FIRE TECHNOLOGY AND ARSON INVESTIGATION(CDI6)

Fire in legend and religion:

 Persian literature - during a fight of a hero with a dragon, stone used as weapon missed the monster and struck a
rock causing a light

 Greek mythology, PROMETHEUS was bestowed with godlike powers when he stole the gods' fire to give it to
humanity.

 Religion - used as a god (Indo-Iranian Agni)

Fire in legend and religion:

 Fire was recognized as a symbol of home and family in many cultures.

 Fire has also been a symbol of purification and of immortality and renewal; the lighting of flames of remembrance
and the myths of the PHOENIX.

 Rome – Vesta, originally the goddess of Fire and her shrine was in every home, when religion became an affair of
state, a temple was erected where the sacred fire was kept burning at all times.

Personalities and their Inventions:

JOHN WALKER - English Pharmacist, invented the first match in 1827.

ANTOINE LAVOISIER - French Chemist who proved in 1777 that burning is the result of the rapid union of oxygen with
other substances.

THOMAS ALVA EDISON - American inventor who was able to send an electric current through a carbon filament
(wire) until the filament became so hot that it gave off light

OTHER:

1. HOMO ERECTUS – They were the first to use fire on a regular basis.

2. PROMETHEUS – In Greek mythology, he was bestowed godlike powers when he stole the gods’ fire to give it to humanity.

3. VESTA – The Roman goddess of the hearth. To honor Vesta, the high priest of the Roman religion periodically chose six
priestesses, called Vestal Virgins, to keep a fire going in a community hearth.

4. AUGUSTUS - The Roman emperor who is credited of instituting a corps of fire brigade - vigiles (“watchmen”) in 24 BC.
Regulations for checking and preventing fires were made.
5. JAN VAN DER HEYDEN - A dutch who invented the fire hose in 1672. Constructed of flexible leather and coupled every 50
feet (15 m).

6. RICHARD NEWSHAM – Develop the “fire engine” in 1725. Pulled as a cart to the fire, these manual pumps were manned
by teams of men.

7. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - Created the “Union Fire Company” in 1736 in Philadelphia, the first volunteer fire company in
America.

8. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE - Created the first professional firefighters in 1810, known as “Sapeurs-Pompiers”, from the
French Army.

9. ANTOINE LAVOISIER - A French Chemist who proved that burning is the result of the rapid union of oxygen with other
substances.

10. THOMAS ALVA EDISON - An American inventor who was able to sent current to a filament that simultaneously burns
because it became so hot.

11. John Walker – British Chemist who invented in 1827 a match made of phosphorus and ignited by friction.

 Brimstone match - made by dipping thin strips of wood into melted sulfur.

12. Capt. F.R. Dodge – The first Chief of the Manila Fire Department. (1901)

 TECHNOLOGY OF FIRE

What is Fire?

Fire is the heat and light that comes from substances, produced by the combustion of substance. It is the
rapid oxidation of combustible materials accompanied by a release of energy usually in the form of heat and light.

 What is Combustion?

Combustion is a chemical action which produces heat and (often) light. It is the rapid oxidation of material. It is a
complex reaction that it requires a fuel (gaseous or vapor state), an oxidizer, and heat to combine in a very specific
way.

 What is Oxidation?
OXIDATION a chemical reaction that is exothermic in nature whereby a combustible material and an oxidizing agent
reacts with each other; the process of removing the oxygen form a combustible material releasing some of it in the
air.

THREE ELEMENTS OF FIRE

1. HEAT

A form of energy generated by the transmission of some other form of energy, as in combustion or burning.

Heat Sources:

 open flame

 electrical circuit

 sparks

 hot surfaces

 friction

 all sources of ignition

2. OXYGEN

 A colorless, odorless gas and one of the compositions of air which is approximately 21% by volume.

 Oxygen Sources: Oxygen Requirements:

21% of normal oxygen a. 12% - no fire

78% of nitrogen b.14% flash point

1% of other gases c. 21% - fire point

3. FUEL

Any substance which reacts chemically with oxygen and produces flames.

The Chemistry of Fire

 FIRE - the heat and light that comes from burning substances, produced by the combustion of substances.

It is the manifestation of rapid chemical reaction occurring between a combustible matter and an oxidizer.  This
reaction releases energy in the form of heat and light.
Burning is also called combustion.

