Firefighter I & II — Fire Behavior & Building Construction flashcards
10 of 74 cards free to study here · 5 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Combustion and heat transfer, fire stages, flashover and backdraft signs, smoke reading, flow path and door control, construction Types I–V, lightweight wood, collapse hazards, and portable extinguisher ratings and use.
Learn deck · part of Firefighter I & II · written against: Firefighter I and II job performance requirements of NFPA 1010 (2024 edition), which absorbed NFPA 1001. Updated 2026-10-10.
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What four elements make up the fire tetrahedron, and what does the fourth one add to the older fire triangle?1. FuelCombustion & Heat Transfer
2. Heat
3. Oxygen
4. A self-sustaining chemical chain reaction
The chain reaction is the addition: flaming combustion keeps going because the reaction keeps producing the free radicals and heat that feed it.
Why: it explains how agents like dry chemical put out fire without much cooling or smothering. -
How does combustion relate to oxidation, and how does it differ from rust forming on steel?Combustion is a rapid, self-sustaining oxidation reaction that gives off heat and usually light. Rusting is also oxidation, but it is so slow that the heat dissipates before anything gets hot.Combustion & Heat Transfer
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What are the four stages of compartment fire development in the traditional model?1. IncipientFire Development & Flow Path
2. Growth
3. Fully developed
4. Decay
Watch out: many modern house fires are already ventilation-limited before the fire department arrives, so the real curve rarely looks this tidy. -
A small fire in a wastebasket has a plume rising to the ceiling, but the room is still mostly cool and clear. Which stage is this?The incipient stage — the fire is small, limited to the first fuel item, and has plenty of oxygen. This is the stage where a portable extinguisher can still succeed.Fire Development & Flow Path
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Match each construction type number to its name: Type I, II, III, IV, V.1. Type I — fire-resistiveBuilding Construction
2. Type II — noncombustible
3. Type III — ordinary
4. Type IV — heavy timber
5. Type V — wood frame
Mnemonic: the number goes up as the structure gets more combustible. -
A high-rise has a protected steel and reinforced concrete frame with high fire-resistance ratings. Which construction type is it, and where does most of the fire load come from?Type I (fire-resistive). The structure itself adds little fuel, so the contents and furnishings provide most of the fire load.Building Construction
Watch out: these buildings hold heat, and HVAC systems and poke-through openings can carry smoke far from the fire floor. -
What minimum collapse zone is commonly recommended around a building in danger of collapse?At least 1½ times the height of the wall or building, kept clear of personnel and apparatus. Treat that distance as a minimum and allow more for debris scatter.Collapse Hazards
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Name five visible or audible indicators of possible structural collapse.1. Sagging roofs or floorsCollapse Hazards
2. Bulging or cracking walls
3. Smoke or water pushing through cracks in masonry
4. Creaking or rumbling sounds
5. Distorted or sagging steel members
Watch out: collapse often comes with little or no warning, so the elapsed burn time matters too. -
What does the extinguisher rating 2-A:10-B:C tell you?1. The A number shows water-equivalent capacity on ordinary combustibles (each unit equals 1.25 gallons of water, so 2-A matches 2.5 gallons).Portable Fire Extinguishers
2. The B number is roughly the square feet of flammable-liquid fire a non-expert could put out.
3. The C means the agent does not conduct electricity. -
Which geometric symbols in the traditional letter-symbol system mark Class A, B, C and D extinguishers?1. Class A — green trianglePortable Fire Extinguishers
2. Class B — red square
3. Class C — blue circle
4. Class D — yellow star
Watch out: newer labels use pictographs, with a red slash through any fire the unit should not be used on.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Scope aligned with the Firefighter I and II job performance requirements in NFPA 1010 (2024 ed.), named, not quoted.
- Fire dynamics findings checked against UL FSRI and NIST public fire research (changing residential fire dynamics, impact of ventilation and fire attack studies, Close Before You Doze, structural stability of engineered lumber floors); reference only, no text copied.
- Collapse-zone guidance checked against NIOSH firefighter fatality investigation recommendations and the NIOSH Workplace Solutions bulletin on collapse zones (US government work).
- Extinguisher classification and rating meanings checked against NFPA 10 classifications (named, not quoted) and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157 (US government work); Type IV subdivisions checked against the 2021 International Building Code (named, not quoted).
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