Fire Science & Fundamentals
Reviewed by a licensed fire protection specialist Short answer: Water works on Class A fires only — wood, paper, cloth, cardboard, rubber. Water on flammable liquids (Class B) spreads the fire. Water on electrical equipment (Class C) causes electrocution. Water on cooking oil (Class K) causes an explosion. Water on combustible
Fire Science & Fundamentals
Reviewed by a licensed fire protection specialist Short answer: A fire that's manageable at two minutes is uncontrollable at eight. Fire progresses through four stages — ignition, growth, flashover, and decay. Flashover occurs at 1,100-1,200 degrees Fahrenheit when everything in the room simultaneously ignites. Automatic sprinklers
Fire Science & Fundamentals
Reviewed by a licensed fire protection specialist Short answer: Fire requires four elements — fuel, oxygen, heat, and a self-sustaining chemical chain reaction (the fire tetrahedron). Every suppression method works by removing one element: water cools fuel (removes heat), foam smothers surface (removes oxygen), dry chemical interrupts molecular chain reaction.
Fire Science & Fundamentals
Reviewed by a licensed fire protection specialist Short answer: Fire is classified into five classes based on fuel type: Class A (ordinary combustibles — use water), Class B (flammable liquids — use foam, never water), Class C (energized electrical — use dry chemical or CO2, never water), Class D (combustible metals — use specialized