There are a variety of ways the skin can experience burn injuries:

• Chemical:These burns are caused by irritating chemicals such as acid or alkalis. The chemical continues to burn until it is completely flushed away with running water. Some chemicals require antidotes other than water.
   
• Contact: These burns are caused by prolonged contact with a heated surface such as a hot exhaust pipe.
   
• Electrical: Electricity passing through the body and heating up the tissues can also cause burns. Electricity can enter through the hand, pass through the heart and exit through the foot causing damage along the way. 
   
• Flame: These burns follow sustained contact with fire.
   
• Flammable Liquid: These result from a burning liquid such as barbecue lighter fluid or gasoline.
   
• Flash: Flash burns follow exposure to a blast caused by gases or an electrical explosion. 
   
• Friction: With this kind of burn, cells are killed by heat produced by some physical event. For example, a rope burn is caused by friction between the rope and a person's body. The rope itself is not hot, but the heat produced by friction is sufficient to cause a burn.
   
• Frostbite: Prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures also causes skin burns. The skin is left damaged in a way that is very similar to a burn. 
   
• Radiation: Overexposure to radiant energy such as x-rays, sunlight or nuclear blast causes skin burns.
   
• Respiratory: These burns in the respiratory tract follow inhalation of hot air or steam or from breathing poisonous gases.
   
• Scalding: This is the most common type of burn. Injury follows exposure to hot liquids, foods or steam.
   
• Sunburn: This burn injury follows exposure to the sun's ultra-violet rays.