A flash fire is a sudden, intense
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
caused by ignition of a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as a solid (including
dust
Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
), flammable or combustible liquid (such as an aerosol or fine mist), or a flammable gas. It is characterized by high temperature, short duration, and a
rapidly moving flame
A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasm ...
front.
Definition
A flash fire is defined by
NFPA 2112 (Standard on Flame-Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Short-Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire) as:
Characterization
Flash fires may occur in environments where
fuel
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work (physics), work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chem ...
, typically flammable gas or dust, is mixed with
air
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
in concentrations suitable for combustion.
In a flash fire, the flame spreads at
subsonic velocity, so the
overpressure
Overpressure (or blast overpressure) is the pressure caused by a shock wave over and above normal atmospheric pressure. The shock wave may be caused by sonic boom or by explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume of a given amoun ...
damage is usually negligible and the bulk of the damage comes from the
thermal radiation
Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted by the thermal motion of particles in matter. All matter with a temperature greater than absolute zero emits thermal radiation. The emission of energy arises from a combination of electro ...
and secondary fires. When inhaled, the heated air resulting from a flash fire can cause serious damage to the tissue of the
lung
The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...
s, possibly leading to death by
asphyxiation
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are ...
. Flash fires can lead to smoke burns.
Flash fire is a particular danger in enclosed spaces, as even a relatively small fire can consume enough oxygen and produce enough
smoke
Smoke is an aerosol (a suspension of airborne particulates and gases) emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwante ...
to cause death of the persons present, whether by asphyxiation or by
smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the breathing in of harmful fumes (produced as by-products of combusting substances) through the respiratory tract. This can cause smoke inhalation injury (a kind of acute inhalation injury) which is damage to the respirator ...
.
Protective clothing
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electr ...
made of
fire-retardant materials (e.g.
Nomex) reduces or prevents thermal injury in the body areas that are covered by the fire-retardant material. Even normal clothing can provide partial protection.
Surgical
Small flash fires can occur in the
operating room
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
during
surgery
Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...
where the presence of ignition sources such as electrical instruments or
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
s, an oxygen-rich environment, and flammable vapors (e.g.
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
-based disinfectants) may set the stage for such an accident. While apparently smaller fires go unreported, surgical flash fires have led to burn injuries and fatalities.
Incidents of surgical fires are "significantly under-reported", according to The Joint Commission. More than half of surgical fires happen inside a patient's airway or on the patient's upper body; around 10 percent of surgical fires actually happen within the body cavity, and a quarter of surgical fires happen on other parts of the body. About 70 percent are ignited by electrosurgical tools commonly known as
Bovies, devices that use a high-frequency electric current to cut tissue or stop bleeding. 20 percent of fires are sparked by hot wires, light sources, burrs or defibrillators. Another 10 percent are touched off by lasers.
As far as the patients are concerned, some recover with scars and emotional damage. Some die from burns and smoke inhalation.
See also
*
1996 Garley Building fire
*
Air Canada Flight 797
*
Apollo 1
Apollo 1, initially designated AS-204, was planned to be the first crewed mission of the Apollo program, the American undertaking to land the first man on the Moon. It was planned to launch on February 21, 1967, as the first low Earth orbital ...
*
Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion
A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE, ) is an explosion caused by the rupture of a Pressure vessel, vessel containing a Compressed fluid, pressurized liquid that has attained a temperature sufficiently higher than its boiling po ...
*
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume of a given amount of matter associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Explosions may also be generated ...
*
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...
*
Flashover
A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. When certain organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases. Flashover occurs wh ...
*
Fuel-air explosive
*
The Station nightclub fire
*
Trench effect
References
External links
Explosion Hazard Assessment
{{Fire fighting
Firefighting
Types of fire