To have a fire, there are 4 things we must have first; Heat, Fuel, Oxygen, and a Chemical Chain Reaction. If any one of these is removed, the fire will cease to exist. Heat is a measure of energy released through friction from molecular collisions within any substance. The more collisions, the more heat; the more heat, the more collisions. Fuel is any substance which is capable of combustion (burning). Oxygen is a catalyst to combustion. Oxygen itself does not burn. The fuel burns and oxygen just provides the means by which it burns. A Chemical Chain Reaction is the life force of a fire and is necessary for combustion to be sustained. It is also why fires spread so rapidly.
Knowing these things can help us to understand how to control a fire and make it a helpful tool. So how can we control a fire?
Remove Heat or Cool the fire.
The most common
method of doing this is by applying water to the fire or to any fuels around
the fire. So whenever we burn, we should keep a charged garden hose
handy at all times.
Remove Fuel
The best way
to accomplish this is to clear an area at least 10 Feet around the fire,
of anything that may burn, (leaves, sticks, grass etc.) before the fire is
lit. Also keep a rake at the ready to keep the burning embers in their
place
Remove Oxygen
An excellent
way of doing this is to keep a shovel nearby to throw soil onto the burning
fuel to smother it.
Interrupt the Chemical Chain Reaction
Though this
is not a very practical method of controlling a backyard fire, it can be
accomplished through the use of commercially available Dry Chemical Extinguishing
Agents. The most common of these is likely in your cupboard, Sodium
Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) is one of the most common Dry Chemical
Extinguishing Agents used in fire extinguishers. Every home should
have at least one Dry Chemical or ABC fire extinguisher in addition to having
a smoke detector on every level. Do not wait for a fire to occur to
learn how to use the extinguisher; it will be too late. Read the instructional
literature accompanying the extinguisher and memorize it. If you use
your extinguisher, even if it is not completely discharged, it should be
recharged or replaced.
Other precautions we should observe in order to use fire safely are as follows:
* Check with local authorities to see if there are any
bans on burning and to check on conditions which may make your fire difficult
to control.
* NEVER burn during dry and/or windy conditions.
* NEVER assume that last night's rain made it safe to burn. Often the wind will come up after it rains and this wind can dry things out very quickly; many people are surprised just how quickly.
* When finished with your fire, drown it with plenty of water and stir the embers, ashes, and dirt to make sure the fire is dead out. "Cold Trail" the fire by feeling for heat with the back of your ungloved hand.
* Know that a wind gust can carry embers or sparks several yards to even a mile or more (under the worst conditions) to another location igniting a wildfire without you even knowing it.
And
Remember the words of Smokey Bear
Remember, Only YOU
can prevent
Wildfires!