Type of Material Contributing Most to Flame Spread
☛☛ This field is required only if the Item Contributing Most to Flame Spread code is “00” or a number less
than “70.”
Definition
The type of material contributing most to flame spread, if different from the Type of Material First Ignited
(Fire Module, Block D4). Skip this block if the material is unknown.
Type of material refers to the raw, common, or natural state in which the material exists. The type of material may be a gas, flammable liquid, chemical, plastic, wood, paper, fabric, or any number of other
materials.
Entry
Enter the two-digit code and description that best describes the type of material contributing most to
flame spread.
An alphabetized synonym list for the following Type of Material Contributing Most to Flame Spread codes
is presented in Appendix B of the US Fire Administration Complete NFIRS Reference Guide.
TYPE OF MATERIAL CONTRIBUTING MOST TO FLAME SPREAD CODES
Flammable Gas
11
12
13
14
15
10
Natural gas. Includes methane and marsh gas.
LP gas. Includes butane, butane and air mixtures, and propane gas.
Anesthetic gas.
Acetylene gas
Hydrogen.
Flammable gas, other. Includes benzene, benzol, carbon disulfide, carbon monoxide, ethylene, ethylene oxide,
and vinyl chloride.
Flammable or Combustible Liquid
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
20
Ether, pentane-type flammable liquid. Includes all Class 1A flammable liquids.
JP–4 jet fuel and methyl-ethyl-ketone-type flammable liquid. Includes all Class 1B flammable liquids. Excludes
gasoline (23).
Gasoline.
Turpentine, butyl-alcohol-type flammable liquid. Includes all Class IC flammable liquids.
Kerosene; Nos.1 and 2 fuel oil; diesel-type combustible liquid. Includes all Class II combustible liquids.
Cottonseed oil; Nos. 4, 5, and 6 fuel oil; creosote-oil-type combustible liquid. Includes all Class IIIA combustible liquids.
Cooking oil, transformer oil, lubricating oil. Includes all Class IIIB combustible liquids.
Flammable or combustible liquid, other.
Volatile Solid or Chemical
31
32
33
34
Fat, grease, butter, margarine, lard, tallow.
Petroleum jelly and nonfood grease.
Polish, paraffin, wax.
Adhesive, resin, tar, glue, asphalt, pitch, soot.
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NFIRS 5.0 COMPLETE REFERENCE GUIDE
35
36
37
38
30
Paint, varnish—applied.
Combustible metal. Includes magnesium, titanium, and zirconium.
Solid chemical. Includes explosives. Excludes liquid chemicals (division 2) and gaseous chemicals (division
1).
Radioactive material.
Volatile solid or chemical, other.
Plastics
41
Plastic, regardless of type. Excludes synthetic fibers, coated fabrics, plastic upholstery.
Natural Product
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
50
Rubber, tire rubber. Excludes synthetic rubbers (classify as plastics (41)).
Cork.
Leather.
Hay, straw.
Grain, natural fiber. Includes cotton, feathers, felt, barley, corn, coconut. Excludes fabrics and furniture batting
(71).
Coal, coke, briquettes, peat. Includes briquettes of carbon black and charcoal.
Food, starch. Includes flour. Excludes fat or grease (31).
Tobacco.
Natural product, other. Includes manure.
Wood or Paper – Processed
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
60
Wood chips, sawdust, wood shavings.
Round timber. Includes round posts, poles, and piles.
Sawn wood. Includes all finished lumber and wood shingles.
Plywood.
Fiberboard, particleboard, and hardboard. Includes low-density pressed wood fiberboard products.
Wood pulp, wood fiber.
Paper. Includes cellulose, waxed paper, sensitized paper, and ground-up processed paper and newsprint used
as thermal insulation.
Cardboard.
Wood or paper, processed, other.
Fabric, Textiles, Fur
71
74
75
76
77
70
Fabric, fiber, cotton, blends, rayon, wool, finished goods. Includes yarn and canvas. Excludes fur and silk (74).
Fur, silk, other fabric, finished goods. Excludes fabrics listed in Code 71.
Wig.
Human hair.
Plastic-coated fabric. Includes plastic upholstery fabric and other vinyl fabrics.
Fabric, textiles, fur, other.
Material Compounded With Oil
81
82
86
80
00
UU
Linoleum.
Oilcloth.
Asphalt-treated material. Excludes by-products of combustion, soot, carbon, creosote (34).
Material compounded with oil, other.
Type of material contributing most to flame spread, other.
Undetermined.
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NFIRS 5.0 COMPLETE REFERENCE GUIDE