It is a sad day when a Fire or Smoke damage causes damage to your home or office but if it does you will need to know a lot of information you would otherwise never have needed to know. This site is designed to share with you our experiences and information we have come by through performing our Fire Restoration Services. Please understand that a Fire Damage is one of the worst things you, a family member or friend can go through. The structural devastation to your home or office and your personal property can bring on very stressful and sad times for you and the people in your life. Fire takes things away from people that in many cases can never be replaced. Like, perhaps, those old family photos or the wedding videos or pictures. Favorite music, electronics, or furnishings. There is just no end to what a fire can take away from you. A lot of fire damage to your property depends on the type of fire you may have had.
How many types of fires do you think there are? Drum roll please…………….
Did you say 4? Then you are absolutely wrong! Ha ha there are actually 5 documented types of fires.
This First Type of Fire is an ordinary combustible fire of common materials such as wood, fabric or paper, and plastics found in most trash. Please be careful because you can die from vapors caused by burning plastic. The vapor caused from burning plastic is call (HCN) or Hydrogen Cyanide. Many Firemen have been taken to the hospital for treatment from exposure to this deadly gas. Other combinations of the cause of (HCN) can also cause (HCL) or Hydrochloric acid if a chlorine component is involved in the burn. The good news is that the vapors are very flammable and usually burn up in the fire. But not always and (HCN) shuts down cell respiration. It is disorientating to the point that you won’t realize it is happening in time to escape and once it takes your breath away you pass out and die. Certain concentrations can kill you in as little as a minute in a poorly ventilated area. It’s ironic that (HCI) is found in most foods that we consume like apple seeds and almonds but when ingested and digested it is completely harmless unless you have a high consumption rate for a long period of time without proper levels of vitamin B in your diets. Zyklon B used in Nazi death camps is (HCN) absorbed to a carrier. Pretty sick huh. These Combustible type of fires are called class A fires.
The Second Type of Fire is fueled by liquid and gas. Fires like these are similar to combustible fires as they follow the same basic fire tetrahedron shown in the image below:
These are the basic elements needed for a fire. A liquid or gas fires fuel is basically a gasoline or natural gas. We have already discovered that a fire can burn plastics that cause more gas or fuel to the fire. Water should not be used in an attempt to extinguish a gas or liquid fire as it, more than likely, will cause the fire to spread. Many of you have probably heard to throw flour on a grease fire and not to ever use water as it will just make it bigger and in many cases expand rapidly as you spread it and fed it more oxygen. That is why it is very important to recognize what type of fire you are fighting before you attempt to remedy its spread. In many cases the latest dry material or foam used for extinguishing these types of fires can be found in your standard fire extinguishers. These type of fires are classified as B or C fires.
The Third Type of Fire is fueled or caused by Electrical power. This is why in most fires the Fire Department will cut off the power to the structure, if possible, before entering. As you know electricity and water mix well with a deadly result for humans if the current is strong enough to cause physical damage. These type of fires are classified as C or E in some places.
The Fourth Type of Fire can contain metals but is not a common accelerator of fires as they are a natural barrier that takes high temperatures to burn. This type of fire class is D for metals.
The Fifth and last time of fire is a sub class of the gas and liquid class. That is right, we are talking about fat, grease, and unsaturated cooking oils. The reason these guys have their own class is because of the flashpoint of these types of liquids are higher than many other classifications. This Final fire classification is K or F.
Please take the time to see the other post and pages of this site and share them with your family and friends if you are in need of information regarding fire & smoke damage restoration in Sarasota, Bradenton, and surrounding areas.