Fire and Combustion Basics

What are fuels?

• Materials that store energy.

• Substances that release heat when burned.

• Elements that are used in chemical reactions.

• Gases that are produced during combustion.

What are the primary factors influencing combustion of solid fuel fires?

• Type of ignition source, humidity of the environment, and air pressure.

• Composition of the fuel, amount of fuel, and configuration of the fuel.

• Temperature of the surrounding area, type of container, and wind speed.

• Size of the fuel particles, color of the smoke, and duration of the fire.

What does smoke reading involve?

• Evaluating the effect of the building, weather, and ventilation on the smoke.

• Analyzing the color and density of smoke only.

• Determining the source of the fire based on smoke patterns.

• Measuring the temperature of smoke in the environment.

What is smoke?

• A type of gas released during combustion

• A by-product of fire that includes small solids, vapors, and gases

• A liquid form of water vapor

• A chemical reaction that produces heat

What do liquid-fuel fires require?

• A proper mixture of fuel and air, an ignition source, and contact between the fuel mixture and ignition.

• Only an ignition source is needed.

• Just a proper mixture of fuel and air is sufficient.

• Liquid-fuel fires do not require any specific conditions.

What is direct contact in fire spread?

• A flame touching a fuel.

• A fire spreading through the air.

• Heat radiating from one object to another.

• A chemical reaction causing ignition.

What are the main components of smoke?

• Small solids (particles), vapors (aerosols), and gases.

• Only gases and vapors.

• Large solids and liquids.

• Vapors and dust particles.

How may fire be spread?

• By conduction, convection, and radiation.

• By evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

• By friction, tension, and compression.

• By diffusion, absorption, and reflection.

What influences the growth of room-and-contents fires?

• Characteristics of the room and its contents.

• The color of the walls in the room.

• The type of furniture present in the room.

• The number of windows in the room.

What is convection?

• The process of heat transfer through direct contact.

• The circulatory movement in a gas or fluid, involving hot gases rising and cooler gases moving to lower areas.

• The transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves.

• The movement of particles in a solid state.