Causes of fire that can lead to combustible substances and oxygen combining to form an ignition or fire source, namely:

electric,
chemical,
Thermal,
mechanically

types of fires

Depending on the type of combustible material, they are divided into:

Class A: Fires involving combustible solid materials that are predominantly of organic origin and burn under normal conditions and form embers (wood, paper, straw, textiles, coal, etc.)
Class B: Fires involving flammable liquids or substances that liquefy (petrol, oils, petroleum, fats, waxes, varnishes, resins, etc.)
Class C: Fires involving flammable gases (butane-propane, methane, acetylene, hydrogen, ...)
Class D: Metal fires (magnesium, aluminum powder, etc.)

In some cases, there was also talk of Class E, which referred to fires involving live electrical equipment.

Class A

Combustible solids (wood, paper, ...)

Class C

gases

Class F

cooking oil

What is the initial fire?

It covers an area of up to 2m2 and has not yet spread throughout the room. Extinguishing is possible with hand-held fire extinguishers, automatic fire extinguishers or other suitable means and without special protective equipment.

solar power plants

According to unofficial data from the Slovenian Electrical Engineering Association and its subordinate committee NNELI, out of 100 power plants examined, only four are efficient from an electrical engineering point of view. If we add to this the statistics that 50% of fires in buildings are caused by electricity, then the problem of fires in solar power plants is more than justified, while we know that maintenance in small power plants is very neglected or non-existent.
If the power plant runs without any special features when it is put into operation, the question arises: how will it work in five or ten years? The expected lifespan is at least 25 years. During this time, it is directly exposed to large temperature fluctuations, wind, hail, rodents, birds and other possible aggressive influences on the electrical components. The possibility of failure or damage therefore increases over the years and with it the risk of the above-mentioned phenomena such as arcing, short circuits or overheating, which can lead to ignition of components.

vehicles and ships

A fire on a vehicle or ship can spread quickly. Particularly at risk are the engine compartment as well as worn-out electrical installationsYou can extinguish or contain a fire in your vehicle or boat yourself using an automatic fire extinguisher. We recommend that you also install an ABC powder or CO2 fire extinguisher in your vehicle.
Never open the hood before you have put out the fire. The oxygen ingress can cause a fire to develop to the point where it can no longer be put out with a fire extinguisher.

fires on boats and barges

26 % of fires are caused by sources outside the vessel. Usually a fire starts on a neighboring vessel and then spreads to our vessel. External fire sources include, for example, fires in the garage or house where the boat is located. Protect yourself against potential claims for damages if a fire breaks out on your vessel.
20% of all fires are caused by poor electrical installation of the boat engine. This is usually caused by poor contacts in the old cables. This happens most often in boats that are more than 25 years old and where the contacts are already heavily oxidized. If you own an older boat, we recommend that you check all electrical installations on the boat, replace worn cables and clean all contacts regularly. Do not forget that the insulation of the cables quickly loses its insulating effect due to high temperatures in the engine compartment, salt and moisture in the air and must be completely replaced.
15 % of fires are caused by problems with the DC (12V, 24V) wiring on the boat. Common hazards include boat batteries, poor wire insulation, poor plug contacts, reversed polarity and improper wire connections. If you need to replace certain equipment in the field and disconnect plugs in the process, first mark the wires as positive and negative and check that they are properly connected after reassembly.
12 % of all fires originate in the 220 V AC wiring on a vessel. In most cases, the problem is a poor contact of the cable connecting the vessel to the electrical system at the dock or in port. Before connecting the vessel to an external power source, check that it is in good condition and that the cable is undamaged. Replace it at least every 10 years.
9 % of all fires are caused by engine overheating. If the cooling water supply to your engine is cut off and you do not turn it off in time, there is a good chance that your engine will overheat. The cooling water supply to the engine can be cut off by a blocked intake opening (with a Z-drive, a PVC bag can collect in the sea and block the water supply. If the engine temperature rises, stop the boat and check on the support leg whether the bag is stuck. After removing the bag, the engine runs at minimum speed to cool down slowly.). The second cause is usually a worn or damaged impeller, which means the engine does not receive enough cooling water. It is recommended that the impeller be replaced every 2 years.
8 % of fires are caused by batteries on boats with outboard engines. In older engines over 10 years old, the voltage regulator is the cause of the fire. If the replacement is not carried out sooner, it will be necessary to replace the battery after 15 years of engine age at the latest.
The data on the causes of fire are statistical information from insurance companies and their claims reports for fires on board ships. An extremely good protection against fire outbreaks is an automatic fire extinguisher that is activated when it comes into contact with fire and extinguishes the fire before it spreads.

