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Questions and Answers
What is the primary reason why a piece of paper exposed to oxygen in the air does not burn?
What is the most effective way to extinguish a fire involving an LPG tank flame at the nozzle of the valve?
Which of the following is a example of removing fuel from a fire?
What is the percentage of oxygen in the air that is required for combustion to occur?
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What is the primary purpose of cutting fire lanes in forests?
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What is the consequence of having a substance with a low flashpoint?
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What is the primary method of extinguishing a fire by reducing the concentration of oxygen?
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What is the term used to describe the process of covering a burning area with a non-combustible material to eliminate oxygen?
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What is the purpose of using water to extinguish a fire?
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What is the principle behind using dry chemicals to extinguish a fire?
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What is the term used to describe the process of reducing the heat of a fire below the kindling point?
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What is the primary method of preventing a fire from spreading?
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What is the primary purpose of understanding the fire triangle?
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What is the primary difference between a flammable and combustible substance?
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What is the fourth element necessary for flame propagation in the Fire Tetrahedron?
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What is the purpose of identifying fuel sources in the workplace?
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What is the term for the lowest temperature at which fuel begins to give off flammable vapors?
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What is the primary method of fire extinguishment that targets the oxygen element of the fire triangle?
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Study Notes
Fire Basics
- A substance with a low flashpoint is more dangerous than one with a high flashpoint.
- Oxygen is necessary for fire to occur, making up 21% of the air we breathe, with nitrogen making up the remaining 78%.
- Heat is the third element required for fire to start, even if fuel and oxygen are present.
The Fire Triangle
- The fire triangle illustrates the three elements necessary for fire to start: Fuel, Oxygen, and Heat.
- Removing any one of these elements can extinguish a fire.
Extinguishing a Fire
- Removing Fuel: difficult and often dangerous, but possible by shutting off fuel supplies, pumping flammable liquids to an empty tank, creating fire lanes, or burning away fuel sources.
- Removing Oxygen: by smothering the fire with a non-combustible material, covering with foam, or discharging inert gases like carbon dioxide.
- Removing Heat: by reducing the heat below the kindling point or flashpoint, using water or foam as a common agent.
- Interrupting the Chain Reaction: by inhibiting the oxidation process and production of flammable vapors, using dry chemicals as an example.
Fire Safety and Classification
- Fire is a chemical reaction between a flammable material and oxygen, producing energy, light, smoke, and toxic gases.
- The Fire Tetrahedron includes four elements: Fuel, Oxygen, Heat, and the chemical reaction itself.
- Fuel: any material that will burn, including flammable and combustible substances.
- Flammable Substance: a substance with a flashpoint below 100°F (37.8°C) and vapor pressure not exceeding 20 psia at 100°F.
- Examples of flammable substances include gasoline, ether, acetone, and alcohol, each with their respective flashpoints.
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Description
Learn how to remove oxygen to extinguish fires by smothering the burning area or reducing oxygen concentration. Understand the methods to starve fires of oxygen, including covering with non-combustible materials, using foam, or inert gases.
