Difference Between Fire and Flame
The words ‘fire’ and ‘flames’ are associated with the process of burning. Both of them bring the image of destruction in our mind. Many people think that both of them are the same. It is true that there are many similarities between fire and flame but still there are dissimilarities too. Let us describe the difference between the two.
Fire is process in which combustion of organic material takes place releasing energy in the form of heat and light. Flame is visible when the fire takes place. Flames produce light in the process of fire. Fire actually is the oxidation of organic material. The rapid oxidation is different from other types in which process is slow. Flames are gases which burn at a high temperature. Flames are of different colors depending on the organic material which is burnt and the intensity of the fire. When the fire is controlled the flames are of blue color such as the gas stove in our house. When fire is intense and uncontrolled, it is red and yellow in color such as a forest fire. The color indicates the temperature at which fire is burning. Thus flame is a visible part of a fire in gaseous state. When the temperatures are very high the gases get ionized and the flame can reach the state of plasma.
When a fire engulfs a building or a structure, the fire brigade is called for. The firemen extinguish the fire and save life and property. Firemen wear clothes made of special fabrics which are resistant of flames. Several chemical are fire retardant. A fabric is flame resistant as it resists ignition. It has the ability to extinguish if it catches flames as it is made of fire retardant chemicals. A fire fighter can pass the flames after wearing oxygen mask and the flame resistant clothes. He is specially trained for it. He is equipped with necessary instruments to fight the fire such as special clothes and oxygen to breath.