 OXIDATION

-is the chemical reaction in which oxygen chemically combines with the organic elements of a combustible substance. Slow
oxidation sometimes becomes rapid.

 COMBUSTION

- rapid oxidation of material

 FLAME

- stream of vapor or gas made luminous by heat

Elements of fire:

Basic theory: to produce fire, three things/conditions must exist (Triangle of fire)

 Heat - ignition temperature

 Fuel - combustible matter (organic material, hydrocarbons)

 Oxidizing agent - common oxidizing agent is oxygen

 To burn a fuel, its temperature must be raised (increased) until ignition point. Before a combustible matter starts to
burn, it has to be exposed to a certain degree of temperature.

 When the temperature is very high, it releases highly combustible vapors known as FREE RADICALS (combustible
vapors such as Hydrogen gas, Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, and Nitrogen).

 FLASH POINT - lowest temperature at which a substance gives off vapor that burns momentarily when a flame or
spark is applied.

Two basic modes of fire (Form of Combustion):

1. Surface or Smoldering Mode (GLOWING COMBUSTION– manifested by embers) – fire triangle

2. Flaming Mode (GAS PHASED Combustion – flame) – fire tetrahedron

Properties Of Fire

Property – whatever belongs or pertains to any object, as distinguishing quality or characteristics (Webster)
Properties of Matter related to FIRE

A. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

1. SPECIFIC GRAVITY – the ration of the weight of a solid or substance to the weight of an equal volume of
water.

2. VAPOR DENSITY – the weight of a volume of pure gas compared to the weight of a volume of dry air at the
same temperature and pressure.

3. VAPOR PRESSURE – the force exerted by the molecules on the surface of the liquid at equilibrium.

4. TEMPERATURE – the measure of thermal degree of the agitation of molecules of a given substance; the
measure of the molecular activity within a substance.

5. BOILING POINT – the constant temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the atmospheric
pressure.

6. FLASH POINT- The lowest temperature at which a substance give off vapor that burns momentarily when a flame
of sparks is adopted.

7. FIRE POINT- the lowest temperature of a liquid fuel in an open container at which sufficient vapors are produced
to initiate/support continuous combustion once ignited.

8. AUTO- IGNITION POINT- refers to the kindling temperature or the minimum temperature that the fuel must be
heated in order to initiate a self-sustained combustion independent of the heating source without the ignition of heat
from the outside source.

B. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:

1. ENDOTHERMIC REACTION – are changes whereby energy (heat) is absorbed or is added before the reaction takes
place.

2. EXOTHERMIC REACTION – reactions or changes that release or give off energy (heat) thus they produce substances
with less energy than the reactants.

3. OXIDATION – chemical change in which combustible material (fuel) and an oxidizing agent reacts.

4. COMBUSTION FLAME – the manifestation of fire when the fire is in its gas phased combustion. A matter that is
produced by fire.

Types of flames:
According to color and completeness of combustion:

1. LUMINOUS FLAME - reddish-orange in color; it deposits soot because it is a product  if  incomplete combustion; it
has lower temperature.

2. NON-LUMINOUS FLAME - bluish in color; it does not deposit soot because it is a product of  complete combustion;
it  has a higher temperature  than  luminous flame.

According to Burning Fuel and Air Mixture:

1. PREMIXED FLAME – Bunzen Burner

2. HYDROCARBON - any substance containing primarily carbon and hydrogen.

3. DIFFUSION  FLAME  - oxyacetylene torch (Diffused - dispersed; widely spread)

Based on Smoothness:

1. LAMINAR  FLAME – smooth flame

2. TURBULENT  FLAME  - rough flame

PYROLYSIS - the fire consumes the most solid  part of the fuel; thermal decomposition of combustible matter;
chemical decomposition of a solid fuel through the action of heat.

PYROLYSIS - the fire consumes the most solid  part of the fuel; thermal decomposition of combustible matter;
chemical decomposition of a solid fuel through the action of heat.

1. The fuel is heated until its temperature reaches its fire point.

2. Decomposition  takes place - moisture in the fuel is converted  to vapor.

3. Decomposition produces combustible vapors that rise to the surface of  the fuel. Combustible vapors are technically
termed  as free radicals.

