To better understand fire research and to make well-informed decisions on the fireground, it is important to comprehend basic fire dynamics principles. The ‘Understanding the Basics’ video series is designed to present these principles in a simple and easy-to-understand format that can help lay a strong foundation in fire behavior.

When people think of a hazard on the fireground, they typically think of temperature – “how hot was it?” A more important consideration is the energy being released by the fire and how quickly that energy is transferred to you. Temperature is the average amount of heat energy contained in a substance. Heat release rate is the amount of energy emitted from a burning object per unit of time. Using candles and a data system, UL FSRI Research Engineer, Robin Zevotek, will demonstrate the difference between temperature and heat release rate: