Fire Service Ventilation (7th Edition)
Chapter 1-Fire Behavior & Airflow Characteristics
"By The Numbers"

• Flame temperature in the incipient phase can be above 1,000^oF.
• Room temperature early in the incipient phase is about 100^oF.
• Oxygen content during the incipient phase is about 20%.
• During the steady-state phase, temperatures in the upper regions can exceed 1,300^oF.
• Oxygen content during the hot-smoldering phase is about 15% or LESS.
• During the smoldering phase, temperatures are well over 1,000^oF.
• Carbon monoxide combines with hemoglobin in the blood 200 times more readily than oxygen, causing hypoxia.
• Carbon Monoxide has a flammable range of 12.5% to 74% and an autoignition temperature of 1,128^oF.
• Some departments require a Carbon Monoxide reading of 50ppm or lower before personnel can work inside a space without SCBA.
• Night inversions can yield a temperature difference as much as 25^oF in 250 vertical feet.
• Chlorine gas is 2 1/2 times heavier than air.
• Methane has a specific gravity of 0.554.
• Hydrogen has a specific gravity of 0.069.
• Acetylene has a specific gravity of 0.906.