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Fire
*** Shopping-Tip: Fire
{{mergefrom|flame}}
{{otheruses|fire (disambiguation)}}
Image:Large bonfire.jpg bonfire.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|225px|A large [[bonfire..html" title="Meaning of 225px|A large [[bonfire">thumb|225px|A large [[bonfire.">225px|A large [[bonfire">thumb|225px|A large [[bonfire.
'''
Fire''', a form of
combustion, is a
chemical reaction involving two or more chemicals where the molecules will readily react with each other to form additional chemicals. Linguistically, the word ''fire'' refers to the combination of the brilliant glow and large amount of
heat released during a rapid, self-sustaining burning of combustible
fuel. Fire is not a state of matter: rather, it is an
exothermic oxidation process by which heat and light energy are given out. Fire starts when a fuel with adequate supply of
oxygen or other
oxidizer is subjected to enough heat, and it is sustained by the further release of heat
energy in the process, as well as a continuous supply of oxygen and combustible fuel. A
match or
lighter is usually used to start a fire, which can then propagate to other combustibles because matches and lighters are designed with materials of low burning point. Fire is extinguished when one or more elements of heat, oxidizer, or fuel is removed; this concept is used in the
fire triangle. The unburnable solid remains of a fire are termed ash.
Flames can conduct
electricity, as a small portion of any fire is
ion ionized. This has been demonstrated in the laboratory and also in large
wildfires that occur in the vicinity of
power lines. This ability to conduct electricity is due to its partially
plasma (physics) plasmaic nature.
Controlling fire
Image:Log in fireplace.jpg fireplace.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|225px|A log burning in a [[fireplace..html" title="Meaning of left|225px|A log burning in a [[fireplace">thumb|left|225px|A log burning in a [[fireplace.">left|225px|A log burning in a [[fireplace">thumb|left|225px|A log burning in a [[fireplace.
Controlling fire for the purposes of providing heat and light was one of
mankind's first great achievements. The ability of fire to generate heat and light made possible migration to colder climates and enabled people to
cooking cook food — a decisive step in the perennial fight against
disease.
Smoke signals were an early use of fire for communication, and fire soon enabled advancements in
metallurgy such as
smelting and
forging.
Archaeology indicates that ancestors of modern humans such as ''
Homo erectus'' seem to have been using controlled fire as early as some 790,000 years ago. The
Cradle of Humankind site has evidence for controlled fire 1 million years ago.
By the time of the
Neolithic Revolution, during the introduction of grain based agriculture, people the world over used fire as a tool in landscape management. These fires were typically
controlled burns or "cool fires", as opposed to uncontrolled "hot fires" that damage the soil. Such hot fires destroy plants and animals, and endanger communities. This is especially problem in the forests of today where traditional burning is prevented in order to encourage the growth of timber crops. Cool fires are generally conducted in the spring and fall. They clear undergrowth, burning up
biomass that could trigger a hot fire should it get too dense. They provide a greater variety of environments, which encourages game and plant diversity. For humans, they make dense, impassable forests traversable.
Image:Gas burner on stove.JPG thumb|right|225px|A lit gas burner on a stove.
The modern applications of fire are numerous. In its broadest sense, fire is used by nearly every human being on earth in a controlled setting every day. Owners of
internal combustion vehicles use fire every time they drive. Thermal
Power station power stations provide
electricity for a large percentage of humanity. However, fire is also used more directly; many nomadic peoples still use fire for cooking. It is also used for
Tobacco smoking smoking, and as a
weapon.
In fact, the use of fire for
warfare has a long
military history history up to the present day.
Homer detailed its use by Greek
commando commandoes who hid in a
Trojan Horse wooden horse to burn
Troy during the
Trojan war. Later the
Byzantine Empire Byzantine fleet used
Greek fire to attack ships and men. In the
Vietnam War, the Americans dropped a modern version,
napalm, from the air. More recently many villages were burned during the
Rwandan Genocide.