4. Free radicals undergo combustion.

A. FUELS (Combustible Materials)

 General Categories of :

1. Solid combustible materials – organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, and metallic solid materials
2. Liquid combustible materials – flammable liquid fuels and chemicals
3. Gaseous Substances – toxic/hazardous gases that are capable of ignition
Classification of Combustible Materials:

Class A Fuels - ordinary combustible materials: organic substances such as wood and wood-based products; synthetic
and/or inorganic materials like rubber, leather, and plastics

Class B Fuels –flammable liquids such as alcohol, acidic solutions, oil, and other chemicals such those liquid petroleum
products

Class C Fuels –fire resistant materials; these are materials used in electrical wiring and other electrical appliances

Class D Fuels –metallic substances: magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium and potassium

SOLID FUELS

Factors affecting the combustibility of wood and wood-based products:

1. Physical Form

2. Moisture Content – water content

3. Heat Conductivity

4. Rate and Period of Heating

5. Rate of Combustion

6. Ignition Temperature

PEAT - It is partially decayed plant matter found in swamps called bogs and used as a fuel chiefly in areas where coal and
oil are scarce. In Ireland and Scotland, for example, peat is cut, formed into blocks, and dried. The dried blocks are then
burned to heat homes.

FABRICS AND TEXTILES - Almost all fibers and textiles are combustible.

1. Fiber – very fine thin strand (thread-like) object

2. Fabric - twisted or woven fibers

3. Textiles – machine woven or knitted fabric

4. Factors affecting the combustibility of fibers:

1. Chemical composition

2. Fiber finish – fiber coating

4. Tightness of weave

Classification of fibers:

A. Natural Fibers

1. plants – cellulose fibers, Coir (coconut fiber), Kapok, Cotton (seed fibers), Pinya fiber, Pulp (wood fiber)

2. Animals - Wool, silk, protein fibers (leather)

3. Minerals - Asbestos

B. Synthetic/Artificial Fibers

1. Organic fibers

2. Cellulose fibers

3. Cellulose acetate fibers

4. Non-cellulose fibers

5. Inorganic fibers – fiberglass, steel

LOI (LIMITING OXYGEN INDEX) -

The numerical basis of measuring the tendency of a fabric to continuously burn once source of ignition is
removed. If the LOI of a fabric is high, the probability that it will cease to burn once the flame is removed is also high.
Fabrics with high LOI and high ignition temperature are safer for clothing and furnishing because they do not ignite
easily. Also, they will not continue burning after the source of heat or flame is removed.

PLASTICS - ordinary fuels under class A except those materials composed of or containing cellulose nitrate, a chemical
(powder) used in bombs. Materials that use cellulose nitrate are also called PYROXYLIN.

COAL - used to heat buildings and to provide energy for industrial machinery.

lignite, or brown coal –

sub-bituminous coal –

bituminous coal - most plentiful, more carbon, more heat

Anthracite – least plentiful & hardest

 Made mainly from petroleum, but some synthetic liquid fuels are also produced.

 Alberta, Canada, plentiful bituminous sands are processed to yield oil.

 Brazil, biomass like sugar cane pulp and cassava plants are used to produce fuel for automobiles.

 Some motorists in US use a similar fuel, called gasohol. The alcohol in gasohol is often produced from such grains as
corn and wheat.

General characteristics of liquids:

1. Matters with definite volume but no definite shape.

2. They assume the shape of their vessel because there is free movement of molecules although these molecules do not
have the tendency to separate from one another.

3. They are slightly compressible. They are not capable of indefinite expansion, unlike gas.

Two (2) General Groups of Liquid Fuels:

FLAMMABLE - liquids have a flash point below 37.8 0C (1000F)

COMBUSTIBLE - liquids have flash point at or above 37.8 0C (100oF)

Technically, flammable and combustible liquids do not cause fire. It is the vapors they produce which burn or explode
when exposed to air under the influence of heat. Gasoline is the most widely used flammable liquid.

LATENT HEAT – the quantity of heat absorbed by a substance from a solid to a liquid, and from a liquid to gas.
Conversely, heat is released during conversion of a gas to liquid or liquid to a solid.

