Extinguish fire

To prevent a fire arising from degenerating into an inferno, a few simple steps are known.Water, blanket, sand, earth, or simply cover, the means differ depending on the nature of fire.

Fire: Where and how should we act?

To prevent a fire from spreading, it is essential to deprive him of one of its three essential components: 

- The fuel (gas, gasoline, wood, fabric);

- The oxygen (or rather oxygen, also called oxidant by firefighters);

- Activation energy, ie the spark .

If the spark is difficult to control once the fire started, the other two components are a priori controllable them quickly during a fire born. 

Thus, to contain a fire in a limited area, it is necessary to avoid the departure of the fire could burn everything , including in particular:

- The fabric;

- Wood; 

- Highly flammable products such as gas and petrol, methylated spirits.

When the vacuum is created around the flames, the second impulse is to starve the fire of air .Without the oxygen content in air, the fire will go alone. To starve the fire of air, water is often used, but it can also be a blanket , a coat or better yet the contents of an extinguisher .

Water: A good way to extinguish a fire?

Water is well known, is the worst enemy fire.

Water coming into contact with fire, evaporate and form tiny droplets above the point of heat. The steam thus created drives the air, depriving the fire of oxygen. In addition, becoming steam, water absorbs a lot of energy and therefore heat.

The action of water on the fire is twofold: the smothering and cooling .

Caution : When the flames are caused by a hydrocarbon or oil , water instead of stifling tends to fuel the fire. The oil may float on water. The fire spread is then accelerated. To extinguish an incipient fire hydrocarbon based, the only solution is choking on recovery using earth, sand, a blanket or a more serene with a specific fire extinguisher.

Fire: a dangerous enemy

Fire is a formidable foe that spreads very quickly if not stopped in time. When the fire is growing, it may be an attempt to extinction by an individual.

When it starts to spread and that the fumes become troublesome, common reflex is to proceed as quickly as possible to evacuate the premises and call the fire department.

Every year France has a considerable number of home fires. On average, a fire broke out every 2 minutes .

The fire remains the third leading cause of death among children under five years. 800 deaths each year are deplored in France following a fire. The fires that start are located for third in the kitchen, third in the living room and third in the room.

Extinguish an incipient fire in the kitchen

In the kitchen, the fryers are particularly feared because they are the cause of many outbreaks of fire. When a fire starts in a deep fryer, the first instinct is to turn off the gas . The second action is to starve the fire of air by plating a lid on the fryer. Two simple actions that can avert the worst.

Especially in this kind of fire , as fuel with the oil , as we have already mentioned, never use water .

Caution : Oil jumps when it is inflamed. The face and hands should always be covered with wet cloths to control heat.

Extinguish a fire starting in a bedroom or living room

Following a short circuit or a smoldering cigarette , for example, a fire can occur in a localized manner in the house.

When departure is in a container like a garbage can for example, simply spray the container with water and put a lid to let the fire go out. 

When a fire in a mattress or rug, the best way to extinguish it is to cover the flames with a blanket or a coat, a shoe if the fire is small. 

Using an extinguisher is to be reserved for the lights already well advanced that we can not stifle (typical curtains). Powder extinguishers causes, in fact, a lot of damage in a house. The launch of the extinguisher is to be directed primarily at the base when the fire is on the ground and not directly on the flames. Warning: the fire extinguisher is toxic. It should not be used towards a person.

Warning : if the fire takes on the clothing of a person's first instinct is to chase what fuels the fire even more (intake of oxygen). The best move is to immobilize the person, sleeping on the ground and cover with a coat or blanket.

Extinguish fire with an extinguisher

Using a fire extinguisher directly on the flames at the origin of the fire closest to the coals. 
It is important to always keep the jet in the direction of the wind to avoid product returns.

The right thing to do is starting with a spray air pressure produced by drawing a circle in front of you. This creates a veil in front, which will protect from heat and fire risks. Then use the fire extinguisher at the base of the flames, mainly from left to right, and eventually upwards if necessary.

Once the fire was under control, the focus should be monitored closely to address a flashback.Used fire extinguishers should not be put in their place. They must be immediately transferred to a specialist who will fill them and put them back into working order. A fire extinguisher should be reviewed periodically to be operational in all situations.

Important: Use a fire extinguisher is effective in extinguishing a fire beginning. Once the fire is important, fire extinguisher, which empties into some pressures, will not be enough. The only remedy in this case is to call the fire department by calling 18 .

Different classes of fire

Fires are differentiated into five classes:
- Class A : fires produced by dry and solid materials (wood, paper, etc.).

- Class B : fires produced by liquids or liquefiable solids (oil, gasoline, solvents, etc.).. This is known as fat fires ;

- Class C : light produced by gas (natural gas, methane, propane, etc.).

- Class D : light metals (sodium, magnesium, iron filings or dust, etc.).. These fires do not declare a priori that in industrial environments;

- Class F : light oils or fats for cooking food. Typically, this is the case of the fryer oil that we mentioned. For now, these lights are evil

For more information on the types of fire extinguishers and correspondents, we recommend that you visit the page devoted to classes of fires and extinguishers correspondents EFPRD (Facilities Protection against Fire and Casualty).