Aerial bombing of cities, including
firebombing, using
incendiary bombs was also frequently used during
World War II.
Molotov cocktails are cheap to construct and are in common use as well.
Fire and religion
Image:Rubens - Vulcano forjando los rayos de Júpiter.jpg thumb|right|160px|Vulcan of ancient mythology, using fire for his forge
Fires and burning have often been used in
religion religious rites and symbolism. One reason may be that the
smoke of the fire disperses upwards, into what may be considered into the
heavens, considered by many religions to be the home of their supernatural deities.
Fire is one of the four
classical elements, as well as one of the
Five elements (Chinese philosophy) five Chinese elements. In
Hinduism fire is one of five sacred elements of which all living creatures are comprised and is considered an eternal witness essential to sacred religious ceremonies.
Fire is a symbol of
Ahura Mazda, or God, of the
Zoroastrian religion. A Zoroastrian church is known as a
Agiary Fire Temple. Fire is also an important part of
Calcination, the fire operation in the art of
alchemy.
In Roman mythology,
Vulcan is the god of fire. The analogue in Greek mythology is
Hephaestus. In Greek mythology,
Prometheus is the
Titan (mythology) Titan chiefly honored for stealing fire from the gods in the stalk of a fennel plant and giving it to mortals for their use.
In
Judaism fire also has great significance. Candles are lit to usher in holidays and to separate
Shabbat from the rest of the week, as well as to remember the dead. Another important fire symbol is the
Eternal Flame, which was a fire kept in the
Temple in Jerusalem First and
Second Temple Second Temples and will always be kept burning.
In
Christianity, fire is a
symbol of the
Holy Ghost and is often used in descriptions of
Hell.
Fire as a power source
Image:ChineseCoalPower.jpg coal power plant.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|200px|A [[coal power plant in the
People's Republic of China..html" title="Meaning of left|200px|A [[coal power plant">thumb|left|200px|A [[coal power plant in the
People's Republic of China.">left|200px|A [[coal power plant">thumb|left|200px|A [[coal power plant in the
People's Republic of China.
Fire has supplied much of the energy which has helped humans since ancient times.
Wood was a
prehistory prehistoric fuel. The use of
fossil fuels such as
petroleum,
natural gas and
coal in
fossil fuel power plant power plants supplies the vast majority of the world's electricity today. The
International Energy Agency states it is nearly 80%
[[http://www.iea.org/statlist/index.htm "Share of Total Primary Energy Supply", 2002; International Energy Agency]]. Mexico is typical with thermal energy providing 76% of all energy
[[http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/national_energy_grid/mexico/index.shtml "Mexico Grid Summary", 2000; Global Energy Network Institute]; thermal energy defined as oil, gas and coal].
The burning of wood is often the first association to the word "fire". It is common in a
developing countries developing country for wood to be the primary energy source as well. For instance, in
Africa, 65% of the energy used comes from the burning of
biomass[[http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/archives/africa/chapter3.html "Energy in Africa - Chapter 3"], United States Department of Energy information administration]. What is less obvious is that wood burning power stations are less environmentally destructive than the fired oil power station in two major respects.
E.ON E.ON UK is soon to build a 44 megawatt wood fired power station in the
United Kingdom for these reasons, as reported in the
The Guardian Guardian newspaper in October 2005
[[http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1592854,00.html "How Can Burning Wood Help Reduce Global Warming"], The Guardian ]: first, wood is a renewable resource, especially if trees are grown in a modern, sustainable way. Second, the
carbon dioxide emissions are negligible because no more carbon dioxide can be produced by burning than would be produced by the natural rotting of wood. Thus, over a 100-year timescale, the effect is carbon-neutral
[[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021122.html The Straight Dope: What exactly is fire?]. Adams, C. (2002). Retrieved December 19, 2004.]. It is also claimed that this power station will be more efficient than coal:
Accelerant accelerants can be used to spread fire faster or have it burn hotter.
