Heat Damage

Burns can occur at temperatures as low as 120 degrees F. Typical wood fires burn around 300-400 degrees F. The biggest problem with small burns is not the damage but the pain. Second degree burns occur after 3 seconds at 140 degrees F. Third degree burns occur after 5 seconds at this temperature. A good rule of thumb is each 50 degree C causes 1 HP of damage per minute divided by the percent of the body covered (You won’t die by emmersing your hand in boiling water …). Each 100 Degrees Celcius over 50 Degrees causes 1 point of pain. For each missed success the character adds one penalty die to all rolls.

Sample Temperatures

Some sample temperatures are listed below:

Celcius	Fahrenheit	Description
50	122	Low heat for cooking
100	212	Water boils
150	302	Wood burns; Maximum survivable breathing air temp for short period without the presence of moisture.
250	482	Kerosene Ignites
300	572	Oil Ignites
500	932	Bronze Melts
950	1742	Silver melts
1000	1832	Copper, Glass, and Gold Melt
1300	2372	Steel
1550	2822	Iron Melts
1750	3182	Platinum Melts

Sources of Ignition General Temperatures

Source	Temperature (Celsius)
Cigarettes – ventilated	400°-780°
Cigarettes – unventilated conditions	288°
Cigarettes – insulated and smoldering	510°-621°
Match	600°-800°
Candle flame	600°-1400°
Stove element	>550°
Fluorescent light	60°-80°
Incandescent light	100°-300°
Tungsten halogen light	600°-900°
Electrical arcing	to 3750°
Electrical spark	1316°
Lightning	30000°
Oxyacetylene	3300°
Industrial furnaces	1700°
Bunsen burner	1570°

Color Temperatures of Heat

Color	Temperature (Celsius)
Dull red	500°-600°
Dark red	600°-800°
Bright red	800°-1000°
Yellow red	1000°-1200°
Bright yellow	1200°-1400°
White	1400°-1600°

Temperatures during Fire Building

Description	Temperature (Celsius)
Hot gas layer	600°-1000°
Floor temperature	>180°
Glowing smoldering combustion	to 600°
Flashover	>600°
Glowing coals	to 1300°

2.1 SOLIDS

Various Materials

Reactions to temperature exposure

Reaction	Temperature (Celsius)
Wood slowly chars*	120°-150°
Decayed wood ignites	150°
Ignition temp of various woods	190°-260°
Paper yellows	150°
Paper ignites	218°-246°
Oil soaked lagging ignites	190°-220°
Leather ignites	212°
Hay ignites	172°
Coal ignites	400°-500°

Wood chars at a rate of approximately 30-50 mm/hour

2.1.2 PLASTICS

Melting points and ignition temperatures

Plastic	Melting Point Range	Ignition Temperature
ABS	88°-125°	416°
Acrylics	91°-125°	560°
Cellulosics	49°-121°	475°-540°
Nylons	160°-275°	424°-532°
Polycarbonate	140°-150°	580°
Polyesters	220°-268°	432°-488°
Polyethylene ld	107°-124°	349°
Polyethylene hd	122°-137°	349°
Polypropylene	158°-168°	570°
Polystyrene	100°-120°	488°-496°
Polyurethanes	85°-121°	416°
PTFE	327°	530°
P.vinylideneclor	212°	454°
PVC	75°-110°	435°-557°
Wool		228°-230°
Cotton		250°
Rubber		260°-316°

2.1.3 METALS

(o) & (r) denote oxidizing and reducing conditions respectively

Melting points and flame colours

Metal	Melting Point	Flame Colour
Aluminium	660°	Colorless
Copper	1080°	Green(o) Red (r)
Lead	327°	Colorless
Tin	232°	Colorless
Bismuth	271°	Colorless
Zinc	419°	Colorless
Aluminium alloy	600°	Colorless
Antimony	630°	Colorless
Magnesium	651°	Colorless
Brass	900°-1000°	Green(o) Red (r)
Silver	961°	Colorless
Bronze	1000°	Green(o) Red (r)
Gold	1063°
Cast iron	1200°-1350°	Yellow-brown
Manganese	1260°	Violet(o)
Nickel	1450°	Brown-Red
Cobalt	1490°	Blue
Steel	1100°-1600°	Brown-Red
Platinum	1770°
Titanium	1670°
Chromium	1900°	Green
Tungsten	3410°
Solder 60/40	183°
Electric fuses	371°
Carbon	3730°
Pure iron	1535°

2.2 Liquids

Boiling points, flash points, ignition temperature and heat of combustion

Liquid	Boiling Point	Flash Point	Ignition Temperature	Heat of Combustion (kilocalories per gram)
Kerosene	175°-260°	38°-74°	229°	11
Gasoline	40°-190°	-43°	257°	11.5
Stove oil	190°-290°
Diesel	190°-340°	69°	399°
Fuel	200°-350°
Brake fluid		190°
Engine oil		150°-230°	260°-371°
Acetone	57°	-20°	465°
Benzene	80°	-11°	560°	10
Octane	126°	13°	220°	11.4
Pet ether		-18°	288°
Gum turpentine		37°
Spirit turpentine	135°-175°	35°	253°
Alcohol	78°	13°	365°	7.1
Ethylene glycol		111°	413°
Styrene		31°-37°	490°
White spirits	150°-200°	35°	232°
Asphalt		38°-121°	538°
Paint thinners		39°	245°
Paraffin wax		199°

• fire point is approximately 10°-50° above flash point
• cooking oil spontaneously combusts at 310°-360°
• temperature of flame from burning petrol is 471°-560°

2.3 Gasses

Upper & lower flammable limits & ignition temperature

Gas	UFL%	LFL%	Ignition Temperature
Propane	9.6	2.15	466°
Butane	8.5	1.9	405°
Natural gas	15	4.7	482°-632°
Hydrogen	75	4	400°
Acetylene	3	65	335°

3.1 STEEL

Appearance	Temperature
Yellow	320°
Brown	350°
Purple	400°
Blue	450°
* steel starts to weaken at 200°
* loses 50% of its structural strength and sags at 550°
* melt point of steel 1100°-1650°

3.2 CONCRETE AND CEMENT

Appearance	Temperature
Reddish pink – reddish brown	300°
Gray	300°-1000°
Buff	>1000°
Sinters and yellowish	>1200°
* sand and sandstone becomes friable at 573°
* wall masonry collapses at 760°

3.3 GLASS

Effect	Soda	Borosilicate
Very slight distortion	700°	750°
Slight distortion	750°	800°
Considerable distortion	800°	850°
Medium fluid flow	850°	900°
Liquid flow	900°	950°
* glass thermally cracks at 90°-120°

3.4 MINERAL WOOL INSULATION

Effect	Temperature
Resin chars & slowly blackens	288°
Resin chars quickly	400°
Fibers becomes light gray	482°
Fibers fuse	593°
Fibers melt	649°