Fire Streams (7th Edition)
Chapter 1 - Fire & Water
"By The Numbers"

• Atmospheric air contains 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% other gases.
• The Incipient Phase may produce flame temperatures up to 1,000^oF.
• Temperature in upper regions of a room during the Flame Spread Stage can exceed 1,300^oF.
• The Incipient Phase yields a room temperature of slightly over 100^oF and oxygen content of about 20%.
• The Hot Smoldering Phase can produce room temperatures well over 1,000^oF.
• Oxygen content in the Hot Smoldering Phase is below 15%.
• Flammable ranges are usually given at an ambient temperature of 70^oF.

• Flaming combustion can be extinguished by 4 different methods:  temperature reduction, fuel elimination, oxygen elimination, or stopping the chemical chain reaction.
• Smoldering fires can only be extinguished by 3 different methods:  temperature reduction, fuel elimination, and oxygen elimination.
• Water is in a liquid state when at 32^oF-212^oF, a solid below 32^oF, and a gas above 212^oF.
• Water weighs more when near freezing (62.4 lbs./ft³) and less when near boiling point (60 lbs/ft³).
• Ordinary fresh water weighs 62.5 lbs./ft³.
• 1 Btu = 1.055 kJ.
• 1 Btu is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 pound of water 1^oF.
• 1 calorie = 4.19 joules.
• It takes 5 times as much heat to raise 1 pound of water as it takes for 1 pound of carbon dioxide gas.

• 1 pound of water requires about 970 Btu's of additional heat once boiling point is reached to vaporize.
• 1 gallon of water will absorb 9,000 Btu's of heat before turning completely to steam.
• A 100 gpm fog nozzle (at 60^oF) can absorb about 934,000 Btu's of heat per minute when projected into a highly heated area.
• 1 gallon of water heated to 212^oF will expand to 225 cubic feet of steam.
• Water converted into steam occupies 1,700 times its original volume.
• 1 square foot contains 144 square inches.
• 1 cubic foot of water weighs about 62.5 lbs.
• The pressure at the base of a 1 inch square column of water, 1 foot high, is 0.434 psi.
• A 2.304 foot (1 inch square) column of water will exert 1 psi at its base.
• There are 6 basic principles that determine pressure's action upon a fluid.
• At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi.
• Pressure of 1 psi will make a column of mercury 2.04 inches tall and at sea level it would be 29.9 inches tall (14.7 psi x 2.04 inches).
• A gauge reading 10 psi is actually indicating 24.7 psi.
• A gauge reading of -5 psi would actually be 9.7 psi (14.7 psi - 5 psi).
• Head pressure is figured by dividing the the number of feet by 2.304.
• Fire streams are not affected by atmospheric pressure until about 2,000 feet above sea level.
• Atmospheric pressure decreases about 0.5 psi for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
• Friction loss in old hose may be as much as 50% greater than in new hose.
• Area increases about 4 times as the diameter of a hoseline is doubled.
• When linear polymers are added to water, friction loss in hose can be reduced about 40%.