Fire Safety
About Fire
A fire is started by what firefighters call the "fire tetrahedron."
It is referred to as a tetrahedron because four things are needed
to start a fire:
- Fuel catches on fire
- Heat ignites the fuel
- Air, also known as oxygen, feeds the fire
- A chemical reaction keeps the fire going
When these four things are present, a fire will occur. The fire
will continue to burn until at least one of these components is
gone.
Fire is:
- Fast
In less than 30 seconds, a small fire can turn into a major fire.
In a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes
to escape once the smoke alarm sounds.
- Hot
Fires can make the air's temperature anywhere from several hundred
degrees to over a thousand degrees. This heat can hurt you more
than the actual flames.
- Dark
Fire makes the air very dark. You may not be able to see very
far in front of you.
- Dangerous
Fire produces poisonous gases and smoke, which kill more people
than flames do.
Fires can kill—but the good news is that you can survive
a fire. Reviewing the information on this
site will help you keep yourself and your family safe and prepared
if a fire starts in your home.
Source: National Fire Protection Association
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