Chapter 2: Enhanced Fire Behavior

Question 1

Firefighters’ ____ serves as a foundation for understanding the strategies, tactics, and specific task assignments required in fire fighting operations.

Answer 1

Knowledge of fire behavior

Question 2

Developing expertise in the application of one’s knowledge of fire behavior requires____ and ____.

Answer 2

An understanding of the science of fire dynamics;

Practical fireground experience

Question 3

An exothermic chemical reaction that is a SELF-SUSTAINING process of RAPID oxidation of fuel, that produces HEAT and LIGHT

Answer 3

Combustion

Question 4

When some solid fuels, particularly those that are porous and can char, undergo oxidation at the surface of the fuel is known as:

Answer 4

Nonflaming or Smoldering Combustion

Question 5

A simple model that explains non flaming or surface combustion (smoldering).

Answer 5

Fire Triangle

Question 6

Fire Triangle (components) (explanation)

Answer 6

Heat, Fuel, and Oxygen are required for the chemical reaction to occur. If any one of these are removed ore reduced, the reaction stops.

Question 7

Model used to explain flaming combustion

Answer 7

Fire Tetrahedron

Question 8

Fire tetrahedron (components) (explanation)

Answer 8

Heat, Fuel, Oxygen, and Self-sustaining chemical reaction. Reaction stops if any of these components is removed or sufficiently reduced.

Question 9

Stored energy that can be released in the future to perform work once released

Answer 9

Potential energy

Question 10

Energy possessed by a moving object (energy in motion)

Answer 10

Kinetic energy

Question 11

Kinetic energy associated with the movement of the atoms and molecules that comprise matter

Answer 11

Thermal energy (Heat energy)

Question 12

Before ignition, fuel has ____. When that fuel burns, the chemical energy is converted to ____ in the form of ____ and light.

Answer 12

Potential energy
Kinetic energy
Thermal energy (heat)

Question 13

A measurement of kinetic energy

Answer 13

Temperature

Question 14

The movement of thermal energy from objects of higher temperature to those of lower temperature.

Answer 14

Heat

Question 15

Capacity to perform work

Answer 15

Energy

Question 16

Work occurs and energy is expended when:

Answer 16

A force is applied to an object over a distance or when a chemical, biological, or physical transformation is made in a substance.

Question 17

Since ____ cannot be measured, we measure ____

Answer 17

Energy

The work it does

Question 18

In the case of heat, work means ____

Answer 18

Increasing temperature (causing the kinetic energy within the molecules of a substance to increase)

Question 19

Unit of measurement for heat energy

Answer 19

Metric: Joule- equal to 1N over 1M
Standard: British Thermal Units (BTUs)- increase 1 lb of water 1 degree F

Question 20

It takes ____ to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water 1 degree C

Answer 20

4,186 Joules

Question 21

1 BTU = ____ joules

Answer 21

1,100

Question 22

____ is the energy component of the fire tetrahedron

Answer 22

Heat

Question 23

Thermal or chemical decomposition of fuel (matter) because of heat that generally results in the lowered ignition temperature of the material.
(the chemical decomposition of a substance through the action of heat)

Answer 23

Pyrolysis

Question 24

Process that changes a liquid into a gaseous state.

Answer 24

Vaporization 
(the rate depends on: 
1. substance involved 
2. Heat 
3. pressure

Question 25

The total amount of energy released when a specific amount of that fuel is oxidized (burned)

Answer 25

Heat of combustion; measured in BTU/lb; calories/gram; kilojoules/gram (kJ/g); or megajoules/kilogram (MJ/kg)

Question 26

The energy released per unit of time as a given fuel burns. Dependent on type, quantity, and orientation of the fuel.

Answer 26

Heat release rate; measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW)

Question 27

The tendency of gases to stratify according to temperature.

Answer 27

Thermal layering; Heat stratification; Thermal balance

Question 28

When sufficient oxygen is available, fire development is controlled by ____. The fire is considered to be ____.

Answer 28

The characteristics and configuration of the fuel; | Fuel controlled

Question 29

When fire development is limited by a lack of oxygen, the fire is considered to be ____.

Answer 29

Ventilation controlled

Question 30

It is important to know if a fire is ventilation controlled or fuel controlled because

Answer 30

It determines how the fire will change when ventilation is increased. Fuel controlled- increased ventilation will reduce temps and slow or prevent its progression to flashover. Vent controlled- increased ventilation will increase the rate of heat release and may result in extreme fire behavior.

Question 31

Flames begin to move intermittently through the hot gas layer

Answer 31

Rollover (ceiling temps approach 1,100 degrees)

Question 32

How much heat is available for transfer to human skin

Answer 32

Heat flux

Question 33

In the incipient and early growth stages of many compartment fires, heat transfer is largely dependent on

Answer 33

Convection

Question 34

____ determines whether or not a fire within a compartment will progress to flashover

Answer 34

The availability of both fuel and oxygen

Question 35

A fire may enter the decay stage due to ____ or ____.

Answer 35

Consumption of available fuel; | Limited oxygen supply (much greater concern to firefighters)

Question 36

Most compartment fires that grow beyond the incipient stage become ______ controlled

Answer 36

Ventilation

Question 37

____ are often the most readily available fuel source in a compartment fire.

Answer 37

The contents of a structure

Question 38

A fire in a _____ will develop more slowly than one in a ____ due to the greater volume of air and structural material that must be heated.

Answer 38

Large compartment; | small compartment

Question 39

A ____ may mask the extent of fire development by ____.

Answer 39

High ceiling; | Allowing a large volume of hot smoke and other fire gases to accumulate at upper levels.

Question 40

The actual and potential ventilation of a structure based on structural openings, construction type, and building ventilation systems.

Answer 40

Existing ventilation

Question 41

Fires that are ____ tend to produce a greater volume of smoke that those that are ____.

Answer 41

Ventilation controlled; | Fuel controlled

Question 42

The burning of ____ and many ____ as well as ____ conditions will result in increased optical density of the smoke

Answer 42

Hydrocarbons; synthetic fuels; under-ventilated

Question 43

Buoyancy, aka _____, is related to the temp of the smoke- The higher the temp, the ______ the buoyancy.

Answer 43

Physical density; | greater

Question 44

A Sudden rise in the hot gas layer could indicate _____, while gradual lowering could indicate ____. Sudden lowering could indicate ____. Or _____ could lower the gas layer

Answer 44

Some type of ventilation has occurred; Deteriorating conditions and increased potential for flashover; Deteriorating conditions caused by flashover in an adjacent compartment; Inappropriate or excessive application of water

Question 45

If firefighters can see flames in the hot gas layer, it may indicate ____ (pockets of flame seen intermittently in the smoke) and ____.

Answer 45

Ghosting; | Impending flashover

Question 46

When flashover occurs, it is ____

Answer 46

The sudden transition from the growth stage to the full developed stage in a compartment

Question 47

The most effective way for firefighters to manage the risk of flashover, is by _____ and ____.

Answer 47

Maintaining an awareness of developing fire conditions; | Controlling the fire environment through effective fire control and ventilation tactics

Question 48

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