MATTHEW LI
Ways Your House
Can Burn Down
TYPES
There are five primary types of house fires. They are classified by
what is burning.
Class A: Combustibles (Wood, Plastic, Paper)
class B: Flammable Liquids (Oil, Gasoline, Paints)
Class C: Electrical Equipment (Wires, Motor, Appliances)
Class D: Combustible Metals (Magnesium, Lithium)
Class K: Combustible Cooking Materials (Kitchen Oil, Grease)
TOP CAUSES OF
HOUSE FIRES
Other
31.2%
Cooking-related fire accidents take the lead as
the top causes of house fires. Around 50
percent of house fires are caused because of
cooking. To simplify things, we will be mainly
focusing on cooking fires, more specifically,
grease fires from now on.
Cooking
50%
Heating Equipment
12.5%
THE COST OF COOKING FIRES
There are around 471 cooking fires reported daily in the US and there
are about 530 deaths, 5,270 injuries, and property damage of about
$1.1 billion every year.
Grease Fire Facts
- The fires are typically
started when cooking is
left unattended
- Grease fires start when oil
is heated beyond its smoke
point
- Oil will boil, then smoke,
then catch on fire
- Oils have hydrocarbons
- Cooking fires follow the
good old combustion
formula
Tips for Putting Out The
Fire
- Adding water will make it
worse as it spreads the grease
- Remove heat if there's a
grease fire, no energy added =
no combustion
- Cover the fire with a lid, no
oxygen = no combustion
- Cover the fire with baking
powder or salt, no oxygen = no
combustion
- Use class B or K fire
extinguishers to expel CO2
which cuts of oxygen
THE CHEMISTRY AND STUFF
The chemistry of a grease fire is essentially just combustion. The oil
(fuel) reacts with oxygen in the air while energy (heat) is added. The
energy added breaks down the products and makes new molecules
which gives off energy (heat and light). Then the cycle keeps going as
the heat released can be used again.