Fire Behavior and Combustion - Case Study Example

The heat was applied to wood which is combustible at the smoldering stage. The heated salamander kerosene led to combustion of wood. Oxidation is an exothermic process; heat is generated leading to a chemical chain reaction. Flashover occurred as a result of superheated gaseous layers at above the house floor (Peacock, Reneke, Bukowski & Babrauskas, 1999). The windows of the house broke to let in fresh air which fueled the development of the fire. The house has a confined ceiling, the fire caused by kerosene heater increased by 40%, however, the heat influx declines as the radius increases between the house walls. Flames are traveling over the ceiling due to increase pressure. For instance, since the house is confined, air and fire build a thermal layer of heated gas causing an increase in temperature. A high rise in temperature as a result of heated walls and wood build up the pressure; a scenario defined as "Expansion of matter" (Dagaut & Cathonnet, 2006). The flame is seen coming through the ceiling because of near combustion of wood. However, a flashover arises as a result of reaching the ignition temperatures of the combustible materials. The layers are gaseous layers separated by thermal discontinuity interface. The smoke layers slopes within the house as a result of entrainment of oxygen from the bottom layer into the fire plume. Depletion of fresh air into the fire cuts of the spread and intensity of the fire. More so, massive loss of heat is recorded between the house walls. It is critical to note that during the combustion stage, unburned objects in the house are heated to reach their ignition point hence further spreading the fire. At flashover stage, it requires a lot of water and a high number of firefighters to take out the fire, it is a significant task witness in the video because excess heat sabotages rescue and fire containment efforts. In context, the house has a small area that allows faster absorption of thermal radiation, the reason why the flashover was so fast. Rollover of black smoke is also witnessed hence a significant sign of tremendous heat.

Salamander kerosene heaters are fire hazard once it is near a flammable object. In this case, the house caught fire because the heater was near wood spilled with kerosene, wood on its own is combustible. The flame from kerosene heater burns between 320-500 degrees Fahrenheit. Carbon monoxide, which is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas is released during the combustion of the wood. A dangerous gas that could have led to the loss of life in this scenario. It is known to block the circulation of enough oxygen in the human body causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and headache. The homeowner, for instance, added kerosene when the heater was still hot causing a flashover. The smoke was dense due to incomplete combustion caused by minimum house ventilation. Hence limited oxygen was led into the house. More so, kerosene heater is known for creating high base temperatures that can ignite any closer material that is flammable. In fact, Kerosene is non-volatile fuel implying that it has high flash point hence it needs a media for combustion (De Haan & Icove, 2013). The wood spilled by kerosene was heated increasing the volatility point igniting vapors easily. For the safety of the house owner, refueling the salamander heater outdoors could have saved the situation because spillage of the wood might have been avoided. Keeping the kerosene container indoors might be another reason for flashover, it is necessary for one to keep the tanks in a store or far from the living rooms. As a precaution, it is significant to install fire alarms and carbon (II) oxide detectors in the house that gives immediate feedback to the local fire department.

References

Dagaut, P., & Cathonnet, M. (2006). The ignition, oxidation, and combustion of kerosene: A review of experimental and kinetic modeling. Progress in energy and combustion science, 32(1), 48-92.

De Haan, J. D., & Icove, D. J. (2013). Kirk's Fire Investigation: Pearson New International Edition. Pearson Higher Ed.

Peacock, R. D., Reneke, P. A., Bukowski, R. W., & Babrauskas, V. (1999). Defining flashover for fire hazard calculations. Fire Safety Journal, 32(4), 331-345.