ABSTRACT
Fire has fascinated humanity since the beginning of time. Our ancestors worshipped it; we still respect it. Its value as a weapon of war and as a tool of devastation has long been recognized.
Fire is a series of chemical reactions. It is often defined as the visible, active phase of combustion. Combustion is a chemical process accompanied by the evolution of heat and light. More accurately, it is the rapid oxidation of fuel so as to produce flame (burning gases), heat, and light. The most common form of combustion, and that to which we address our attention, is oxidation. This occurs when an atom, the fundamental particle of matter, combines (i.e., forms a chemical bond) with a molecule of oxygen. Though there are other types of combustion supported by other gases, such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas), the overwhelming majority of fires are oxygen related.
