This article is about pyrotechnic flares. For other uses, see flare (disambiguation).

A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. The term "pyrotechnics" can also be used for Fireworks events An explosion is a sudden increase in Volume and release of Energy in an extreme manner usually with the generation of high Temperatures and the release Flares are used for signaling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications. A countermeasure is a system (usually for a Military application designed to prevent Sensor -based Weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target

Delivery and composition

A IHB brakeman uses a fusee to demonstrate a hand signal indicating "stop". The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad is a Class III railroad in the United States. A brakeman is a trainboard Rail transport worker in the US Historically

Flares generally produce their light through the combustion of a pyrotechnic composition, sometimes based on magnesium, sometimes colored by the inclusion of pyrotechnic colorants. Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of Exothermic chemical reactions between a Fuel and an Oxidant accompanied by the production of A pyrotechnic composition is a substance or mixture of substances designed to produce an effect by heat light sound gas or smoke or a combination of these as a result of non detonative Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 A Pyrotechnic colorant is a Chemical compound which causes a Flame to burn with a particular Color. Calcium flares are used for underwater illumination. Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20

Flares may be ground pyrotechnics, projectile pyrotechnics, or parachute-suspended to provide maximum illumination time over a large area. Projectile pyrotechnics may be dropped from aircraft, fired from rocket or artillery, or deployed by flare guns or handheld percussive tubes. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine A flare gun is a gun that fires flares. They are typically used as a distress signal as well as other signaling purposes at sea and between aircraft and people on the ground Flares may also be dropped in the water to illuminate submerged objects.

Civilian use

In the civilian world, flares are commonly used as signals, and may be ignited on the ground or fired as an aerial signal from a pistol-like flare gun. A flare gun is a gun that fires flares. They are typically used as a distress signal as well as other signaling purposes at sea and between aircraft and people on the ground Flare guns are commonly found in marine survival kits.

Flares in a football match between Real Zaragoza and RCD Espanyol (Copa del Rey Final 2006)

Another type of flare is the fusee, which burns for 15-60 minutes with a bright red light. Real Zaragoza is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragón. RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a Sports club based in Barcelona. The Copa del Rey is an annual cup competition for Spanish football teams Fusees are commonly used to indicate obstacles or advise caution on roadways at night; in this usage they are also called highway flares, road flares, or ground flares. They are commonly found in roadside emergency kits.

In forestry and firefighting, fusees are sometimes used in wildland fire suppression and in the ignition of controlled burns. Wildland fire suppression refers to the firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires They are especially effective in igniting burnouts or backburns in very dry conditions, but not so effective when fuel conditions are moist. Since controlled burns are often done during relatively high humidity levels (on the grounds that they could not be safely contained during periods of very low humidity), the driptorch is more effective and more often used. A driptorch is a tool used in wildland firefighting, controlled burning, and other Forestry applications to intentionally ignite fires Fusees are also commonly carried by wildland firefighters for emergency use, to ignite an escape fire in surrounding fuels in case of being overrun by a fire if no other escape routes are available. Wildlands are areas of land where plants and animals exist free of human interference Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous Fires that threaten civilian populations and property to rescue people from car accidents collapsed An escape fire is a fire lit to clear an area of vegetation in the face of an approaching Wildfire when no escape exists

Fusees are also known as railroad flares and are used to perform hand signals in rail transport applications. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Since they can be used only once, fusees nowadays are usually intended for emergency use (as opposed to the incandescent lanterns typically used during normal operating conditions). However, in the days before train radio communications, fusees were used to keep trains apart on un-signaled lines. A railroad fusee was timed to burn for 5 minutes and quantities were dropped behind a train to ensure a safe spacing. If a following train encountered a burning fusee it was not to pass until the fusee burned out.

Flares are routinely used in countries around Europe and South America in order to aid the build up of atmosphere. Prominent countries in Europe that use flares regularly include Germany, Serbia, Croatia, Italy and France where groups of extreme football supporters known as Ultras light flares at the beginning of games or when their team have scored. Ultras ( Latin word deriving from beyond in English with the implication that their enthusiasm is 'beyond' the normal are a sanctioned form of sports team supporters

The red flares are pyrotechnic compositions usually based on strontium nitrate and sometimes potassium nitrate or potassium perchlorate, mixed with a fuel (charcoal, sulfur, sawdust, aluminium, magnesium, or a suitable polymeric resin). A pyrotechnic composition is a substance or mixture of substances designed to produce an effect by heat light sound gas or smoke or a combination of these as a result of non detonative Strontium nitrate Sr ( N[[Oxygen O3]]2 is an acid salt of Strontium. Potassium nitrate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula K[[Nitrogen N]] O 3 Potassium perchlorate, a Perchlorate salt with the chemical formula K[[chlorine Cl]] O4, is a strong oxidizer. Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Sawdust is composed of fine particles of Wood. This material is produced from cutting with a Saw, hence its name WikipediaNaming Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 [1]

Military use

Land

Ground military forces in need of a large-area illumination for artilleries or for an attack, often request the delivery of parachute-flares. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Ground forces may also deploy hand-held flares for aerial or ground signaling to indicate the correct area for releasing ordnance, deploying paratroopers, or landing an aircraft. Military communications, or Signals ( not to be confused with military Line of communications (LOC is a field of Military activities tactics Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. In World War II, clusters of coloured flares were deployed by reconnaissance aircraft or pathfinders to mark targets for bomber missions and supply drops. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Pathfinders are paratroops who are dropped into place before a major operation in order to place and operate navigational devices to assist the primary drop of paratroops A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them

In many militaries, the use of night vision devices has reduced the need for the use of illumination flares. A night vision device (NVD is an Optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness

Sea

Navy emergency flare

Naval flares may be employed by naval forces to illuminate undersea targets such as submarines at depth. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability Naval flares are also launched from anti-submarine aircraft from fixed, multi-barrel, ejectors on the sides of the fuselage. The fuselage (from the French fuselé "spindle-shaped" is an Aircraft 's main body section that holds crew and passengers or Cargo

Calcium phosphide is often used in naval flares, as in contact with water it liberates phosphine which self-ignites in contact with air; it is often used together with calcium carbide which releases acetylene. Calcium phosphide ( CP, Ca3P2 is a chemical that has uses in Incendiary bombs It has the appearance of red-brown crystalline powder or grey lumps Phosphine is the common name for phosphorus hydride (PH3 also known by the IUPAC name phosphane and occasionally phosphamine. Calcium carbide is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula of Ca[[Carbide C2]] Acetylene ( IUPAC name ethyne), C2H2 is a Hydrocarbon belonging to the group of Alkynes It is the simplest of all alkynes

Air

Main article: Flare (countermeasure)

A special variety of flare is used in military aircraft as a defensive countermeasure against heat-seeking missiles. A (decoy flare is an aerial infrared countermeasure to counter an Infrared homing ("heat seeking" Surface-to-air missile (SAM or A countermeasure is a system (usually for a Military application designed to prevent Sensor -based Weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of Electromagnetic radiation in the Infrared These flares are usually discharged individually or in salvoes by the pilot or automatically by tail-warning devices, and are accompanied by vigorous evasive maneuvering. Since they are intended to deceive infrared missiles, these flares burn at temperatures of thousands of degrees, incandescing in the visible spectrum as well. Soids are floating flares that are effective only in the terminal phase of missiles with infrared signature seeker heads.

Distinguish from

• Other meanings of "fusee"

See also

• Very flare (WWI)
• Flare gun
• Flare (countermeasure)