THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF A FIRE

5/17/2022 (Permalink)

A fire in your home or business can be devastating. It is never something you expect to experience. Generally, the earlier you can suppress a fire the better. This is because fires grow in intensity, temperature, and size if they have the resources they need to burn – oxygen, heat, fuel and in some cases, a chain reaction.

The following are 4 stages of fire to keep you safe:

1. Ignition (Incipient)

The incipient stage is when it’s crucial to fight a fire because it easiest to suppress it at this point, and it will cause the least damage. It’s difficult to manually fight and extinguish a fire when it is in this stage because of the time it takes to identify the fire, locate a handheld extinguisher and perform the proper steps to spray the fire.

2. Growth

This stage is where the structure’s fire load and oxygen are used as fuel for the fire. During the growth stage, there are multiple factors that affect the fire including where the fire started, what combustibles are nearby, ceiling height and the potential for thermal layering. Once a fire reaches this stage, it becomes harder to control. You have little time to put it out before it reaches flashover.

3. Fully Developed

A fully developed fire is the hottest stage of fire and the most dangerous for anyone trapped within. This stage reached its maximum and all nearby combustible materials have been ignited.

4. Decay

This is the longest stage of fire. It is characterized by a significant decrease in oxygen or fuel, putting an end to the fire. If there was no suspension, this is likely when there is nothing left to burn.

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