Nobody wants to experience a fire but when fire does break out, if we know how to handle the situation and call the fire brigade, we stand a much better chance of surviving. This is why every home and business should have a fire safety plan. Know what to do and where to go should this ever occur.
Fire is a fascinating phenomena and there are some crazy facts about it that you might not know. Here are some interesting things about fire, which is both a blessing and curse depending on how it is managed:
- Fire is not a thing but an event. It is the result of a chain of reactions. Heating a material releases vapours that react with oxygen in the air and quickly combust. The resulting gas further heats the vapours and the cycle continues.
- Fire produces heat and light in a chemical energy reaction.
- When a fire has a steady supply of oxygen, heat and fuel, that fire will double in size roughly every minute. This is why fires can be so deadly. Fire engines are equipped with a wide range of apparatus for different types of fire. The truck itself responds quickly through traffic to race to the scene of a fire because fire can spread so fast. For the safety of the crew on board, the vehicle must be fitted with reflective livery so it can be spotted quickly by other road users. For more details on Chapter 8 Chevrons, visit a site such as https://www.vehiclechevrons.com
- Currently, Earth is the only known planet where fire can occur. Nowhere else has enough oxygen in the environment.
- Did you know that the amount of oxygen in a fire impacts the colour of the flame? A low oxygen flame will burn yellow but one high in oxygen will burn blue.
- The more oxygen there is, the hotter the fire will burn. The hottest fire that a human is likely to encounter is that of a welding torch which burns at more than 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fire has been an event with us from the earliest days of mankind. Evidence of charred bones and ash show that man has been making fire for 400,000 years. The Ancient Greeks used mirrors to focus rays of sunlight. This method is still used to light the Olympic torch.
- Some fires can never be put out. A coal seam in Australia has been burning underground for an estimated 500,000 years!
- Fire can indeed be a mixed blessing. It helps us to keep warm and cook food but when out of hand, can be devastating. An example of this is the famous Great Fire of London in 1666. It wiped out 80% of the city. However, even this was a blessing of sorts as it put an end to an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague that had been raging through the population by killing the rats and their infected fleas.
Leave a Reply