Quick Reference-Fire Fighting (Part-1)

Class of Fire
CLASS	Type of Fire	Type of Fire Extinguisher
Class A	Fires involving Paper, Wood, Textile, Packing materials and the like.	Water, foam, ABC dry power and halocarbons.
Class B	Fires involving Oil, Petrol, Solvent, Grease, Paints, Celluloid and the like.	Foam, dry powder, clean agent and carbon dioxide extinguishers
Class C	Fires involving Electrical Hazards, Motor Vehicle Gaseous substance under pressure.	Dry powder, clean agent and carbon dioxide extinguishers
Class D	Fires involving Chemicals, Metal and active like Magnesium ,titanium	Extinguishers with special dry powder for metal tires

Area covered by Fire Extinguisher (NBC)
Type of Fire Extinguishers	Coverage (Floor) Area
Water/ Sand Bucket	100 sq.mt.
Sprinklers	6 sq.mt.
Extinguishers (9 Liter)	600 sq.mt.
Heat Detectors	16 sq.mt.
Hydrant Riser (Outlet 100 mm dia with landing valve and First aid hose reel)	930 sq.mt
Smoke Detectors	50 sq.mt.

Water Requirement for the Fire Fighting (AS per NBC)

Q = 3000 P

Q = Fire demand in Liters/Minutes

P = Population in Thousands

Note: The above rate must be maintained at a minimum pressure of 1 to 1.5 kg / cm2 for at least four hours.

Water Requirement for Wet Riser/Down Corner System (As per NBC -TABLE 4)
Residential Buildings	U.G. Water Storage Tank Static	Terrace Tank
15 m to 30 m	50,000 lts	10,000 lts
30 m to 45 m	1,00,000 lts	20,000 lts
Above 45 m	2,00,000 lts	40,000 lts

Water Requirement for Wet Riser/Down Corner System (As per NBC -TABLE 5)
Business Building	U.G. Water Storage Tank Static	Terrace Tank
15 m to 30 m	100000 lts (50000 lts if covered area in G.F is less than 300sq.m.)	20,000 lts
30 m to 45 m	20000 lts	20,000 lts
Above 45 m	250000 lts	50,000 lts

Classification of fire Pumps (As per IS 15301)
Pump Size	Location of Pump Installation
450 Liter/Min	Pumps to be installed on the terrace to feed the Down Comer System.
900 Liter/Min	Pumps to be installed on the terrace to feed the Down Comer System.
2280 Liter/Min	Pumps are to be housed in the pump house.
2850 Liter/Min	Pumps are to be housed in the pump house.
4500 Liter/Min	Pumps are to be housed in the pump house.
For special risks 6700 Liter/Min	Pumps are to be housed in the pump house.

Suction and Delivery Pipe Sizes (IS 3844)
Pump Size	Pump Location	Suction	Delivery
450 Liter/min	Terrace	50 mm	50 mm
900 Liter/min	Terrace	75 mm	50 mm
1400 Liter/min	Terrace	100 mm	100 mm
2280 Liter/min	Fire Pump	150 mm	150 mm
2850 Liter/min	Fire Pump	200 mm	150 mm
4500 Liter/min	Fire Pump	250 mm	200 mm
6700 Liter/min	Fire Pump	250 mm	200 mm

Different Types of Fire Extinguishers for Different Classes of Fires ( IS 2190 )
Type of Extinguisher	IS	Type of Fires
Type of Extinguisher	IS	Class A	Class B	Class C	Class D
water type (gas cartridge)	IS 940 , IS 13385	S	NS	NS	NS
water type (stored pressure)	IS 6234	S	NS	NS	NS
mechanical foam type (gas cartridge)	IS 10204, IS 13386	S	S	NS	NS
mechanical foam type (stored pressure)	IS 14951,IS 15397	S	S	NS	NS
dry powder type (stored pressure)	IS 13849	S	S	S	NS
dry powder type (gas cartridge)	IS 2171 , IS 10658	S	S	S	NS
dry powder type for metal fires	IS 11833	NS	NS	NS	S
carbon dioxide type	IS 2878, IS 8149	NS	S	S	NS
clean agent gas type	IS 15683	S	S	S	NS
halon 1211 type	IS 4862 , IS 11108	S	S	S	NS

