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Ventilation (firefighting)
 
 
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In firefighting
Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations....
, ventilation refers to the tactic of creating a draft with an opening above or opposite the entry point so that heat and smoke will be released, permitting the firefighters to find and attack the fire. If a large fire is not properly ventilated, not only will it be much harder to fight, but it could also build up enough poorly burned smoke to create a smoke explosion, or enough heat to create a flashover
Flashover

A flashover is the near simultaneous ignition of all combustible material in an enclosed area when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the temperature at which the flammable gases that are being produced from the combustible materials in the space are hot enough to ignite....
.






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In firefighting
Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations....
, ventilation refers to the tactic of creating a draft with an opening above or opposite the entry point so that heat and smoke will be released, permitting the firefighters to find and attack the fire. If a large fire is not properly ventilated, not only will it be much harder to fight, but it could also build up enough poorly burned smoke to create a smoke explosion, or enough heat to create a flashover
Flashover

A flashover is the near simultaneous ignition of all combustible material in an enclosed area when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the temperature at which the flammable gases that are being produced from the combustible materials in the space are hot enough to ignite....
. Contrarily, poorly placed or timed ventilation may increase the fire's air supply, causing it to grow and spread rapidly.

Mechanical fans can be used for such ventilation tactics, as can existing openings such as window
Window

File:OldShipWindows.jpgA window is an opening in a wall that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparency or translucent material....
s, skylight
Skylight

Skylight may refer to:* Skylight * Skylight , by David HareSee also* Diffuse sky radiation* Light pollution...
s or heat/smoke vents on the roof. If there is no suitable existing hole, firefighters may use their equipment to make one, such as specialised saw
Saw

A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive wear edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive....
s for cutting a large hole in the roof. A conical hose-stream aimed out through an opening entrains smoke and thus increases the exhaust rate of smoke from the space, in a process called "hydraulic ventilation".

High-rise buildings sometimes also incorporate fans to produce a positive pressure
Positive pressure

Positive pressure is a pressure within a system that is greater than the environment that surrounds that system. Consequently if there is any leak from the positively pressured system it will ingress into the surrounding environment....
 in stairwells and elevator shafts to reduce smoke iniltration into those spaces.

When glass windows in a burning structure burst from internal pressure and heat, or the fire burns through the roof, it may be said to have "auto-ventilated" or "self-ventilated."

See also

  • Glossary of firefighting terms
    Glossary of firefighting terms

    Firefighting jargon includes a diverse lexicon of both common and idiosyncratic terms. One problem that exists in trying to create a list such as this is that much of the terminology used by a particular department is specifically defined in their particular SOPs, such that two departments may have completely different terms for the same thing....