Fire Protection: Classifying Fires
Fire Protection: Classifying Fires
Fire Protection: Classifying Fires
Public sign warning of the highest level of fire hazard at a campsite in Germany
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive
fires.[1] It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation
of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and
application of mitigating systems. In structures, be they land-based, offshore or even ships, the
owners and operators are responsible to maintain their facilities in accordance with a design-basis
that is rooted in laws, including the local building code and fire code, which are enforced by
the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Buildings must be constructed in accordance with the version of the building code that is in effect
when an application for a building permit is made. Building inspectors check on compliance of a
building under construction with the building code. Once construction is complete, a building must be
maintained in accordance with the current fire code, which is enforced by the fire prevention officers
of a local fire department. In the event of fire emergencies, Firefighters, fire investigators, and other
fire prevention personnel are called to mitigate, investigate and learn from the damage of a fire.
Lessons learned from fires are applied to the authoring of both building codes and fire codes.
Contents
1Classifying fires
2Components
3Balanced approach
4Building operation in conformance with design
5See also
6Notes
7Further reading
8External links
Classifying fires[edit]
Main article: Fire class
When deciding on what fire protection is appropriate for any given situation, it is important to assess
the types of fire hazard that may be faced.
Some jurisdictions operate systems of classifying fires using code letters. Whilst these may agree on
some classifications, they also vary. Below is a table showing the standard operated in Europe and
Australia against the system used in the United States.
Australi North
Type of Fire European
a America
Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but with (Class E) now no
the introduction of an electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically longer in the
Class E1 Class C
energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock European
risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire. standards
Fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of the oils when
on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids, making normal Class F Class F Class K
extinguishing agents ineffective.
1
Technically there is no such thing as a "Class E" fire, as electricity itself does not burn. However it is considered a dangerous
and very deadly complication to a fire, therefore using the incorrect extinguishing method can result in serious injury or death.
Class E, however generally refers to fires involving electricity, therefore a bracketed E, "(E)" denoted on various types of
extinguishers.[2]
Fires are sometimes categorized as "one alarm", "two alarm", "three alarm" (or higher) fires. There is
no standard definition for what this means quantifiably, though it always refers to the level response
by the local authorities. In some cities, the numeric rating refers to the number of fire stations that
have been summoned to the fire. In others, the number counts the number of "dispatches" for
additional personnel and equipment.[3][4]
Components[edit]
Personnel training and fire training alarm in Karelian Research Centre of RAS, 2018.
Passive fire protection - the installation of firewalls and fire rated floor assemblies to form fire
compartments intended to limit the spread of fire, high temperatures, and smoke.
Active fire protection - manual and automatic detection and suppression of fires, such as fire
sprinkler systems and (fire alarm) systems.
Education - the provision of information regarding passive and active fire protection systems to
building owners, operators, occupants, and emergency personnel so that they have a working
understanding of the intent of these systems and how they perform in the fire safety plan.
Balanced approach[edit]
Passive fire protection (PFP) in the form of compartmentalisation was developed prior to the invention
of or widespread use of active fire protection (AFP), mainly in the form of automatic fire sprinkler
systems. During this time, PFP was the dominant mode of protection provided in facility designs. With
the widespread installation of fire sprinklers in the past 50 years, the reliance on PFP as the only
approach was reduced.
See also