PRESSURE TESTING OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ( IS 2190 )
Type of Extinguisher	IS	Test Interval (Year)	Test Pressure (kg/cm2)	Pressure Maintained for Min. (kg/cm2)
Water type (gas cartridge)	IS 940	3	35	2.5
Water type (stored pressure)	IS 6234	3	35	2.5
Water type (gas cartridge)	IS 13385	3	35	2.5
Mechanical foam type (gas cartridge)	IS 10204	3	35	2.5
Mechanical foam type (stored pressure)	IS 15397	3	35	2.5
Mechanical foam type (gas cartridge)	IS 13386	3	35	2.5
Mechanical foam type (gas cartridge) 135 liter	IS 14951	3	35	2.5
Dry powder ( stored pressure)	IS l3849	3	35	2.5
Carbon dioxide	IS 2878	5	250	2.5
Clean agent	IS 15683	3	35	2.5
Dry powder (gas cartridge)	IS2171, IS10658	3	35	2.5

LIFE OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ( IS 2190)
Type of Extinguisher	Life Time, Year
Water type	10
Foam type	10
Powder type	10
Carbon dioxide	15
Clean agent	10

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INSTALLATION OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ( IS 2190 )
Occupancy	Type of Occupancy	Nature of Occupancy	Class of Fire	Typical Examples
Group A	Residential buildings	Low Hazard	CLASS A	Lodging or rooming, one or two family houses, private dwellings, dormitories, apartment houses, flats, up to 4 star hotels, etc
		Low Hazard	CLASS C	Small kitchens having LPG connection, electrical heaters, etc
		Medium Hazard	CLASS A	Multi-storied buildings, multi-risk buildings, five star hotels, etc
Group B	Educational buildings	Low Hazard	CLASS A	Tutorials, vocational training institutes, evening colleges, commercial institutes
		Medium Hazard	CLASS A	Schools, colleges, etc
Group C	Institutional buildings	Medium Hazard	CLASS A	Hospitals, sanatoria, homes for aged, orphanage jails, etc
Group D	Assembly buildings-D-1	High Hazard	CLASS A	Theatres, assembly halls, exhibition halls, museums, restaurants places of worship, club rooms, dance halls, etc, having seating capacity of over 1 00 persons
	Assembly buildings-D-2	High Hazard	CLASS A	Theatres, assembly halls, exhibitions halls, museums, restaurants, places of worship, club rooms, dance halls, etc, having seating capacity less than 1 000 persons
	Assembly buildings-D-3	High Hazard	CLASS A	Theatres, assembly halls, exhibition halls, museums, restaurants, places of worship, club rooms, dance halls, etc, but having accommodation for more than 300 persons, but less than 1 000 persons, with no permanent seating arrangement
	Assembly buildings-D-4 / D5	Low Hazard	CLASS A	Theatres, assembly halls, exhibition halls, museums, restaurants, places of worship, club rooms, dance halls, etc, but having accommodation less than 300 and those not covered under D-l to D-3
Group E	Business buildings-E-1	Special Hazard	CLASS A	Offices, banks, record rooms, archives, libraries, data processing centers, etc
	Business buildings-E-2	Medium Hazard	CLASS B	Laboratories, research establishment, test houses, etc
	Business buildings-E-3	Special Hazard	CLASS A	Computer installations
Group F	Mercantile buildings	Medium Hazard	CLASS A	Shops, stores, markets, departmental stores, underground shopping centers, etc
Group G	Industrial buildings	Low Hazard	CLASS A	Small industrial units
		Medium Hazard	CLASS A	Corrugated carton manufacturing units, paper cane units, packing case manufacturing units, cotton waste manufacturing units
		HH	CLASS A	Large number yards, saw mills, godowns and warehouses storing combustible materials, cold storages, freight depots, etc
		Low Hazard	CLASS B	Demonstration chemical plants, small chemical processing plants, pilot plants, etc
		Medium Hazard	CLASS B	Workshops, painting shops, large kitchens, industrial canteens, generator rooms, heat treatment shops, tread rubber manufacturing units, petrol bunks, tubes and Haps units, etc
		High Hazard	CLASS B	Petroleum processing units, chemical plants, industrial alcohol plants, effluent treatment plants, etc
		High Hazard	CLASS C	Fertilizer plants, petrochemical plants, LPG bottling plants, etc
		High Hazard	CLASS D	All processes involving use of combustible highly flammable materials, reactive metals and alloys, including their storage
Group H	Storage buildings	Medium Hazard	CLASS B	Flammable liquid stores, storage in drums and cans in open, paints and varnishes go down
		High Hazard	CLASS B	Tank farms, chemical and petroleum bulk storage depots, large service stations, truck and marine terminals, underground LDO/furnace oil storage yards, etc
		Medium Hazard	CLASS C	LPG distribution godown/office, distribution storage godowns/offices of D, N, H, Argon and other industrial gases
		High Hazard	CLASS C	Storage and handling of gas cylinders in bulk, gas plant, gas holders ( Horton), spheres, etc
Group J	Hazardous	–	–	Buildings used for storage, handling, manufacture and processing of highly combustible explosive materials. (Risks involved in terms of class of fire and intensity of fire has to be assessed on case to case basis and statutory authorities to be consulted, environmental factors and mutual aid facilities to be taken into account before deciding on the fire extinguisher requirements.)

