Fire Behavior and Combustion
Unit 1 Assignment: Critical Terms Study Guide
FS101: Fire Behavior and Combustion
Unit 1
Unit 1 Assignment: Critical Terms Study Guide
Auto-ignition temperature The minimum temperature to which a material must be raised before combustion will occur. Also called “ignition temperature.”
Backdraft A sudden, violent reignition of the contents of a closed container fire that has consumed the oxygen within the space when a new source of oxygen is introduced. The introduction of oxygen results in an immediate smoke explosion.
Boiling point (BP) The temperature where a liquid will convert to a gas at a vapor pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure.
British thermal unit (BTU) The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
Class A fires Fires involving ordinary combustibles.
Class B fires Fires involving flammable liquids.
Class C fires Fires involving energized electrical equipment or wires.
Class D fires Fires involving combustible metals.
Class K fires Fires involving cooking oils.
Combustion A chemical process between fuel and oxygen with the evolution of light either as a glow or flame and heat. Some of the heat energy is radiated back into the fuel, releasing more fuel to allow the combustion process to continue.
Conduction The transfer of heat energy by the movement of the heat-agitated atoms colliding with each other, transmitting some of the energy or heat.
Convection The movement of heat energy by the agitation of air molecules reduces the density of molecules making heated air lighter than cooled air. In a heated enclosed compartment, the heated air rises and pulls in cooled air below the flaming level.
Decay stage (burnout phase) The stage at which fire has consumed all the available fuel, and the temperature begins to decrease as the fire reduces in intensity.
Endothermic The type of reaction in which energy is absorbed when the
FS101: Fire Behavior and Combustion
Unit 1
Unit 1 Assignment: Critical Terms Study Guide
Auto-ignition temperature The minimum temperature to which a material must be raised before combustion will occur. Also called “ignition temperature.”
Backdraft A sudden, violent reignition of the contents of a closed container fire that has consumed the oxygen within the space when a new source of oxygen is introduced. The introduction of oxygen results in an immediate smoke explosion.
Boiling point (BP) The temperature where a liquid will convert to a gas at a vapor pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure.
British thermal unit (BTU) The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
Class A fires Fires involving ordinary combustibles.
Class B fires Fires involving flammable liquids.
Class C fires Fires involving energized electrical equipment or wires.
Class D fires Fires involving combustible metals.
Class K fires Fires involving cooking oils.
Combustion A chemical process between fuel and oxygen with the evolution of light either as a glow or flame and heat. Some of the heat energy is radiated back into the fuel, releasing more fuel to allow the combustion process to continue.
Conduction The transfer of heat energy by the movement of the heat-agitated atoms colliding with each other, transmitting some of the energy or heat.
Convection The movement of heat energy by the agitation of air molecules reduces the density of molecules making heated air lighter than cooled air. In a heated enclosed compartment, the heated air rises and pulls in cooled air below the flaming level.
Decay stage (burnout phase) The stage at which fire has consumed all the available fuel, and the temperature begins to decrease as the fire reduces in intensity.
Endothermic The type of reaction in which energy is absorbed when the