Flash fire
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A flash fire is a sudden, intense fire caused by ignition of a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as a solid (including dust), 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 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)[1] as:
- "A type of short-duration fire that spreads by means of a flame front rapidly through a diffuse fuel, such as dust, gas, or the vapors of an ignitable liquid, without the production of damaging pressure."
Characterization
Flash fires may occur in environments where
In a flash fire, the flame spreads at
Flash fire is a particular danger in enclosed spaces, as even a relatively small fire can consume enough oxygen and produce enough smoke to cause death of the persons present, whether by asphyxiation or by smoke inhalation.[2]
Surgical
Small flash fires can occur in the
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
As far as the patients are concerned, some recover with scars and emotional damage. Some die from burns and smoke inhalation. [3]
See also
- 1996 Garley Building fire
- Air Canada Flight 797
- Apollo 1
- Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion
- Explosion
- Flash flood
- Flashover
- Fuel-air explosive
- The Station nightclub fire
- Trench effect
References
- ^ NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame-Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Short-Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire, 2018.
- ^ "Titan II Accident Searcy AR, August 9 1965". themilitarystandard.com. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ Kit R. Roane (August 10, 2003). "'I'm On Fire...' Blazes sparked in surgery are on the rise". U.S. News. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
External links
- Explosion Hazard Assessment
- Flash fire exposure analysis Archived 2005-07-23 at the Wayback Machine