Build Your OCFA Know-How in 2026 – Nail the Building Construction Challenge!

Ventilation determines how much fresh air reaches the fire and how hot gases and smoke escape. When ventilation is poorly managed, openings can admit air at the wrong times or in uncontrolled amounts, feeding the flames and increasing the heat release rate. That makes the fire grow more rapidly and pushes smoke further and more aggressively through the space. It’s not about eliminating smoke or slowing growth simply by reducing oxygen; fires still burn and produce smoke, and uncontrolled ventilation can dramatically worsen conditions.