By

Ratnakar Aleti,

by Ratnakar Aleti,

 The first step of a firefighting operation is a

reconnaissance to search for the origin of the fire (which may not be obvious for an indoor fire, especially when there are no witnesses), and identify the specific risks and the possible casualties. Any fire occurring outside may not require reconnaissance; on the other hand, a fire in a cellar or an underground car park with only a few centimeters of visibility may require a long reconnaissance to spot the seat of the fire.

 The "reading" of the fire is the analysis by the

firefighters of the forewarnings of a thermal accident (flashover, backdraft, smoke explosion), which is performed during the reconnaissance and the fire suppression maneuvers. The main signs are:

 The reading of the fire is the analysis by the fire

fighters of the forewarnings of a thermal accident smoke explosion which is performed during the reconnaissance and the fire suppres