fire behavior
How flames spread
Fire behavior is how a fire spreads, intensifies, and responds to its environment—fuel, weather, and terrain.
Firefighters study fire behavior to predict a blaze's movement and plan suppression tactics.
The steep slope and dry brush created extreme fire behavior.
A fire may crown (jump to treetops), spot (throw embers ahead), or create its own weather patterns.
- backdraftExplosive fire reignition
- ignitionStarting combustion process
- flashoverSudden total combustion event
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
- controlled burnsDeliberate fires for management
wind speed · burn · humidity · convection · fuel load · heat transfer · drought conditions · smoke · crowning · blaze · crackle · firebreaks · glow · flicker · heat · burn patterns · spotting · wind
- firefightingfirefighter, firefighters, firehouse, flashing lights, emergency lights
- hazard researchnatural hazards, seismology, volcanology, meteorology, climatology
- fire scienceignition, combustion, flames, burning, pyrolysis
- fire safetysmoke detectors, evacuation plan, smoke alarms, sprinklers, assembly point
- combustionburning, flames, ignition source, oxygen, fuel supply
- arsonarson, arsonist, arson investigator, arson investigation, attempted arson
activity state
fire behaviorfire suppression
Controlling or eliminating flames
extinguishment · dormancy · fire control · burnout · quiescence