Exam Question

### (a) Causes of Fire in Machinery Spaces & Auto-Ignition
**Causes of Fire:**
Fires in machinery spaces originate from the presence of the three components of the fire triangle: Fuel, Heat, and Oxygen. The machinery space is a high-risk area due to the abundance of all three.
* **Fuel Leaks on Hot Surfaces:** This is the most common cause. Leaks from high-pressure fuel lines, lubricating oil pipes, hydraulic oil lines, or thermal oil systems can spray atomized oil onto uninsulated or poorly insulated hot surfaces such as engine exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, boiler casings, or steam pipes. If the surface temperature is above the oil's auto-ignition temperature, a fire will start immediately.