Fire Point
Definition
Slightly above flash point, the temperature at which sustained combustion begins after ignition.
- Relation to flash point
- Slightly above it
- Defining event
- Sustained combustion begins
- Trigger condition
- After ignition
Common questions
How does fire point differ from flash point in practical terms?+
Flash point is the lowest temperature at which vapours briefly ignite but do not keep burning, while fire point is the somewhat higher temperature at which combustion, once started, continues to sustain itself rather than extinguishing immediately.
Why does the distinction between flash point and fire point matter in a fire investigation?+
Reaching flash point alone does not explain a fire that kept burning, so investigators consider fire point when assessing whether ambient or surface temperatures at a scene were sufficient to support ongoing combustion rather than just a momentary flash.
Related terms
- Backdraft
- A deflagration event triggered when air is suddenly admitted to a compartment where a fire has been oxygen-depleted but has continued to...
- Fire Tetrahedron
- The model of sustained combustion requiring four concurrent elements: fuel, oxidiser, heat, and an uninhibited radical chain reaction. Replacing the older fire...
- Fire Triangle
- The three components needed for combustion: fuel, heat and oxygen. Remove any one and the fire stops.
- Flash Point
- Lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapour to form an ignitable mixture in air, but the vapour does not...
- Flashover
- The near-simultaneous ignition of all exposed combustible surfaces in a compartment, occurring when the upper gas layer reaches approximately 600°C and radiative...
- Ignition Temperature
- Minimum temperature at which a substance ignites spontaneously without an external flame or spark. For petrol about 280 degrees Celsius; for paper...
- NFPA 921
- US National Fire Protection Association Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The internationally accepted methodology Indian fire investigators and SFSL fire divisions...
- V-Pattern
- A V-shaped area of heat and smoke damage on a vertical surface, produced by the upward cone of the fire plume; the...