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT TO BE INSTALLED ( IS 2190 )
Class of Fire	Occupancy	No of Fire Systems
CLASS A	Low Hazard	One 9 liter water expelling extinguisher or ABC 5 kg/6 kg fire extinguisher, for every 200 m2 of floor area or part thereof with minimum of two extinguishers per compartment or floor of the building.
	Medium Hazard	Two 9 liter water expelling extinguishers or ABC 5 kg / 6 kg fire extinguisher, for every 200 m2 with minimum of 4 extinguishers per compartment floor.
	Medium Hazard	Provision as per MH occupancy; in addition to one 50 liter water CO2/25 kg ABC fire extinguisher for every 100 m2 of floor area
	Special Hazard	One 4.5 kg capacity carbon dioxide or one 2/3 kg capacity clean agent extinguisher for every 100 m2 of floor area or part thereof with minimum of two extinguishers
CLASS B	Low Hazard	One 9 liter foam extinguisher, mechanical or BC or ABC, 5 kg/6 kg fire extinguisher, for every 200 m2 of floor area or part thereof with minimum of two extinguishers per compartment or floor.
	Medium Hazard	Two 9 liter foam extinguisher, mechanical type, or 5/6 kg dry powder extinguisher ( or one of each type) for every 200 m2 area with minimum of four extinguisher per compartment
	Medium Hazard	Provision as per MH, and in addition to one 50 liter mechanical foam type extinguisher or 25 kg BC fire extinguisher for every 100 m2 or part thereof one l35 liter foam mechanical extinguisher for every 300 m2 of floor area
CLASS C	Low Hazard	One 2/3 kg dry powder of clean agent extinguisher for every 20 m2 of floor area
	Medium Hazard	One 10 kg dry powder extinguisher (stored pressure) or 6.5 kg carbon dioxide extinguisher or 5 kg clean agent for 100 m2 of floor area or part thereof, with minimum of one extinguishers of the same type for every compartment;
	High Hazard	Dry powder extinguisher (stored pressure) of 10 kg or 6.5 kg CO2 extinguisher, or 5 kg clean agent extinguisher for every 100 m2 of floor area or part thereof, subject to a minimum of two extinguishers of same type per room or compartment.
CLASS D	High Hazard	One 10 kg dry powder extinguisher with special dry powder for metal fires for every 100 m2 of floor area or part thereof with minimum of two extinguishers per compartment/room