Engine fire at cruise altitude
 

Is it possible that an engine fire in a jet would not be able to sustain itself at cruise altitude due to a lack of oxygen?

How does a jet engine work at cruise altitude ?

Great big rotating blades that some PHd at RR spent a decade learning to design squash the air up and squirt it through the combustion chamber.
:rolleyes:


As for the initial question. Possibly. It would depend on a huge number of variables. If you think of the fire triangle,

HEAT
FUEL OXYGEN

There are a large number of bits of an engine that would provide all the required items, not withstanding the 500 degree fire inside the core.

So for instance a bleed air leak could provide both oxygen and heat onto a rubber component which would provide the fuel.

I guess you might struggle to light a campfire at 41,000 feet but I would not rely on that for an engine fire.

If you're asking about a fire insisde the engine than the answer has to do with the engine inlet taking in more air than it flies through.

If you are asking about a fire in the nacelle, than as far as I know its pretty rare at altitude to have anything more than a hot air leak. All the engine nacelle fires with actual flame, that I can recall were either on the ground or at low altitudes.

Flying very fast, ram effect, titanium compressor blades, all this can lead to a fire of over 1,000 deg at altitude. Oh, and the kerosene that will continue to pump into the engine until the nice man at the front of the plane turns off, that might burn as well...

Sorry!;)