The causes of fires that can lead to the combination of combustible matter, oxygen and the source of ignition or fire are:

electric,
chemical,
thermal
mechanical

Types of fires

Depending on the type of combustible material, they are divided into:

Class A: fires of combustible solids, which are mainly of organic origin and burn under normal conditions to form embers (wood, paper, straw, textiles, coal,...)
Class B: fires of flammable liquid substances or substances that become liquid (gasoline, oils, petroleum, fats, waxes, varnishes, resins,...)
Class C: combustible gas fires (butane-propane, methane, acetylene, hydrogen,...)
Class D: metal fires (magnesium, aluminum dust,...)

Class E was also sometimes mentioned, which meant fires of live electrical appliances.

Class A

Combustible solids (wood, paper, ...)

Class C

Gases

Class F

Edible oil

What is the Initial Fire?

It covers an area of up to 2m2 and has not yet spread across the room. It is possible to extinguish them with manual fire extinguishers, automatic fire extinguishers or other convenient means and without special protective equipment.

Solar power plants

According to unofficial data from the Electrical Engineering Association of Slovenia and the NNELI committee under their auspices, out of 100 inspected power plants, only 4 are adequate from an electrotechnical point of view. If we add to this the statistic that 50% of the causes of fire in buildings are attributed to electricity, then the fire problem of solar power plants is more than justified, while we know that maintenance on small power plants is very neglected or non-existent.
If the power plant operates without special features at start-up, the question still remains, how will it operate in five or ten years? The expected lifespan is at least 25 years. During this period, it will be directly exposed to high temperature fluctuations, wind, hail, rodents, birds and other possible aggressive influences on electrical components. The possibility of errors or damage increases over the years and, as a result, the risk of the above-mentioned phenomena of electric arc, short circuit or overheating, which can lead to the ignition of components, also increases.

Vehicles and vessels

A fire on a vehicle or vessel can spread quickly. He is the most exposed engine compartment and dilapidated electrical wiring. The initial fire in a vehicle or vessel can be extinguished or limited by yourself with an automatic fire extinguisher. It is recommended that you also install an ABC powder or CO2 fire extinguisher in the vehicle.
Never open the engine hood before extinguishing the fire. Because of the influx of oxygen, the fire can develop to such an extent that it cannot be extinguished with a fire extinguisher.

Fires on boats and barges

26% of fires are caused by non-vessel sources. Usually a fire starts on a neighboring vessel and then engulfs our vessel. Among the external sources of fire, we can also add a fire outbreak in the garage or the house where the vessel is stored. Protect yourself from potential damage claims when a fire breaks out on your vessel.
20% fires are caused by poor electrical installation on the vessel's engine. The reason is usually bad contacts on the old wires. This most often happens on vessels that are over 25 years old, where the contacts are already heavily oxidized. If you are the owner of an older vessel, we suggest that you inspect all electrical wiring on the vessel and replace all worn cables, and regularly clean all contacts. Do not forget that due to high temperatures in the engine compartment, salt and moisture in the air, the insulation on the cables loses its insulating properties sooner and must be completely replaced.
15% fires break out due to problems with the DC electrical wiring on the vessel (12V, 24V). Boat batteries, poor cable insulation, poor connector contacts, polarity reversal and incorrect cable connections are common hazards. Whenever you need to replace certain equipment on the vessel, whenever you disconnect the connectors, first mark the cables which is positive and which is negative and after reassembly check if they are connected correctly.
12% fires break out on the AC 220V wiring on the vessel. In most cases, the problem is a bad contact on the cable for connecting the vessel to the electrical installation on the pier or in the port. Before connecting the vessel to an external voltage source, check that it is in good condition and that the cable is undamaged. Replace it at least every 10 years.
9% fires are caused by engine overheating. If the cooling water supply to your engine is interrupted and you don't shut it off in time, there is a good chance that your engine will overheat. The flow of cooling water to the engine can be interrupted due to clogging of the suction opening (with the Z drive, a PVC bag can be collected in the sea, which closes the water supply. If the engine temperature rises, stop the vessel and check the leg, if the bag has stuck to it. After removing the bag, the engine runs at minimum speed to cool down slowly.). The second cause is usually a worn or destroyed impeller, due to which the engine does not receive a sufficient amount of water for cooling. It is recommended to change the impeller every 2 years.
8% of fires are caused by batteries on vessels with outboard motors. On older engines over 10 years old, the voltage regulator is the cause of the fire. If you don't replace it sooner, you must replace it no later than when the engine is 15 years old.
Data on the causes of fire are statistical data obtained from insurance companies and their claims for fire on a vessel. An extremely good protection against a fire outbreak is an automatic fire extinguisher, which is activated when it comes into contact with fire and extinguishes the fire before it spreads.

