Elements of Fire

There are four fundamental elements required for fire in any setting:

• Fuel
     Material to be burned
• Oxidizing Agent
     Generally oxygen in air
• Heat
     Heat energy to initiate the reaction.
• Propagation
     Unless the initial fire spreads beyond the initial fuel, it will self-extinguish

The interaction of these four elements of a fire can be demonstrated schematically in the following manner:

(For an explanation of the diagram, use the mouse to point at the numbers in order.)