Name two signs in the exterior smoke plume that help locate the approximate fire area inside.

• A. Smoke color and density, smoke velocity, and the direction of flow through openings indicating the fire location.
• B. Smoke color and density alone.
• C. Smoke velocity alone.
• D. The direction of flow through openings indicating the fire location.

Answer: (A)

Reading the exterior smoke plume relies on interpreting multiple cues that reflect what’s happening inside. The color and density of the smoke tell you about the type of combustion and how much fuel is involved—the plume will be darker and thicker when there’s heavy fire involvement. How fast the plume is moving, or its velocity, indicates the amount of heat being released and the energy pushing the gases upward, which helps gauge interior fire intensity and how close the fire is to openings. The direction of flow through openings shows how the hot gases are traveling from inside to outside, pointing to which room or area is burning and how the smoke is venting. When you combine color and density with the velocity and the flow direction through openings, you get a clearer picture of where the fire is inside. Relying on just one sign isn’t enough, since each cue alone can be misleading without the others.