CDI6/ Week 3
CLASSIFICATION OF FIRE
A. BASED ON CAUSE
1. Natural Fire
2. Accidental Fire
3. Intentional Fire
B. BASED ON BURNING FUEL
FOUR CLASSES OF FIRE
1. Class A - Materials involving vegetable fibers, wood, paper straw, grain, and grass; combustible minerals such as
coal and coke. Nearly all thrash fires are considered as Class A.
FIGURE 2
SOURCE: https://www.slideshare.net/chr1se5cal312/basic-fire-fighting-training
2. Class B - materials including petroleum products such as gasoline, fuel oils, lubricating oils, and greases; animal fats
such as butter, lard, and tallow; vegetable extracts such as alcohol, linseed oil, and turpentine; vegetable
compounds such as shortenings and oleomargarines; natural gases and compresses gases such as butane, propane,
hydrogen, and acetylene.
FIGURE 3
SOURCE: https://www.slideshare.net/chr1se5cal312/basic-fire-fighting-training
3. Class C - This type of fire involves electrical motors, electrical appliances and apparatus. Actually a Class C fire is
composed usually of Class A and Class B materials or a combination of both. Use of water is usually dangerous because
of the risk of electrical shock.
FIGURE 4
SOURCE: https://www.slideshare.net/chr1se5cal312/basic-fire-fighting-training
4. Class D - These are materials involving combustible metals, alloys, or metal compounds either in a solid, semi-solid
or liquid state. They may further reduce in shavings, grindings, granules, or dust. Some liquid metals are kept in a liquid
state under pressure. Usually these liquid metals are extremely dangerous. Some of the more unusual metals are: sodium
(NA) magnesium, titanium, sodium potassium, and uranium as well as pyrophoric organometallic reagents such as
alkylithiums, grignards and diethylzinc. These type of materials burn at high temperatures and will react violently with
water, air, and/or other chemicals.
FIGURE 5
SOURCE: https://www.slideshare.net/chr1se5cal312/basic-fire-fighting-training
5. Class K - these are materials involved in the kitchen fires. This classification added to the NFPA portable
extinguishers Standard in 1998.
FIGURE 6
SOURCE: https://www.elitefire.co.uk/help-advice/detect-and-extinguish-class-f-fire/
CLASSIFICATION FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:
Different types of fire extinguishers are designed to extinguish fires involving different types of fuels. They are classified as
Class A, B, C, or D (or a combination) depending on the fire against which their agents are effective.
The class of extinguisher should be indicated on the extinguisher shell/container. The “picture-symbol" labelling system
used is designed to make the operation of fire extinguishers more effective and safe to use through the use of less
confusing pictorial labels.
The system also emphasizes when not to use an extinguisher on certain types of fires.
1. Class A Extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary Combustibles, such as wood and paper. The numerical rating
for this class of fire extinguisher refers to the amount of water the fire extinguisher holds and L amount of fire it will
extinguish.
2. Class B Extinguishers should be used on fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, etc. The
numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher state the approximate number of square feet of a flammable liquid fire
that a non-expert person can expect to extinguish.
3. Class C Extinguishers are suitable for use on electrically energized fires. This class of fire extinguishers does not
have a numerical rating. The presence of the letter "C indicates that the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.
4. Class D Extinguishers are designed for use on flammable metals and are often specific for the type of metal in
question. There is no picture designator for Class D extinguishers. These extinguishers generally have no rating nor they
are given a multi-purpose rating for use on other types of metal fires.
Figure 7
SOURCE: Fire Behavior and Arson Investigation, Wiseman Book Trading Inc (Bustria2013)