Techniques of preventing fire and explosion caused by liquid fuels:

1. Exclusion of ignition source

2. Exclusion of air supply - Excluding air by various means

3. Shutting off the fuel supply, if possible

4. Keeping liquids in closed container

5. Proper ventilation to prevent the accumulation of vapor within a flammable range.

6. Using an atmosphere of inert gas instead of air

8. Combination of the above

GAS FUELS

GAS is a state of matter which has no definite volume and has no definite shape, unless it is confined in a
container. It is composed of very tiny particles called molecules at constant random motion.

CLASSIFICATION OF GASES:

 A. Based on source:

1. Natural - used to heat buildings, cook food, and provide energy for industries: Methane, a colorless and odorless
gas; usually mixed with compounds of the foul-smelling element sulfur so gas leaks can be detected.

Butane and propane, which make up a small proportion of natural gas, become liquids when placed under large
amounts of pressure.

[Link] - Coal, petroleum, and biomass can all be converted to gas through heating and by various chemical
procedures; can also be produced by treating such biomass as animal manure with bacteria called anaerobes. The
bacteria expel methane as they digest the waste.

B. Based on or according to Physical Properties:

1. Compressed – in normal atmospheric temperature pressure inside its container. Its pressure is dependent on how
much gas is inside the container.

2. Liquefied – in normal atmospheric pressure partly in liquid sate and partly in solid state under pressure inside the
container. Its pressure is dependent upon the temperature of the liquid.

3. Cryogenic – liquefied gases that exist in its container at temperature far below normal atmospheric temperature,
usually slightly above its boiling point with low moderate pressure.

C. Based on usage:

1. Fuel –for burning with air to produce heat and utilized as power, light sources, etc.

2. Industrial –used in industrial processes such as those used in welding and cutting of metals (Oxygen, acetylene),
refrigeration, chemical processing, water treatment, etc. Ex. Freon, ammonia, Sulfur dioxide, Hydrogen, nitrogen,
chlorine, and fluorine.

3. Medical – for treatment such as for anesthesia and for respiratory therapy. Ex. Chloroform, nitrous oxide, Oxygen
Hazards of gases - Combustion Explosion is among the dangers related to gases.

1. The liquid phases of a flammable gas or a liquefied flammable gas is released from its container, piping or equipment.

2. The gas mixes with air.

3. With certain proportion of gas and air, the mixture is ignitable and will burn.

4. When ignited, the flammable mixture burns rapidly and produces heat at a fast rate.

4. The heat is absorbed by anything within the vicinity of the flame.

5. If the heated air is not free to expand because it is confined, pressure in the container will increase.

6. If the container is not strong enough to withstand pressure, some parts of the container will suddenly depart/break
thus resulting to violent release of the pressure accompanied by a loud sound known as EXPLOSION. Since the source
of the pressure is combustion, this kind of explosion is known as VAPOR-AIR EXPLOSION.

Explosion - a violent effect of chemical reaction  when combustion process is confined so that appreciable pressure
occurs

DETONATION - a violent reaction beginning with a very simple ignition that initiates a chain reaction; a rapid and
confined combustion process that produces energy waves that propagates (spreads) in supersonic (very fast)  speed;
energy waves develop into a "shock front" that results to a very strong explosion.

CHEMICAL FUELS - produced in solid and liquid form, create great amounts of heat and power.

 used chiefly in rocket engines

 chemical rocket propellants consist of both a fuel and an oxidizer. A common rocket fuel is the chemical hydrazine.
The oxidizer is a substance, such as nitrogen tetroxide, that contains oxygen. When the propellant is ignited, the
oxidizer provides the oxygen the fuel needs to burn.

 Chemical fuels are also used in some racing cars.

HEAT (Temperature)

 HEAT - In physics, transfer of energy from one part of a substance to another or from one body to another by virtue
of a difference in temperature.
 Heat is energy in transit; it always flows from a substance at a higher temperature to the substance at a lower
temperature, raising the temperature of the latter and lowering that of the former substance, provided the volume of
the bodies remains constant.

 Heat does not flow from a lower to a higher temperature unless another form of energy transfer, work, is also
present.

TEMPERATURE - the measurement of the degree of thermal agitation of  molecules; the hotness or coldness of
something; measure of the thermal agitation of molecules of matter. Thermometer is the instrument used to
measure

TEMPERATURE SCALES

 CELSIUS - with a freezing point of 0° C and a boiling point of 100° C, is widely used throughout the world, particularly
for scientific work,

COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS (FUEL)

General Categories of Fuels:

• SOLID COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS – includes organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, and metallic solid materials.

