Causes of fire that can lead to combustible substances and oxygen combining to form an ignition or fire source, namely:

electrical,
chemical,
thermal,
mechanical

Types of fires

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

Class A: Fires involving combustible solid materials that are predominantly of organic origin and burn under normal conditions and form embers (wood, paper, straw, textiles, coal, etc.)
Class B: Fires involving flammable liquids or liquefiable substances (petrol, oils, petroleum, greases, waxes, varnishes, resins, etc.)
Class C: Fires involving flammable gases (butane-propane, methane, acetylene, hydrogen, …)
Class D: Metal fires (magnesium, aluminum powder, etc.)

In some cases, Class E was also mentioned, which meant fires involving live electrical equipment.

Class A

Combustible solids (wood, paper, ...)

Class C

Gases

Class F

Cooking oil

What is the initial fire?

It covers an area of up to 2m2 and has not yet spread throughout the room. It can be extinguished with hand-held fire extinguishers, automatic fire extinguishers, or other suitable means, and without the need for special protective equipment.

Solar power plants

According to unofficial data from the Slovenian Electrical Engineering Association and its subordinate committee, NNELI, out of 100 power plants inspected, only four are electrically efficient. When you add to this the statistics that 50% of building fires are caused by electricity, the problem of fires in solar power plants is more than justified, while we know that maintenance at small power plants is very neglected or even nonexistent.
If the power plant is operating without any special features upon commissioning, the question arises: How will it perform in five or ten years? Its expected service life is at least 25 years. During this time, it is directly exposed to significant temperature fluctuations, wind, hail, rodents, birds, and other potentially aggressive influences on the electrical components. The possibility of failure or damage therefore increases over time, and with it the risk of the aforementioned phenomena such as arcing, short circuits, or overheating, which can lead to component ignition.

Vehicles and ships

A fire on a vehicle or boat can spread quickly. The engine compartment and worn-out electrical installations are particularly vulnerable. You can extinguish or contain a fire in your vehicle or boat yourself with an automatic fire extinguisher. We recommend installing an ABC powder or CO2 fire extinguisher in your vehicle as well.
Never open the hood before extinguishing the fire. The oxygen ingress can cause a fire to develop to the point where it can no longer be extinguished with a fire extinguisher.

Fires on boats and barges

26% of fires are caused by sources outside the vessel. Typically, a fire starts on a neighboring vessel and then spreads to our vessel. External fire sources include fires in the garage or the house where the boat is located. Protect yourself from potential claims if a fire breaks out on your vessel.
20% of all fires are caused by faulty electrical installations in boat engines. This is usually caused by poor connections in old wiring. This occurs most frequently in boats over 25 years old, where the contacts are already heavily oxidized. If you own an older boat, we recommend checking all electrical installations on the boat, replacing worn cables, and cleaning all contacts regularly. Don't forget that the high temperatures in the engine compartment, salt, and humidity in the air quickly cause the wiring to lose its insulating effect and require complete replacement.
15% of fires are caused by problems with DC wiring (12 V, 24 V) on a boat. Common hazards include boat batteries, poor wire insulation, poor connector contacts, reversed polarity, and improper wire connections. If you need to replace certain devices on-site and disconnect connectors, first mark the positive and negative wires and check that they are properly connected after reassembly.
12% of all fires originate in the 220V AC wiring on a vessel. In most cases, the problem lies in poor contact in the cable connecting the vessel to the electrical system at the dock or in port. Before connecting the vessel to an external power source, check that it is in good condition and that the cable is undamaged. Replace it at least every 10 years.
9% of all fires are caused by engine overheating. If your engine's cooling water supply is interrupted and you don't shut it off in time, there's a good chance your engine will overheat. The cooling water supply to the engine may be interrupted by a blocked intake opening (with a sterndrive, a PVC bag can collect in the sea and block the water supply. If the engine temperature rises, stop the boat and check the support leg to see if the bag is stuck. After removing the bag, the engine will run at minimum speed to cool down slowly). The second cause is usually a worn or damaged impeller, which means the engine is not receiving enough cooling water. It is recommended to replace the impeller every two years.
8% of fires are caused by batteries on boats with outboard motors. In older engines over 10 years old, the voltage regulator is the cause of the fire. If not replaced sooner, replacement is required after the engine is 15 years old at the latest.
The data on the causes of fire are statistical information from insurance companies and their claims reports for fires on board ships. An extremely effective protection against fire outbreaks is an automatic fire extinguisher, which is activated upon contact with fire and extinguishes the fire before it spreads.

Control cabinets and servers

How does electricity cause so many fires? The heating of cables and electrical components can cause loosening and deterioration of the contact. Fires can be caused by electrical wiring, worn components in the control panel, but also by lack of maintenance of electrical equipment, poorly maintained connections, and overloaded electrical installations. Improperly used extension cords can also cause fires. Frayed wires, loose wires, and fuses in electrical systems and other components that are not maintained over an extended period of time begin to overheat and cause sparks and, subsequently, fires due to short circuits. Combustible materials and components in the vicinity of this event are then also affected, leading to a fire.

Causes of fires in the environment

People spend most of their time outdoors and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. Especially in winter, there is increased use of various heating devices.

The most common causes of fire are environmental.

Leave switched-on appliances (iron, stove, etc.) behind when we leave the room where these appliances are located;

poor or worn-out gas and electrical installations and appliances;

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

improper replacement and connection of gas cylinders to the stove;

improper storage of hazardous and flammable substances;

Use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poorly and unprofessionally constructed chimneys;

poorly constructed animal feed cooking equipment near barns, haylofts, and stables where hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to flammable materials (furniture, textiles, clothing, cleaning products, etc.) and that can cause ignition and fire through heat radiation;

Members of the SZPV

Causes of fire that can lead to combustible substances and oxygen combining to form an ignition or fire source, namely:

Types of fires

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class F

What is the initial fire?

Solar power plants

Vehicles and ships

Fires on boats and barges

Control cabinets and servers

Causes of fires in the environment

People spend most of their time outdoors and are therefore more exposed to fire hazards. Especially in winter, there is increased use of various heating devices.

The most common causes of fire are environmental.

Leave switched-on appliances (iron, stove, etc.) behind when we leave the room where these appliances are located;

poor or worn-out gas and electrical installations and appliances;

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

improper replacement and connection of gas cylinders to the stove;

improper storage of hazardous and flammable substances;

Use of candles, lamps and heaters with open flames;

poorly and unprofessionally constructed chimneys;

poorly constructed animal feed cooking equipment near barns, haylofts, and stables where hay and crops are stored;

improperly installed heat sources (e.g. stoves) that are too close to flammable materials (furniture, textiles, clothing, cleaning products, etc.) and that can cause ignition and fire through heat radiation;

Negligence in the disposal and disposal of cigarette butts;

flammable devices near children;

unprofessional construction of various temporary electrical, gas and other installations, construction of simple chimneys and the like;

Lightning strike.

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

Irregularities in welding, joining and cutting metals;

Friction in various devices and machines and faults in energy transmission systems

static electricity;

Damage, defects and wear and tear to electrical equipment and systems,

Spontaneous combustion of grease-soaked rags and flammable materials;

Errors in handling dangerous and flammable substances;

Irregularities in technological processes that may cause reactions leading to fires, spontaneous combustion or explosions;

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

Non-compliance or deterioration of the quality of maintenance and control of electrical, gas and other installations;

Heating of equipment and machines, which can lead to overloads;

Negligence in the disposal and throwing away of cigarette butts in fire-prone places;

Clutter and lack of cleanliness in the workplace;

Violation of occupational safety and fire protection regulations.

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