The fire in a
power station is used to heat water, creating steam that drives
Turbine turbines. The turbines are linked to an
electrical generator.
Uncontrolled fire
{{splitsection}}
Image:Forestfire2.jpg thumb|right|300px|A forest fire.
The self-sustaining nature of fire makes it extremely dangerous if uncontrolled. Fire can consume structures and trees and can severely injure or kill living beings through
burns or
smoke inhalation. Structure fires can be started by
cooking accidents,
electricity electrical faults,
fuel leaks, the misuse of lighters and/or matches, and accidents involving
candles and
cigarettes. Fire can propagate rapidly to other structures, especially where proper
building standards are not met. Purposely starting destructive fires constitutes
arson and is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions. The destructive capacity of fire has led most
municipality municipalities to offer
fire fighting services to quickly extinguish fires. Trained
firefighter firefighters use
fire truck fire trucks,
fire hydrant fire hydrants, and an array of other equipment to combat the spread of fires. Municipal buildings such as
school schools and government buildings often conduct
fire drill fire drills to inform and prepare citizens on how to react to a building fire. Outside of urban settings,
wildfires can consume large areas of
forest and brush and often damage nearby settlements.
There are many different classification systems used for uncontrolled fires; in
Europe and
Australasia six groups are used:
Image:Dangclass2_1.png thumb|left|100px|Flammable gas warning.
* Class A: Fires that involve flammable
solids such as
wood,
cloth,
rubber,
paper, and some types of
plastics.
* Class B: Fires that involve flammable
liquids or liquifiable solids such as
gasoline petrol/gasoline,
petroleum oil,
paint, some
waxes & plastics, but '''not''' cooking fats or oils.
* Class C: Fires that involve flammable
gases, such as
natural gas,
hydrogen,
propane,
butane.
* Class D: Fires that involve
combustion combustible metals, such as
sodium,
magnesium, and
potassium.
* Shock Risk (formerly known as Class E): Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but with the introduction of an electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock risk if a
electrical conduction conductive agent is used to control the fire.
* Class F: Fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of the oils when on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids making normal extinguishing agents ineffective.
Image:Wohnhausbrand.JPG house.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|230px|right|A [[house on fire..html" title="Meaning of 230px|right|A [[house">thumb|230px|right|A [[house on fire.">230px|right|A [[house">thumb|230px|right|A [[house on fire.
In the
United States U.S., fires are generally classified into five groups: A, B, C, D, and K
* Class A: Fires that involve wood, cloth, rubber, paper, and some types of plastics.
* Class B: Fires that involve gasoline, oil, paint, natural and propane gases, and flammable liquids, gases, and greases.
* Class C: Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but with the introduction of an electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire.
* Class D: Fires that involve combustible metals, such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
* Class K: Fires that involve cooking oils. Although, by definition, Class K is a subclass of Class B, the special characteristics of these types of fires are considered important enough to recognize.
Science of fire
Image:Blacksmiths fire.jpg blacksmith.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|A [[blacksmith's fire, used primarily for
forging iron..html" title="Meaning of 250px|A [[blacksmith">thumb|250px|A [[blacksmith's fire, used primarily for
forging iron.">250px|A [[blacksmith">thumb|250px|A [[blacksmith's fire, used primarily for
forging iron.
A flame is an exothermic, self-sustaining, oxidizing chemical reaction producing energy and glowing gas, of which a very small portion is
Plasma (physics) plasma. It consists of reacting gases emitting visible and
infrared light, the
frequency spectrum of which is dependent on the chemical composition of the burning elements and intermediate reaction products.
