Table of Contents
Why do fires need oxygen?
Air contains about 21 percent oxygen, and most fires require at least 16 percent oxygen content to burn. Oxygen supports the chemical processes that occur during fire. When fuel burns, it reacts with oxygen from the surrounding air, releasing heat and generating combustion products (gases, smoke, embers, etc.).
How does topography affect fire?
Topography. Topography can have an influence on how a fire behaves. It will typically move more quickly uphill than downhill or than on flat terrain. For example, a rocky slope can act as a great natural fire break due to a lack of fuel and wide gap of open space.
What conditions are necessary for a fire to burn?
Oxygen, heat, and fuel are frequently referred to as the “fire triangle.” Add in the fourth element, the chemical reaction, and you actually have a fire “tetrahedron.” The important thing to remember is: take any of these four things away, and you will not have a fire or the fire will be extinguished.
What is the fastest spreading part of a fire?
Head
Head of a Fire: The side of the fire having the fastest rate of spread.
Why does a fire need fuel to burn?
The oxygen that is needed for the fire is used to help keep the heat and to help keep the fire burning. Without oxygen, the fuel will not be fed to the heat and the fire will not be able to continue to burn. When oxygen is taken away, the fire completely extinguishes. Fuel for a fire can be anything from paper…
What do you need to know about a fire?
For a fire to burn, it needs oxygen, fuel and heat. Without these three components, a fire cannot begin or continue to burn. The oxygen that is needed for the fire is used to help keep the heat and to help keep the fire burning. Without oxygen, the fuel will not be fed to the heat and the fire will not be able to continue to burn.
Why does it take so much oxygen to start a fire?
Lacking even one, a fire won’t burn. As an ingredient of air, oxygen is usually the easiest to find. (On planets such as Venus and Mars, with atmospheres containing far less oxygen, fires would be hard to start.) Oxygen’s role is to combine with the fuel. Any number of sources may supply heat.
What makes a fire not burn in the atmosphere?
Lacking even one, a fire won’t burn. As an ingredient of air, oxygen is usually the easiest to find. (On planets such as Venus and Mars, with atmospheres containing far less oxygen, fires would be hard to start.)