Knowing how to suppress a fire can be lifesaving when it matters. While the importance of fire is undeniable, so are its potential dangers. Fire can be used to cook meals, keep warm & get water — but it can also destroy everything onsite in a matter of minutes.
In this article, we’ll look at the steps to take when you need to suppress a fire, as well as other necessary considerations to make. But first, you must understand what is meant by fire chemistry.
Fire chemistry is simply the nutrients needed for a fire to grow. They are fuel, heat & oxygen. If you take out any of these 3, a fire can not exist.
Steps to Take To Suppress a Fire
When a fire breaks out, the usual action for most is to flee, and this should be your course of action in most cases too. The only time you should attempt to suppress fire is when your safety is assured. Do not linger to suppress a fire that is too large to be dealt with alone. Escape as soon as you determine if a fire can not be suppressed.
How do you decide if to wait to suppress a fire or not? Let’s see…
Evaluate the Fire
The main reason you want to suppress fire is to kill it before it grows too wild for you to extinguish alone. This can be easy for an expert, given that most fires begin small, but did you know that a small fire can grow out of it in a moment? Therefore, it is important to have a quick assessment of the fire before attempting to suppress it.
Your safety will always remain the most important thing, so the first question you’re asking is if you can safely suppress the fire. Your answer has to be a major YES, and any answer apart from that should see you evacuating immediately. Check for the size of the fire. If it is bigger than a can of about 50 liters or 13 gallons, it’s too large to put out. A fire bigger than your kitchen trash can not take long before it sends the whole room into flames. It is simply not worth the risk.
Determine the Appropriate Extinguishing Agent for Suppressing the Fire
Having decided that the fire can still be suppressed, the next consideration is the extinguisher to use. Most fire outbreaks may have been contained if the homeowners knew the right agent to put out the fire.
Usually, the fire type is what determined what extinguisher to use.
- The ordinary fire extinguisher is either a Type A, B, or C — meaning that it is only effective against materials like fabric, plastic & wood (type A), flammables like alcohol, fuels & solvent (type B), and common electrical equipment (type C).
- However, regardless of the extinguisher with you, a better way to kill an electrical fire is to switch off the circuit breaker. This will usually convert a type C fire to a type A fire, which is easier to put off. Water can be used to fight type A fires & deprive them of oxygen — which means instant death. On the other hand, water cannot be used to put out a type B fire as it can cause fuel splash, nor can it be used for a type C fire since it is a conductor.
- We also have type D fires, which are outbreaks involving combustible metals like aluminum powder, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium & the mixture of lithium with specific materials. Metals burn very hotly & can split water to extract oxygen (a nutrient to stay alive) & hydrogen (a flammable). Therefore, fighting a type D fire with water is a wrong thing to do. The best thing to do when working with metals is to have a type D extinguisher very close.
- There’s also type K fires, which are kitchen oil fires, and you must take note not to mistake them for grease fires on stoves. This fire type is mostly caused by deep fryers. It is greatly recommended to always have a fume hood & several K extinguishers in a kitchen with a deep freezer. Meanwhile, to put off a grease fire, you have to turn off the stove to seize its source of heat & then cover it with a pan to deprive it of oxygen. You may decide to use baking soda too, but it’s usually a mess that’s uncalled for.
Suppressing the Fire
Suppressing a fire should be done with a friend or anyone able to. This person can watch out for dangers you’re unaware of & can get you to safety should something go bad.
The steps to suppress a fire are:
- Prep the extinguisher for use;
- Support the extinguisher by holding it at the support handle with your more powerful hand. This is usually placed below the trigger (which is the upper handle).
- Detach the safety pin. Doing this may require you to break a plastic zip holding it in place. This pin is relatively easy to break, though.
- The hose may still be clipped to the cylinder, so you may have to free it.
- Test the extinguisher to be sure it’s functioning before getting close to fire.
When operating an extinguisher, keep the acronym PASS in mind:
P — Pull the pin off.
A — Aim at the fire’s base.
S — Squeeze the trigger.
S — Sweep the extinguisher back & forth.
Note that type A, B & C extinguishers are designed to put out a fire rapidly. So, if you’re unable to kill a fire after holding the trigger for more than 5 seconds, you must evacuate as quickly as you can. Such a fire is most likely impossible to tame for you — or you’re not using the right extinguisher.
Final Lines on How to Suppress a Fire
With valuable knowledge on how to suppress a fire, I’m hoping that you are more equipped to face a fire safely. Always keep in mind that your safety is your top priority. If you’re not sure of your safety, your best course of action would be to leave the premises as soon as possible & call in the fire department. Note that you have to be mindful of the flammables you have in your home.