🧯 Stuff Every Fire Safety Scout Should Know: the Study Guide

The cheat sheet

The whole guide on one screen. Screenshot it, print it, stick it on the fridge.

• A fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat to ignite and keep burning. Remove any one and the fire cannot continue.
• The fire tetrahedron adds the chemical chain reaction to fuel, oxygen, and heat. Breaking that reaction helps stop the fire.
• Burning produces products like carbon monoxide, which is dangerous to breathe. Knowing this helps you recognize unhealthy air.
• A fire begins with ignition, then grows, becomes fully developed, and finally decays. Recognizing stages helps you act early.
• Conduction moves heat through direct contact, like a hot pan handle. Knowing this helps you avoid touching hot objects.
• Convection carries heat as warm air or liquid rises and circulates. This is why smoke and heat rise toward ceilings.
• Radiation sends heat through space as waves, like warmth felt from a campfire. It does not need contact or air movement.
• Class A fires burn ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, and cloth. Matching the right extinguisher matters.
• Class B fires involve flammable liquids such as gasoline and oil. Never use water on these fires.
• Class C fires involve live electrical equipment. Shut off the power before fighting them when possible.
• Class K fires involve cooking oils and fats in kitchens. They need special wet chemical extinguishers.
• PASS stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. It helps you use an extinguisher correctly and safely.