Fires

A Fire is an occurrence of uncontrolled flaming, which can be extremely dangerous for living beings and structures. The exposition to a fire may cause death, usually through the inhalation of gases or by faint caused by them or, consequently, by severe burning.

 Beginning of a Fire

Fires in buildings may start through failures in the electrical system, in the kitchen, with wax candles or cigarette ends. The fire may spread rapidly to other structures, especially if they are not in accordance with the safety standards; that is why many municipalities rely on the services of fire brigades to quickly extinguish possible fire breaks.

Forms of Fire Spread

Fires spread by four ways:

• Radiation, in which there is omnidirectional transport of energy through the air, supported by infrared rays and electromagnetic waves;
• Convection, in which energy is transported through the moving air heated by combustion;
• Conduction, in which energy is transported through a body;
• Projection of flaming particles, which can occur in face of explosions and sparks carried by the wind.

Safety regulations against fire in buildings classify them according to the respective characteristics of use, as well as their risk category.

Risk Categories

Safety legislation against fire in buildings classifies them into 4 risk categories, from the first, estimated as slight risk, to the fourth where the risk of fire is considered to be more severe, meaning the consequences of a fire imply greater severity in the application of safety measures. The risk categories depend on several factors, according to the use of the buildings, which range from the characteristics of the users (their number and knowledge of the building) to the specificities of the materials and equipment installed, among others.

Self-protection Measures

• Never put yourself in danger in order to try to extinguish the fire;
• Put into practice the Evacuation Plan that you have trained with your family. Get out of the house quickly. Do not hide. Take nothing with you, leave things where they are;
• Crawl if there is smoke. You breathe better near the floor. Whenever possible, protect your mouth with a damp cloth and breathe through it;
• Do not run if your clothes start to burn. Practice the rule STOP – DROP – ROLL;
• Before opening a door, check if it is hot with the back of your hand. If so, try to find another exit, because there are fire and smoke everywhere. If it is cold, there may also be fire and smoke preventing you from passing. Therefore, open it very carefully and be ready to close it very quickly;
• If you cannot get out safely, look for a window or balcony where you can be seen. To draw attention, shout and wave with something (clothes, towel, etc.);
• Always use the stairs, never use the lifts. If it is safe, try to go down, because the fire tends to go up;
• When you are safe, already out of the house, ask for help. Call 112;
• After raising the alert, go to the meeting point that you have settled with your family;
• Stay out of the house. Never go back for any reason whatsoever.