Cooperative Personnel Services Firefighter (CPS) Practice Exam 2025 - Free Firefighter Exam Questions and Study Guide

The correct answer identifies the essential components of the fire tetrahedron, which are critical in understanding how fires ignite and sustain themselves.

The fire tetrahedron includes heat, fuel, a chemical reaction, and oxygen. Heat is necessary to raise the material to its ignition temperature, allowing it to combust. Fuel refers to any combustible material that can sustain a fire, which can be solid, liquid, or gas. The presence of oxygen is vital, as it supports the combustion process. Lastly, the chemical reaction represents the exothermic reaction that occurs when fuel undergoes combustion in the presence of heat and oxygen, producing fire.

Understanding these four components is fundamental in fire safety and firefighting strategies, as disrupting any one of them can help extinguish a fire. For instance, cooling the fire with water removes heat, smothering it can cut off its oxygen supply, and removing combustible materials eliminates the fuel source. By grasping the fire tetrahedron, firefighters can better strategize their response to different fire scenarios.