control cabinets and servers

How does electricity cause so many fires? Heating of cables and electrical components can cause loosening and deterioration of the contact. Fires can be caused by electrical wiring, worn components in the control cabinet, but also by lack of maintenance of electrical equipment, poorly maintained connections and overloaded electrical installations. Improperly used extension cables can also cause fires. Frayed wires, loose cables and fuses in electrical systems and other components that are not maintained over a long period of time begin to overheat and cause sparks and, as a result, fires due to short circuits. Then flammable materials and components in the vicinity of this event are also affected and a fire breaks out.

Causes of Fires in the Environment

People spend most of their time outdoors and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. In winter in particular, there is an increased use of various heating devices.

The most common causes of fire are environmental.

Leave appliances switched on (iron, stove, etc.) behind when we leave the room where these appliances are located;

poor or worn-out gas and electrical installations and appliances;

improper handling of heating devices (oil, pellets, logs, wood chips, etc.);

improper replacement and connection of gas bottles to the stove;

improper storage of hazardous and flammable substances;

Use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poorly and unprofessionally constructed chimneys;

poorly constructed equipment for cooking animal feed near barns, haylofts and stables where hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to flammable materials (furniture, textiles, clothing, cleaning products, etc.) and can cause ignition and fire through heat radiation;

members of the SZPV

Causes of fire that can lead to combustible substances and oxygen combining to form an ignition or fire source, namely:

types of fires

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class F

What is the initial fire?

solar power plants

vehicles and ships

fires on boats and barges

control cabinets and servers

Causes of Fires in the Environment

People spend most of their time outdoors and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. In winter in particular, there is an increased use of various heating devices.

The most common causes of fire are environmental.

Leave appliances switched on (iron, stove, etc.) behind when we leave the room where these appliances are located;

poor or worn-out gas and electrical installations and appliances;

improper handling of heating devices (oil, pellets, logs, wood chips, etc.);

improper replacement and connection of gas bottles to the stove;

improper storage of hazardous and flammable substances;

Use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poorly and unprofessionally constructed chimneys;

poorly constructed equipment for cooking animal feed near barns, haylofts and stables where hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to flammable materials (furniture, textiles, clothing, cleaning products, etc.) and can cause ignition and fire through heat radiation;

Negligence in the disposal and throwing away of cigarette butts;

flammable devices near children;

unprofessional construction of various temporary electrical, gas and other installations, construction of simple chimneys and the like;

lightning strike.

The most common causes of fire in the working (industrial) environment.

Irregularities in welding, joining and cutting metals;

Friction in various devices and machines and errors in energy transmission systems

static electricity;

Damage, defects and wear and tear to electrical equipment and systems,

Spontaneous combustion of grease-soaked rags and flammable materials;

Errors in handling dangerous and flammable substances;

Irregularities in technological processes that may cause reactions leading to fires, spontaneous combustion or explosions;

widespread use of flammable, explosive and other types of dangerous substances;

Non-compliance or deterioration of the quality of maintenance and control of electrical, gas and other installations;

Heating of equipment and machines, which can lead to overloads;

Negligence in the disposal and throwing away of cigarette butts in fire-prone areas;

Disorder and lack of cleanliness in the workplace;

Violation of occupational safety and fire protection regulations.

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