Fire Safety - Class a Fires and How to Deal With Them

Fire is a devastating experience. It is important for each and every one of us to know the basic procedures and techniques on how to fight fires. In firefighting, fires are categorized into 5 classes. Each class is classified according to the fuel involved in the fire. This classification was formulated to better understand how each class can be prevented and put out effectively. This arrangement also allows the proper selection of a fire extinguisher for a specific fire to avoid unwanted side effects. For instance, a dry powder fire extinguisher is used for common combustibles, flammable gases or liquids and electrical fires while an electrical extinguisher is effective only for fires caused by electricity.

Among the five main classifications, Class A is the most common. This consists of ordinary combustible materials like paper and wood. It also includes vegetation fires and derived products such as straw, cotton, linen, cardboard, wood and textile. On the other hand, synthetic polymers fires take in rubber and plastics.

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Wood is an organic solid material and when it becomes adequately hot and oxygen is available to it, combustion will take place. This material will burst into flames and will continue burning given that heat, fuel, oxygen and a supporting chemical reaction is accessible to it.

Camping and cooking out in the backyard is an example of this kind of fire. This fire is used in controlled conditions. For instance, in camping fire the four elements of the fire tetrahedron are present. The fuel is the wood while the heat source is provided by another fire such as a lighter. Oxygen is naturally available in the open air of the environment and the fourth element is the uninhibited or self sustaining chemical chain reaction called combustion that produces heat that keeps the fire burning. This last element links all the other three component of the fire tetrahedron. Class A fires are not dangerous and easy to contain. However, this type of fire can grow out of control if fire burns in a less constrained environment.

There are many fire safety equipment you can use to put out a Class A fire. One of them is the fire blanket. It is a safety device used to extinguish a small contained fire. It is made out of a sheet of fire retardant material which is placed over a fire to smother it. Small fiberglass blankets are used in homes and can be folded easily into a quick release container for storage.

Another way of preventing a Class A fire from erupting is through the use of a fire extinguisher. The hydrospray fire extinguisher is most suitable in Class A fires. It has a special additive which is able to reduce the water's surface tension and inhibit fire propagation. On the other hand, a dry powder fire extinguisher is used for Class A, B and C fires. It is pressurized by nitrogen and is filled up with a particular powder. The foam fire extinguisher puts out Class A and B fires by forming a reactive film on the liquid to extinguish the fire.

Class A fires are principally simple to fight and contain by merely removing one of the tetrahedron elements. The most common method to put it out is to remove the heat by spraying water or using a fire extinguisher. These fires are normally encountered so local fire departments have specific equipment to handle them. Although this type of fire is small, do not attempt to put it out yourself if you are not confident enough. Do not hesitate to call professional firefighters and let them handle this emergency no matter how small a fire can be.

Fire Safety - Class a Fires and How to Deal With Them

Having specialized in the dry powder fire extinguishers trade for over 20 years, Brian now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business.

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