Cooperative Personnel Services Firefighter (CPS) Practice Exam

The fire triangle, a fundamental concept in understanding fire behavior, consists of three essential components: heat, fuel, and oxygen. For combustion to occur, these three elements must be present simultaneously.

Heat is the energy required to raise the material to its ignition temperature, allowing it to burn. Fuel, which can be any combustible material such as wood, paper, or gasoline, is what actually burns in a fire. Oxygen, typically found in the air, is necessary as it supports the chemical reactions that occur during combustion.

When these three components come together in the right proportions, a fire can ignite and sustain itself. Without any one of these elements, a fire cannot start or will extinguish if already burning. Understanding the fire triangle is critical for firefighters, as it helps them in both fire prevention and suppression strategies by focusing on removing or controlling any one of the triangle's sides.