A conflagration is an uncontrolled and destructive fire that can threaten human or natural concerns. It can be caused by various sources, including intentional or accidental means. A large fire can cause dangerous air movements and become self-sustaining. Preventative measures, such as sprinkler systems and fire-resistant building components, can minimize damage.
A conflagration is, in the simplest terms, an uncontrolled and destructive fire, especially one that threatens human concerns such as health or property or natural concerns such as forests or wildlife. Such a fire can be caused by any of many possible fire sources and can be of any size. A conflagration is defined primarily by its destructive and uncontrolled nature, not its size or origin. A warehouse fire that destroys inventory and a forest fire could both be considered fires, while a candle flame and a campfire would not. Businesses, homeowners, and others can take a variety of preventative steps to avoid flare-ups and minimize the damage caused should they occur.
A conflagration can start in a variety of ways. Lightning, for example, is a possible natural cause of an uncontrolled fire. Fires can be started accidentally due to shoddy electrical wiring, neglecting items on a hot stove, carelessly discarding a lit cigarette, or in a wide variety of other ways. One could also intentionally initiate a conflagration as a direct attack on another person through their property or through uncontrolled psychological impulses. Uncontrolled urges to intentionally start fires, destructive or not, are referred to as pyromania.
A conflagration, especially a large one, can get quite dangerous, largely due to the movement of air it can cause. A fire tends to send hot air upward, causing the surrounding air to rush into the area of the fire. This influx of air supplies a lot of oxygen to the fire, causing it to grow and spread very quickly if enough fuel is available to allow it to do so. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as a firestorm. The fire becomes largely self-sustaining because, as long as it has sufficient fuel, it will be able to sustain itself with an adequate supply of air.
Architects, building managers, and various other experts often go to great lengths to avoid potential fire damage, particularly when lives or valuable stock are at risk. Elaborate sprinkler systems can be designed to allow people to escape a building before the fire reaches them, or to completely douse an inventory with flame retardant, preventing as much damage as possible. Fire doors and other fire resistant building components are included in many building designs in order to limit a fire to a particular part of a building or, at the very least, to slow its spread.
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