Fires caused by spontaneous combustion or chemical reaction accounted for an estimated average of 14,070 reported years between 2005 and 2009. These included 3,200 structure fires, 1,150 vehicle fires, 5,250 outside non-trash and unclassified fires, and 4,460 outside trash or rubbish fires. The most common occupancy types for structure fires were residential (50% of fires), storage (12%) mercantile or business (9%) and manufacturing or processing (9%). Half of the vehicle fires (50%) started by spontaneous combustion or chemical reaction occurred in passenger vehicles, and 16% in road freight or transportation vehicles. More than one-third of vehicle fires began in the trunk or cargo area. Unclassified organic materials were the most common item first ignited in outside and unclassified fires (excluding outside trash or rubbish fires) (28%), followed by light vegetation including grass (26%). In outside trash or rubbish fires, wood chips, sawdust, or shavings were the type of material first ignited in 13% of fires. These estimates are based on data from the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA's) annual fire department experience survey.

This book explores the phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion—what can we learn about it through historical documentation and the theories surrounding it? Captivate readers with this deep dive into a spooky, high-interest topic.

Sources of Ignition: Flammability Characteristics of Chemicals and Products describes the flammability characteristics of substances and deals with the different sources of ignition. Case histories are presented for review and analysis. The book is comprised of six chapters and seven appendices. The introduction gives a basic description of the anatomy of fire and explosions, including the access to fuel and the interaction of oxygen and fuel. A description of the flammable limits of gases, dusts, mists, and mixtures and the method of estimating these follow. The text also explains the flash point of a substance and the method of calculating it, using citations from Fuji and Hermann. The ignition energy of a chemical, as well as how to estimate it using the method of Calcote et al., is also presented. The book explains that autoignition temperature of gases is dependent on different factors, such as time delay, oxygen concentration, and catalyst effects of materials, but may still be estimated citing Zabetakis, 1965 as reference. The formula is given in more detail. Finally, the energy sources for ignition are enumerated as mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical. The appendices deal with chemicals, self-heating substances, organic peroxides, substances prone to spontaneous combustions, unstable substances, flammability characteristics of dusts, and a checklist of possible sources of ignition. This book is beneficial to fire safety engineers, firemen, fire prevention maintenance administrators, fire hazard officers, and other personnel whose line of work is in fire safety and prevention.

The second edition of a bestseller, Hazardous Materials Chemistry for Emergency Responders continues to provide the fundamentals of "street chemistry" required by emergency response personnel. The information presented will assist you in responding to specific chemical spills, including identifying the exact chemicals involved and their individual