Starvation is one of the methods of extinguishing fire, although we had already talked about methods of extinguishing fire, in this post we will concentrate of the starvation method; “Starvation Method of Extinguishing Fire“.
When we talk about starvation, we are talking about taking out the fuel source from the fire. Recall that the fire triangle or the fire tetrahedron has three (3) and four (4) component respectively, so the starvation involve taking out the fuel component which could sustain the fire.
Every fire burns as long as there is what to burn (Fuel) so when there is no more fuel to sustain it, it dies out.
What is Fuel and Examples of Burning Fuel
Fuel refers to any material that can burn when every other combustion requirements and conditions are available and in the right proportion.
Fuel can take various forms, including:
1. Solid Fuels: Examples of solid fuels are – Wood, paper, cloth, and plastics, etc.
2. Liquid Fuels: Examples of liquid fuel are gasoline, oil, and alcohol, etc.
3. Gaseous Fuels: Gaseous fuel are natural gas, propane, etc.
So starvation method of extinguishing fire is just about removing these fuel sources mentioned above.
Starvation Method of Extinguishing Fire
We have mentioned that starvation is all about removing fuel from the fire, and we have mention some types of fuel which includes solid fuel, liquid fuel and gaseous fuel.
Now the question is, how do I remove these fuel from fire to kill it naturally;
- For solid fuel you can pull them out using something like a long pipe. Take for instance; you notice that fire has started in an office in the Air Conditioner and there is no fire extinguisher within reach. The only option is to kill the fire by starving it of more fuel, you can pull out the wooden tables, files and every other solid items that can burn. If an item is close to the fire, you can use a long iron to drag it out.
After taking out solid fuel within reach, you can close the doors and windows. When there is no other thing to burn, the fire will die off naturally.
NOTE: This is only possible for fire in an incipient state.
- For liquid fuel, you will just need to ensure that you stop the supply to the fire. So you just need to find the source of supply of the liquid and block the supply. When the fire sees no more supply it will die off.
If there are other liquid fuel kirks, please evacuate them.
- For gaseous fuel, you also need to cut off the gas supply. This is better done by locking the gas supply valve.
NOTE: If you have more filled gas cylinders close to the fire, you need to first evacuate them to a safe location while you still can. Without this, the fire will progress with the cylinders which has gaseous content.
In conclusion “Starvation Method of Extinguishing Fire” mostly works better in small fires. So you can implement the methods mentioned in this article if the fire is small or its in an incipient state. In situations where the fire has grown into an inferno, you just need to evacuate the environment and call in fire fighters and other emergency services.
Related Posts
What Kind of Fire Extinguisher is Best for Electrical Fires?
2 Cooling Method of Extinguishing Fire; An In-Depth Exploration
Fire Tetrahedron; Unique Difference from the Fire Triangle
6 Major Types Of Fire Extinguishers And Their Purposes
