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 | |||
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 |