Electrical cabinets and servers

So how does electricity cause so many fires? Heating of cables and electrical components can cause them to loosen and deteriorate the contact. A fire can be caused by electric lines, worn-out components in the electrical cabinet, as well as lack of maintenance of electrical appliances, poorly maintained connections and overloaded electrical installations. Improperly used extension cords are themselves a cause of fire. Worn wires, loose wires and fuses in electrical installations and other components that are not maintained over time begin to overheat and cause sparks and, as a result, fire due to a short circuit. Then flammable materials and components near this event will also be affected and a fire will start.

Causes of fires in the living environment

People spend most of their time in the living environment and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. Especially in winter, when various heating means are used more intensively.

The most common causes of fire in the living environment.

Leakage of switched on devices (iron, stove...) when we leave the room where these devices are located;

bad or dilapidated gas and electrical installations and devices;

improper handling of heating devices (oil, pellets, firewood, wood chips...);

improper replacement and connection of gas cylinders to the stove;

unprofessional storage of dangerous and flammable substances;

use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poor and unprofessionally made chimneys;

superficially constructed devices for cooking food for animals near barns, haylofts and stables in which hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to combustible materials (furniture, fabrics, clothes, cleaners, etc.) and can cause ignition and fire due to heat radiation;

Members of SZPV

The causes of fires that can lead to the combination of combustible matter, oxygen and the source of ignition or fire are:

Types of fires

Class A

CLASS B

Class C

Class F

What is the Initial Fire?

Solar power plants

Vehicles and vessels

Fires on boats and barges

Electrical cabinets and servers

Causes of fires in the living environment

People spend most of their time in the living environment and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. Especially in winter, when various heating means are used more intensively.

The most common causes of fire in the living environment.

Leakage of switched on devices (iron, stove...) when we leave the room where these devices are located;

bad or dilapidated gas and electrical installations and devices;

improper handling of heating devices (oil, pellets, firewood, wood chips...);

improper replacement and connection of gas cylinders to the stove;

unprofessional storage of dangerous and flammable substances;

use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poor and unprofessionally made chimneys;

superficially constructed devices for cooking food for animals near barns, haylofts and stables in which hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to combustible materials (furniture, fabrics, clothes, cleaners, etc.) and can cause ignition and fire due to heat radiation;

negligent disposal and throwing of cigarette butts;

ignition devices near children;

unprofessionally made various temporary electrical, gas and other installations, making simple fireplaces and the like;

lightning strike

The most common causes of fire in the work (industrial) environment.

Irregularities in welding, joining and cutting of metals;

friction in various devices and machines and errors in energy transmission systems

static electricity;

damage, defects and wear and tear of electrical devices and installations,

self-ignition of grease-soaked rags and flammable substances;

errors in the use of dangerous and flammable substances;

irregularities in technological procedures, which may lead to reactions leading to fire, spontaneous combustion or explosion;

widespread use of flammable, explosive and other types of dangerous substances;

omission or deterioration of the quality of maintenance and control of electrical, gas and other installations;

heating of devices and machines, which can lead to overload;

carelessness in placing and throwing cigarette butts in fire-hazardous places;

disorder and poor cleanliness of workplaces;

violation of instructions on safe work and implementation of fire protection.

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