• Question: what causes fire?

    Asked by Ashleigh to Daniel, Maggie, Ry, Scott on 15 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Ry Cutter

      Ry Cutter answered on 15 Nov 2017:

      Not being careful with matches!
      Fire works by a process called combustion. This requires three things: fuel, oxygen, and heat:

      The heat allows the oxygen to combine with the molecules in the fuel (like petrol). This creates more heat and ‘exhaust’. This is usually carbon dioxide.
      The heat is made in excess, meaning we get some heat for ourselves and some heat goes back in to system to allow more oxygen to combine with the molecules in the fuel!
      For methane, if the air is oxygen rich the fuel burns properly which makes a nice blue flame and carbon dioxide. If the air isn’t so well oxygenated, it burns orange and makes carbon monoxide (which is poisonous for humans). This is why we have carbon monoxide detectors in our homes :D.
      Great question,
      Ryan

    • Photo: Maggie Lieu

      Maggie Lieu answered on 15 Nov 2017:

      To make fire you need oxygen, fuel and heat. So what fire does is convert the fuel and oxygen into carbon dioxide but this can only happen if it’s hot enough (it has to be hotter than the flash point). You need all 3 components to get a fire so if you remove the oxygen by for example putting a fire blanket over the fire, then the fire will go out. If you poor water on the fire then the temperature will go down and the fire will go out too. But be careful because not all fires can be put out with water. If your oil is on fire and you pour water on it can explode and if you have an electrical fire then you shouldn’t use water either or else you might get electrocuted :/

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