In many cases such as burning
organic matter like wood or incomplete
combustion of gas, incandescent solid particles,
soot produces the familiar red-orange 'fire' color light. This light has a continuous spectrum. Complete combustion of gas has a dim blue color due to the emission of single wavelength radiations from various electron transitions in the excited molecules formed in the flame. Usually oxygen is involved, but
hydrogen burning in
chlorine produces a flame as well, producing toxic
hydrogen chloride (HCl). Other possible combinations producing flames, amongst many more, are
fluorine and
hydrogen, or
hydrazine and
nitrogen tetroxide. Recent discoveries by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the
United States also has found that
gravity plays a role. Modifying the gravity causes different flame types.
[ [http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12may_1.htm Spiral flames in microgravity], National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2000.]
The glow of a flame is somewhat complex.
Black-body radiation is emitted from soot, gas, and fuel particles, though the soot particles are too small to behave like perfect blackbodies. There is also
photon emission by de-excited
atoms and
molecules in the gases. Much of the radiation is emitted in the visible and
infrared bands. The color depends on temperature for the black-body radiation, and chemical makeup for the
emission spectra. The dominant color in a flame changes with temperature. The photo of the forest fire is an excellent example of this variation. Near the ground, where most burning is occurring, it is white, the hottest color possible for organic material in general, or yellow. Above the yellow region, the color changes to orange, which is somewhat cooler, then red, which is cooler still. Above the red region, combustion no longer occurs, and the uncombusted carbon particles are visible as black smoke.
The common distribution of a flame under normal gravity conditions depends on
convection, as soot tends to rise to the top of a general flame, such as in a candle in normal gravity conditions, making it yellow. In
microgravity or
zero gravity, such as an environment in
outer space, convection no longer occurs, and the flame becomes spherical, with a tendency to become more blue and more efficient. There are several possible explanations for this difference, of which the most likely one given is that the cause is the hypothesis that the temperature is evenly distributed enough that soot is not formed and complete combustion occurs.
[ [http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/combustion/cfm/usml-1_results.htm CFM-1 experiment results], National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2005.] Experiments by NASA in microgravity reveal that
diffusion flames in microgravity allow more soot to be completely oxidised after they are produced than diffusion flames on Earth, because of a series of mechanisms that behaved differently in microgravity when compared to normal gravity conditions.
[[http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/combustion/lsp/lsp1_results.htm LSP-1 experiment results], National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2005.] Premixed flames in microgravity burn at a much slower rate and more efficiently than even a
candle on Earth, and last much longer.
[[http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/combustion/lsp/lsp1_results.htm SOFBAL-2 experiment results], National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2005.] These discoveries have potential applications in
applied science and
industry, especially concerning
fuel efficiency.
Fire ecology is the study of the interaction of living things with fire.
See also
{{portal}}
Image:Lightmatter carbq.jpg automobile thumb|250px|A [[automobile|car on fire. Cars are sometimes set alight after having been abandoned by owners who are averse to paying for the vehicles' removal..html" title="Meaning of car.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|A [[automobile|car">thumb|250px|A [[automobile|car on fire. Cars are sometimes set alight after having been abandoned by owners who are averse to paying for the vehicles' removal.">car.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|A [[automobile|car">thumb|250px|A [[automobile|car on fire. Cars are sometimes set alight after having been abandoned by owners who are averse to paying for the vehicles' removal.
*
Explosion, a different kind of combustion
*
Rust
*
Pyromania
*
:Category:Fire A list of articles relating to fire
*
:Category:Fires A list of articles relating to specific fires
*
:Category:Firefighting A list of articles relating to firefighting
*
List of light sources A list of sources of light
References
Citations
General references
*Dave Reay, (2005). ''Climate Change Begins at Home''. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1403945780
External links
{{commons|Fire}}
-
What exactly is fire? (from
The Straight Dope)
-
Early human fire mastery revealed BBC article on archeological discoveries
-
Parts of a candle flame
-
Flames in microgravity
-
Spiral flames in microgravity
-
moebuildingcontrol.co.uk - UK Guidance on fire safety codes and fire engineering
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'''FIRE''' may be:
*
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
*
Fully Integrated Robotised Engine, an
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