAGES OF FIRE

1. Incipient phase

2. Free burning phase

3. Smoldering

INCIPIENT STAGE

- Initial stage of fire

Characteristics:

- Normal room temperature

- Oxygen plentiful

- Thermal updraft rise accumulates at higher point

- Temperature at 1000F

- Producing C02, CO, SO2, water and other gases

FREE BURNING PHASE

- A phase of burning in which materials or structures are burning in the presence of

Adequate oxygen.
Characteristics:

- Fire has involved more fuel

- Oxygen supply has depleted

- Heat accumulates at upper area

- Temperature exceeds 1, 330F

- Area is fully involved

SMOLDERING PHASE

- Final phase of burning wherein flame ceases but dense smoke and heat completely fill
the confined room.

MODES OF HEAT TRANSFER

Heat is by-product of combustion that is of significant importance to the firefighter. It

is heat that causes fire to sustain its combustion and, more important, to extend. When heat
given off as a product of combustion is exposed to an unheated substance, certain changes
occur that can make the new substance a contributing factor in extending a fire.

CONDUCTION

- Heat transfer within solids or between contacting solids. When a hot object transfers its
heat, conduction has taken place. The transfer could be to another object or to another
portion of the same object. As we have discovered and will be constantly reinforced about,
combustion occurs on the molecular level. When an object heats up, the atoms become
agitated and begin to collide with one another. A chain reaction of molecules and atoms, like
wave energy, occurs and causes the agitated molecules to pass the heat energy to areas of
non-heat.
CONVECTION

- Heat transfer by the movement of liquids or gasses. Air that is hotter than its surroundings
rises. Air that is cooler than its surroundings sinks. Air is made up of many molecules floating
about freely. Even so, it still has weight. Some molecules are made up of the same element.
For example, oxygen in its natural state will combine with another oxygen atom to form a
stable oxygen molecule. In a given volume, air at a given temperature will have the same
density. When heated, as in conduction theory, the molecules become agitated and begin to
collide with one another. In the process, the molecules are demanding more space to
accommodate the vibrations and they push into one another as they seek that space. When
that happens, the density of a given volume is reduced and it weighs less. Because it weighs
less, it rises until it reaches equilibrium-the level at which the weight is the same as the
surrounding atmosphere.

RADIATION

- Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves. The last form of heat transfer occurs by
radiation. As we have already seen, heat energy can be transmitted directly when molecules
collide with one another and cause the waves of heat energy to travel.

FLAME CONTACT

- Heat may be conducted from one body to another by direct flame contact.

PROPERTIES OF FIRE:

1. Physical properties

2. Chemical Properties
1. PHYSICALPROPERTIES

a. Specific gravity

- The ratio of the weight of a solid or substance to the weight of an equal volume of

water b. Vapor density

- The weight of volume of pure gas compared to weight of a volume of dry air at the

same Temperature and pressure.

c. Vapor pressure

- The force exerted by the molecules on the surface of the liquid at the equilibrium.

d. Temperature

- The measure of the thermal degree of the agitation of molecules of a given substance; the
measure of the molecular activity within the substance.

e. Boiling Point

- The constant temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the
atmospheric pressure.

f. Ignition temperature

- The minimum temperature to which the substance in the air must be heated in order

to initiate or cause self-contained combustion without addition of heat from outside sources

g. Fire point

- The temperature at which the material will give off ample vapors to keep burning h.

Flashpoint
- the temperature at which the material is not hot enough to keep burning, but still
gives off enough vapors to cause a flame across the surface.

2. CHEMICALPROPERTIES

A. Endothermic reaction

- are changes whereby energy is absorbed or is added before the reaction takes place b.

Exothermic reaction

- Reactions or changes that releases or give off energy.

c. Oxidation

- A chemical change in which combustible material and an oxidizing material react.

d. Combustion or flame

- The manifestation of fire is in its gas-phased combustion; matter that is produced

by fire.

Post Test:

1.) An active chemical reaction that takes place between fuel, heat and oxygen in The
form of light and noticeable heat.
A. Fire C. Heat
B. Fuel D. None of the following
2.) The material or substance being oxidized or burned in the combustion process.
A. Heat C. Fire
B. Fuel D. Oxygen
3.) The movement of two surfaces against each other, thus producing sparks.
A. Heat of Friction C. Nuclear Energy
B. Heat of Compression D. Temperature
4.) The minimum temperature to which the substance in the air must be heated in
order to initiate or cause self-contained combustion without addition of heat
from outside sources
A. Ignition Temperature C. Fire point
B. Boiling Point D. Flashpoint
5.) Anything that will burn when heated with sufficient oxygen.
a. Fuel C. Energy
b. Heat D. Fire
6.) The energy component of the fire tetrahedron.
A. Fire C. Heat
B. Fuel D. None of the following
7.) The weight of volume of pure gas compared to weight of a volume of dry air at
the same
A. Temperature C. Vapor Density
B. Boiling Point D. Vapor Pressure
8.) Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves. The last form of heat transfer occurs
by radiation. As we have already seen, heat energy can be transmitted directly
when molecules collide with one another and cause the waves of heat energy to
travel.
A. Convection C. Conduction
B. Radiation D. Heat Transfer
9.) Heat transfer within solids or between contacting solids. When a hot object
transfers its heat, conduction has taken place.
A. Conduction C. Heat convention
B. Convection D. Thermal Energy
10.) Heat may be conducted from one body to another by direct flame contact.
A. Conduction C. Flame Contact
B. Radiation D. None of these
 ANSWER KEY

PRE TEST:

1.) A
2.) A
3.) C
4.) A
5.) C

POST TEST:
1.) A
2.) B
3.) A
4.) A
5.) A
6.) C
7.) C
8.) B
9.) A
10.) C

Reference:

• Fire Technology and Arson Investigation by Reymar G Malicsi, Author 2019