Conditions for ignition:
• Tlen – the surrounding air contains enough of it.
• Ciepło – ignition source (spark, open fire, high temperature).
• Materiał ulegający zapaleniu.
Enough, that only one of the above elements is missing, and a fire will not be possible. The use of non-flammable materials ensures that there is no possibility of ignition.
Ignition time
Flammable materials will ignite when exposed to fire – the time from the start of the fire load to the moment of ignition is called the ignition time. It depends on the strength of the ignition source, material thickness and material composition.
Characteristics of the course of the fire
Each fire follows a certain pattern – its following phases can be distinguished: o appearance of a fire source o ignition o linear phase o full development phase o flashover o cooling phase.
The greatest threats, which carries fire:
• Smoke – is suffocating, toxic, reduces visibility on escape routes, even a small fire can produce a lot of smoke.
• CO (Carbon monoxide) – it is invisible and odorless - so very dangerous; even a small fire can produce amounts that are dangerous to humans.
• Wysoka temperatura (thermal radiation) -radiation above 600 ° C is already dangerous to humans; the temperature can increase rapidly.
This should be borne in mind, that in the event of a fire, equipment and furniture burn and produce smoke, toxic gases and heat radiation. Even the largest fires start with a small ignition source (cigarette, spark, e.t.c.). Dangerous gases are released during a fire, we may not even feel. The source of the fire should be stopped as soon as possible.
A typical course of a fire involving fire brigades is as follows:
– the beginning of the fire: 6 min. for recognition: 1-3 min.
– alarm
– przybycie straży pożarnej: 10-15 min.
– rozpoczęcie gaszenia: 3-6 min.
If fire fighting by fire brigades starts later than after 20 minutes after ignition, usually the fire area is already destroyed.
The remaining parts of the building should be protected by a fire-resistant structure!