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The Daily Insight Hub

What is fire department foam made of?

Author

Sophia Koch

Updated on January 13, 2026

FOAM: A fire fighting foam is simply a stable mass of small air-filled bubbles, which have a lower density than oil, gasoline or water. Foam is made up of three ingredients – water, foam concentrate and air. When mixed in the correct proportions, these three ingredients form a homogeneous foam blanket.

What kind of foam do firefighters use?

aqueous film-forming foam
Firefighters use aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) to help extinguish difficult-to-fight fires, particularly fires that involve petroleum or other flammable liquids ‚ known as Class B fires.

Is Fire Fighting Foam hazardous?

Firefighting Foam Contains Toxic Forever Chemicals Firefighting foam contains numerous toxic chemicals known as “forever chemicals.” These chemicals do not break down quickly and stay around for a long time. They are linked to a variety of chronic and disabling illnesses and conditions, especially cancers.

What is firefighting foam used for?

Firefighting foam is a material used for fire suppression. It both coats the fuel for the fire, suppressing combustion and cools the fire.

How many types of fire fighting foam are there?

They have different compositions: Synthetic firefighting foams: Fluorine-Free Foams (F3, also known as FFF): creating a foam blanket full of bubbles.

Which is Class C fire?

A class C fire is one in which an energized electrical element is the cause of the fire. Class C fires may be started from faulty wiring, a short circuit, damage to power cords, overloaded electrical outlets, overheated or overcharged devices, etc.

How many types of fire foam are there?

Who uses AFFF?

AFFF is often used in shipboard and shore facility fire suppression systems, fire fighting vehicles, and at fire training facilities. AFFF is purchased as a concentrate, typically referred to as “3%” or “6%” (Type 3 or Type 6, respectively) depending on its mixture ratio with water.

Which are steps for overhauling a dumpster fire?

Take the following steps when confronted with a dumpster or trash fire.

  1. Wear full PPE and use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
  2. Establish a safety zone to protect firefighters.
  3. Establish an adequate water supply.
  4. Stretch an adequate size hoseline.
  5. Consider the possibility of victims.

What are the types of foam?

Foam Types

  • Charcoal Foam.
  • Closed Cell Foam.
  • Dry Fast Foam.
  • High Density Foam.
  • High Resilience Foam.
  • Latex Foam.
  • Lux Foam.
  • Memory Foam.

What kind of foam is used in firefighting?

Firefighting foam is also known as firefighter foam or (AFFF). AFFF stands for Aqueous Film Forming Foam. It is a fire suppressant that has been around for more than 50 years. In particular, firefighting foam is effective at putting out liquid fires, such as those found in the oil industry, as well as fires caused by gasoline and jet fuel.

What does AFFF stand for in firefighting foam?

AFFF commonly known as firefighting foam stands for Firefighting Aqueous Film Forming Foam. It is used to coat the surfaces at the base of fires in order to starve a flame’s source of oxygen and fuel. It is especially effective at suppressing and putting out flammable liquid fires, known as Class B fires.

What does PFC stand for in firefighting foam?

Prior to this, the most common PFCs used in firefighting foams were PFOS and its derivatives. AFFF rapidly extinguishes fuel fires, but they contain PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Why are Class A foams used in wildfires?

Class A foams were developed specifically for controlling wildfires, and is now used for class A fires, such as structure fires. They lower the surface tension of the water, which wets fuels and suppresses fire and prevents reignition.