Back to Basics: A Fundamental Understanding of Fire and Fire Dynamics (Part 1)

Fire Dept
3 days ago
2 min read

Fire dynamics is the study of how a fire grows, moves, and reacts to its environment.

Heat, fuel, and oxygen all work together, and changing one will change the fire.

Modern homes burn faster and hotter because of lightweight construction and synthetic fuels. Understanding the science behind fire gives firefighters better decision making when conditions change rapidly. When conditions change rapidly, we need firefighter's to adapt rapidly. If not us, then who?

Smoke tells the story of what the fire is doing inside the structure.

Thick dark smoke under pressure pushing from openings shows high heat and limited oxygen (sometimes referred to as a Smoke Sammich).

Lighter smoke that is lazy and drifting can indicate a different stage of burning. Watching how smoke moves at doors and windows can help predict fire growth and potential hazards before entry. If you have a good vent prior to entry , you may see a nice pull of air at the bottom of the door (below the neutral plane) as you open it, or you may encounter heavy exhaust indicating that you need a vent close to the fire before advancing towards it.

Additionally, Vent limited fires are common in modern firefighting. These fires have plenty of fuel and heat but not enough oxygen to fully burn. When an opening is made the fire can rapidly intensify as fresh air flows in. Recognizing this condition early allows firefighters to control ventilation and apply water at the right time to reduce risk and improve outcomes. Something simple, but often overlooked in the fire service is that wet materials are harder to burn (there's a science behind this), so flowing in high heat areas can help you increase the time to ignition for some materials as you advance.

See the videos below to help you start the journey in understanding fire dynamics at a deeper level (Review for some, but always a good refresher). Make sure to record your training after watching each video. *Recruits are encouraged to take notes.

When recording this training via our Training Form , Make sure the description reads: Back to Basics: A Fundamental Understanding of Fire and Fire Dynamics (Part 1)

Pyrolysis