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
|
Fire Temperatures
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°
|
Physical Constants of Materials
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
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°
|
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. Temperature Indicators
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°
Concreate 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°
|