After gaining permission from the property owner, a fire investigation was launched concerning the context of this situation. The objectives of the probe included an establishment of the origin of the fire and a determination of the most probable ignition sources. An understanding of the circumstances involved in this case was important as an initial step towards the prevention of future fire incidents. The significance of identifying the ignition sources was to enable the property owner to sensitize the occupants on the same.
Description of the Incident
Regarding this case, a fire occurred near a disposed container of flammable liquid. Next to this area was the owner’s television set. The television uses electrical components that are supplied by the house’s power connection. Additionally, the carpet cover was involved. A lot of damage was noticeable at the foot of the TV cabinet. This also affected the paper materials that were strewn all over the area.
Analysis
Origin
Flammability is the tendency of a substance to be ignited. The result of this is the causation of a combustive process, also known as a fire. The ability to burn is contingent on many factors. It is difficult to burn most materials. However, this aspect can be examined through the procedures of fire testing. This method is recognized internationally and has led to the development of various forms of protocols of flammability. The outcomes of these tests are used to create ratings that form the basis of fire regulations. Such rules dictate the manner in which structures are constructed according to the probability of fires (National Fire Protection Association 54). The storage of flammable materials is also determined by the outcomes of research concerning the flammability of materials. Another consideration is the design of fire protection mechanisms that safeguard human safety during fire eventualities. Additionally, insurance policies are based on the provisions of fire tests.
Proper labelling is important in fire protection. Materials that are deemed flammable are stored in appropriate containers that secure the substances. A distinctive sign is used to indicate the flammability of a container’s contents to protect handlers from any fire accidents. Additionally, storage details are provided to allow people to have a clear understanding of the proper means of storing flammable items. Technically, ‘flammable’ and ‘inflammable’ denote the burning potential of a substance. It has been found that the application of these terms has posed fire hazards repeatedly. This is because the suffix –in usually means ‘not’. People have erroneously disregarded the flammability of substances because of this standard of labelling. Nevertheless, linguists agreed on the application of ‘flammable’ to denote flammable items.
Flammable liquids should be held in appropriate containers. These containers should then be placed in secure cabinets that restrict the exposure of contents to open flames. This is due to the hazardous nature of such materials that would easily catch fire. Additionally, placing flammable substances in secure holdings ensure that children do not access them.
A close look at the pictures reveals the origin of the fire. An open container lies on the floor, with a sign that denotes flammability. In chemical labelling, flammable regards to substances that have high degrees of flammability. Those items with lower levels of flammability are referred to as combustible substances. This means that flammable substances are more dangerous than combustible ones. Improper storage may lead to the occurrence of fire when highly flammable items are improperly disposed. To understand the degrees of flammability, flash points categorize substances using this criterion. The flashpoint of a volatile substance denotes the lowest temperature at which fluid vapor ignition takes place. The measurement of flashpoints require the presence of ignition sources. To identify the flashpoint, fluid vapor stops combusting once the ignition source is absent. It is prudent to understand the difference between the flash point of a substance and its auto ignition temperature. Concerning this, auto ignition temperatures are those that support burning without the involvement of ignition sources.
The presence of an improperly disposed bottle shows the probable cause of the fire (Appendix A, figure 1). Since the container was used to hold a flammable substance, the presence of an ignition source stimulated the occurrence of a fire. Vapor pressure contributed to the progression of the fire into other areas around the room. Vapor pressure is linked to the temperature of a flammable liquid. An increase in temperature leads to a corresponding rise in a liquid’s vapor pressure. The increase in vapor pressure is an important factor that determines the sustenance of a fire. Concerning this, increased vapor pressure begets an increase in the vapor’s concentration in air. This means that temperature affects the concentration of a substance vapor in air. Regarding this property, there was insufficient ventilation to prevent an increase in the liquid’s vapor pressure. This led to a significant increase in the liquid’s vapor concentration, which led to sustenance of combustion. This occurred after ignition that occurred due to the electric activity of the television set’s components. Flammable liquids can be described according to their vapor pressures. This aspect differs from one substance to another. The fire started from the point at which the flammable liquid was poured. The damage expressed by the television set shows that the electric functions of the electronic ignited the flammable liquid. The presence of wooden items and paper material provided ample ground for the progression of the fire.
Fuel
In the room, the ignition of the flammable liquid led to combustion. This was caused by a spark that may be attributed to the electrical activity of the television set on site. The presence of wooden items in the room provides answers concerning the presence of fuel sources on site. The material composition of wood and paper is similar. They are both made of cellulose structures that can burn. When paper materials catch fire and burn, a lot of energy is produced. This is usually in the form of both heat and light. The products of this combustive process are carbon dioxide and water. This process must take place in the presence of oxygen gas. The charring of paper material is attributable to the chemical changes expressed by the carbon element of paper material. In the room, various paper materials and wooden items are covered by soot-like matter (Appendix A, figure 3). Additionally, the progression of simple flame into fire occurs spontaneously. Concerning this, the paper and wood materials burned without further lighting. The burning took place fast and spread to other areas of the room causing further damage.
Ignition scenario
The presence of a burnt paper material and a plastic item caused the advancement of the initial flame. Additionally, the structural properties of the room promoted the spread of the fire. As clearly seen, the fire started from the fuel items located on the floor but progressed to the wooden wall of the room. The fact that this wall was built from light cardboard aggravated the extent of the damage (Appendix A, figure 2). The fire burnt freely and occurred along the wooden outline of the wall. The painted surface was also a contributing factor to the spread of the fire. The chemical composition of paints includes some flammable liquids used in mixing paint components. This explains the clear observation implying that the wall’s combustion was the most severe in this case.
Works Cited
National Fire Protection Association. User's Manual for NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2005.
Appendix A
Heat and Flame Vector Analysis
Figure 1 improperly discarded bottle holding inflammable liquid.
Figure 2 A representation of the fire patterns.
Figure 3 Picture showing the charred wooden and paper material.
