The Fire Tetrahedron is based on the theory of the Fire Triangle. The three sides of the fire triangle are fuel, heat and oxygen. Each side or element of the equation must be proportional to each other in order to create and maintain combustion. Fuels can consist of various objects such as liquid fuels (i.e. JP8, DFM, Petroleum), solid fuels (i.e. wood, metal) or gases (i.e. acetylene, hydrogen and other natural gases). The heat side of the triangle is labeled heat and not fire because only heat is needed to initiate combustion. Friction is an example of flameless heat (i.e. rubbing two sticks together). The third element of the equation is oxygen (O2) which the fire needs in order to breathe. The tetrahedron theory is established on the principal that all elements of the triangle must be able to freely interact on a chemical level in order to maintain the combustion process. This is known as the uninhibited chemical chainreaction. Chemical inhibitors (i.e. [Bromotrifluoromethane], [Bromochlorodifluoromethane])are used in order to fight fires without the use of water or other cooling agents.
The "reading" of the fire is the analysis by the firefighters of the forewarnings of a thermal accident (flashover, backdraft, smoke explosion), which is performed during the reconnaissance and the fire suppression maneuvers.
For fires in the open, the seat of the fire is sprayed with a straight spray: the cooling effect immediately follows the "asphyxia" by vapor, and reduces the amount of water required.
Fire fighters respond to a large fraction of calls in which the fire is already controlled when they arrive at the scene; or where there was no fire at all, but only a sign of one.
Fires are likely to start in many places in the home including the kitchen, living room, bedroom and storage areas such as, the attic, basement, workroom or storeroom.
Causes of fire include overheated or overloaded electrical wire, cigarette ashes, smoldering ashes in the couch, sparks from the fireplace, unattended outdoor fires and barbecues, appliances in poor repair and unattended cooking in the kitchen.
Fire and heat cause the wood that is composed primarily of hydrogen and carbon molecules, to decompose thereby releasing energy in the form of more heat and flame.
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