Welded repairs are common in aircraft maintenance and shops should

provide a means of safely accomplishing the task.

Welding should be performed only in areas that are designated for the
purpose.

If a part needs to be welded, remove it and take it to the welding area.

Welding areas should be equipped with proper tables, ventilation, tool

storage, and fire extinguishing equipment.

If welding is to be accomplished in a hangar, no other aircraft should

be within 35 feet of the hanger, and the area should be roped off and
clearly marked.
Aviation maintenance shops harbor all of the requirements for
fires, so fire prevention is a vital concern.

All combustible materials should be stored in proper containers

in areas where spontaneous combustion cannot occur.

Since dope and paint solvents are so volatile, they should be

stored in a cool, ventilated area outside of the shop.
Spilled gasoline, sanding dust, and dried paint overspray should
never be swept with a dry broom

Since static electricity can cause a spark and ignite them.

Always flush these combustible products with water before

sweeping them.

Always be aware of the possibility of fire and provide for exits

when putting aircraft in the hangar.

Be sure that fire extinguishers are properly serviced, clearly

marked and never obstructed.

The key to fire safety is a knowledge of what causes fire, how to

prevent them, and how to put them out.
Since aircraft fuels, paints, and solvents are highly flammable,
you must take every precaution to prevent fires where these
materials are present.

However, you should also be aware of the proper procedures to

observe if a fire does start.

A fire is a chemical reaction between a material and oxygen, in

which the material is reduced to its elements with the release of
a great deal of heat.
Three conditions must be met for a fire to occur.

First, there must be fuel, which is any material that combines

with oxygen.

Second, there must be a supply of oxygen.

Third, the temperature of the fuel must be raised to its kindling

point, which is the temperature at which combustion occurs.

Different types of fuel have different kindling temperatures.

Fire protection begins with a knowledge of the type of fires,
what materials are involved,

and which extinguishing materials work best for each type.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) defines four

classes of fires.
Types of fires.
Class A - Ordinary combustible materials
such as wood, cloth, and paper
Class B - Fires involving flammable liquids
Class C - Fires involving energized electrical
equipment
Class D - Fires involving flammable metals,
primarily magnesium
Class A fires are those in which solid combustible materials
such as wood, paper, or cloth burn.

Aircraft cabin fires are usually of this class.

Class B fires involve combustible liquids such as gasoline, oil,

turbine fuel and many of the paint thinners and solvents.

Since many of these flammable liquids float, water is sometimes

not the best extinguishing agent to use.
Class C fires are those in which energized electrical equipment
is involved.

Special care must be exercised in the selection of a fire extin-

guisher for class C fires, since some fire suppressants conduct
electricity

Class D fire is one in which some metal, such as magnesium, is

burning.

Since Class D fires burn with intense heat, the use of the
improper type of extinguisher can intensify these fires, rather
than extinguish them
A fire is extinguished by either cooling the fuel below its
kindling temperature or by depriving it of oxygen.
All fire extinguishers work on one of these principles.

Four types of fire extinguishers

1. WATER EXTINGUISHERS
2. CARBON DIOXIDE EXTINGUISHERS
3. HALOGENATED HYDROCARBON EXTINGUISHERS
4. DRY-POWDER EXTINGUISHERS
Water can only be used for Class A fires, such as aircraft cabin
fires, where electricity is not involved.

Most modern water-type extinguishers consist of a container of

water in which an antifreeze material has been mixed.

The water is propelled from the extinguisher by a charge of

carbon dioxide.

Once the extinguisher is activated, all of the propellant is

discharged and a new cartridge must be installed when the
extinguisher is serviced.
Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers consist of a steel cylinder
filled with the gas under pressure.

When the gas is released, it expands to many times its

compressed volume, its temperature drops, and it blankets a fire
in the form of a white snow.

The carbon dioxide gas excludes oxygen from the fire and the
fire dies out. CO2 fire extinguishers are available in sizes ranging
from a small two-pound unit that can be mounted in a bracket
in the cockpits of small aircraft

For large units aircraft, CO2 fire extinguishers are mounted on

wheels.
A halogen element is one of the group that contains chlorine,
fluorine, bromine, or iodine.

Some hydrocarbons combine with halogens to produce very

effective fire extinguishing agents.

Halogenated hydrocarbons are numbered according to chemical

formulas with Halon numbers.

Halogenated hydrocarbon fire extinguishers are most effective

on Class B and C fires, but can be used on Class A and D fires as
well.

However, their effectiveness on Class A and D fires is somewhat

limited.
In addition.

The most common fire extinguishing agent for cabin fires in

modern aircraft is Halon 1301 (also known as Freon 13), which is
most useful as a fire suppressor.

It is not harmful to humans in moderate concentrations.

In addition to its use for cabin fires, in engine compartments of

both piston and turbine powered aircraft.

Halogenated hydrocarbon tire extinguishers provide

effective fire suppression in aircraft engine com-
partments.
Bicarbonate of soda, ammonium phosphate, or potassium
bicarbonate are used as dry-powder extinguishers.

They are most effective on Class B and C fires where liquids and
live electric circuits are involved.

In addition, they are the most effective extinguishers for Class D

metal fires.

A dry-powder fire extinguisher blankets a fire to

exclude oxygen from the fuel.
The three most common types of fire extinguishers used on
aircraft are;

The carbon dioxide,

The nitrogen-pressurized dry powder
The halogenated hydrocarbon extinguishers.

All fire extinguishers should have seals over their operating

handles to indicate if a unit has been discharged.

The content of the propellant of a dry-powder

extinguisher is indicated by the pressure gauge.