• LIQUID COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS – includes all flammable liquid fuels and chemicals.

• GASEOUS SUBSTANCE – includes those toxic/hazardous gases that are capable of ignition.

FAHRENHEIT -used in English-speaking countries for purposes other than scientific work and based on the mercury
thermometer, the freezing point of water is defined as 32° F and the boiling point as 212° F.

KELVIN or ABSOLUTE - most commonly used thermodynamic temperature scale, zero is defined as the absolute zero
of temperature, that is, -273.15° C, or -459.67° F.

RANKINE - each degree of temperature is equivalent to one degree on the Fahrenheit scale. The freezing point of
water on the Rankine scale is 492° R, and the boiling point is 672° R.

INTERNATIONAL TEMPERATURE SCALE - The international scale is based on the property of electrical resistivity, with
platinum wire as the standard for temperature between -190° and 660° C.

GASES
1. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES – the chemical properties of gases are of prime interest to firefighters, as they reflect
the ability of the gas to react within it or with other materials.

• Flammable Gases – any gas which burn in normal concentrations of oxygen in the air. These gases are subjected to
the same conditions as flammable vapors.

• Nonflammable Gases – any gas that will not burn in air or oxygen. Some of these will support combustion and are
called Oxidizers. Those that do not support combustion are called inert gas.

• Reactive Gases – any gas that will react within itself or with other materials under conditions other than fire, e.i,
shock, heat.

• Toxic Gases – any gas that may complicate firefighting efforts due to its serious life hazards.

2. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES – the physical behavior of a gas both outside and inside its container and when accidentally
released, are of prime interest of fire fighters.

• Compressed Gases – matter which is solely in a gaseous state in its container.

• Liquefied Gases – matter which exist partly as gas and partly as a liquid at normal temperature inside the container
and remain under pressure as long as any liquid is in the container.

• Cryogenic Gases – gas which remains as liquefied gas in its container at temperature far below normal temperature.

USAGE OF GAS

• Classification of gases is made by their usage. However, there will be much overlapping in these usages.

• Fuel gases – gases which burn with air to produce heat, power, or light.

• Industrial gases – gases used in industrial processes such as water treatment, welding and cutting, refrigeration, etc.

• Medical gases – gases used for medical purposes such as therapy and anesthesia.

• Chloroform and nitrogen oxide- anesthesia

• Oxygen- respiratory therapy

LATENT HEAT - A number of physical changes are associated with the change of temperature of a substance. Almost all
substances expand in volume when heated and contract when cooled. The behavior of water between 0° and 4° C (32°
and 39° F) constitutes an important exception to this rule. The phase of a substance refers to its occurrence as either a
solid, liquid, or gas, and phase changes in pure substances occur at definite temperatures and pressures.

SUBLIMATION - changing from solid to gas

VAPORIZATION - from liquid to vapor as.

If the pressure is constant, these processes occur at constant temperature.

SPECIFIC HEAT

 The heat capacity or the measure of the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a
substance one-degree.

 If the heating process occurs while the substance is maintained at a constant volume or is subjected to a constant
pressure the measure.

 The latter is always larger than, or at least equal to, the former for each substance. Because 1 cal. causes a rise of 1° C
in 1 g of water, the specific heat of water is 1 cal/g/° C. In the case of water and other approximately incompressible
substances, it is not necessary to distinguish between the constant-volume and constant-pressure specific heats, as
they are approximately equal.

 Generally, the two specific heats of a substance depend on the temperature.

HEAT PRODUCTION. There are five ways to produce heat:

 1. Chemical – chemically produced heat is the result of rapid oxidation.

 2. Mechanical – mechanical eat is the product of friction. The rubbing of two sticks together to generate enough heat
is an example.

 3. Electrical – electrical heat is the product of arcing, shooting or other electrical malfunction. Poor wire connection,
too much resistance, a loose ground and too much current flowing through an improperly sized wire are other
sources of electrical heat.

 4. Compressed gas – when a gas is compressed, its molecular activity is greatly increased producing heat.

 5. Nuclear – Nuclear energy is the product of the splitting or fusing of atomic particles (Fission of fusion respectively).
The tremendous heat energy in a nuclear power plant