IAAI-FIT Test Vocabulary – Latest 2025/2026
Exam Prep & Study Guide
Approved - correct answeracceptable
Absolute Temperature - correct answera temperature measured in Kelvins (K) or
Rankines (R)
Accelerant - correct answera fuel or oxidizer intention used to initiate a fire or increase
its spread
Accidental Fire - correct answeran unplanned fire or a chance occurrence arising from
unintentional circumstances
Active Fire Protection System - correct answera mechanical or electric system that
activates under fire circumstances (ex. detectors and sprinklers)
Ambient - correct answersomething/someones surrounding environment
Ampacity - correct answerthe maximum current in amperes that a conductor can
continuously carry without going over it's max temperature rating
Ampere - correct answera unit of electric current equivalent to 1 coulomb (6.24x1018
electrons) per second
Arc - correct answera high-temperature, glowing electric particle (spark) discharged
across a circuit gap or through a fuel
Arc Mapping - correct answerevaluating circuit configurations for information about what
might have caused the fire
Arc Site - correct answerthe location on a conductor that receives damage from arcing
Arcing through char - correct answerwhen arcing is conducted through char
Area of Origin - correct answerthe geographic location of a fire scene in which the point
of origin is located
Arrow Pattern - correct answera fire pattern on the cross section of burned wooden
structural components, looks like a triangle with the bottom being most burned out and
the top being least burned out
Arson - correct answerthe crime of maliciously or intentionally starting a fire or explosion
, Autoignition - correct answerheated combustion without a spark or flame
Autoignition Temperature - correct answerlowest temperature that a material can start
ignition spontaneously
Backdraft/Smoke Explosion - correct answera deflagration explosion caused by adding
oxidation to an oxygen deficient fire
Bead - correct answera blob of re-solidified metal that was melted by arcing at the end
of circuit conductor remains
Blast Pressure Front - correct answerthe high pressure leading edge of explosion that
causes damage by pushing out and displacing the normal ambient pressure
BLEVE - correct answerBoiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion
Bonding - correct answerthe permanent joining of metal parts that creates a conductive
and continuous (safe) path for electrical currents
British Thermal Unit (BTU) - correct answera unit of energy, 1055 joules of energy
Calcination of Gypsum - correct answerthe release of chemically bound water from
gypsum by fire that results in a pattern (looks like different levels of normal wall burn
damage, see fire patterns section)
Calorie - correct answera unit of energy, 4.184 joules of energy
Cause - correct answerthe circumstances, conditions and agents that brought about a
fire or explosion and its affects
Ceiling jet/Ceiling layer/Upper layer - correct answer: the thin layer of hot gases that
forms in the top of a room as a result of convective heat pushing up
Char - correct answercarbon material that has been burned to the point of blackening
Char blisters - correct answerthe alligator skin looking pattern/cracks on burned carbon
materials
Clean burn - correct answerareas in which fire temperature either burned away soot or
prevented soot deposits from forming
Combustible - correct answercapable of undergoing combustion
Combustible Gas Indicator - correct answerequipment that indicates the presence of
ignitable vapors (sniffer
Exam Prep & Study Guide
Approved - correct answeracceptable
Absolute Temperature - correct answera temperature measured in Kelvins (K) or
Rankines (R)
Accelerant - correct answera fuel or oxidizer intention used to initiate a fire or increase
its spread
Accidental Fire - correct answeran unplanned fire or a chance occurrence arising from
unintentional circumstances
Active Fire Protection System - correct answera mechanical or electric system that
activates under fire circumstances (ex. detectors and sprinklers)
Ambient - correct answersomething/someones surrounding environment
Ampacity - correct answerthe maximum current in amperes that a conductor can
continuously carry without going over it's max temperature rating
Ampere - correct answera unit of electric current equivalent to 1 coulomb (6.24x1018
electrons) per second
Arc - correct answera high-temperature, glowing electric particle (spark) discharged
across a circuit gap or through a fuel
Arc Mapping - correct answerevaluating circuit configurations for information about what
might have caused the fire
Arc Site - correct answerthe location on a conductor that receives damage from arcing
Arcing through char - correct answerwhen arcing is conducted through char
Area of Origin - correct answerthe geographic location of a fire scene in which the point
of origin is located
Arrow Pattern - correct answera fire pattern on the cross section of burned wooden
structural components, looks like a triangle with the bottom being most burned out and
the top being least burned out
Arson - correct answerthe crime of maliciously or intentionally starting a fire or explosion
, Autoignition - correct answerheated combustion without a spark or flame
Autoignition Temperature - correct answerlowest temperature that a material can start
ignition spontaneously
Backdraft/Smoke Explosion - correct answera deflagration explosion caused by adding
oxidation to an oxygen deficient fire
Bead - correct answera blob of re-solidified metal that was melted by arcing at the end
of circuit conductor remains
Blast Pressure Front - correct answerthe high pressure leading edge of explosion that
causes damage by pushing out and displacing the normal ambient pressure
BLEVE - correct answerBoiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion
Bonding - correct answerthe permanent joining of metal parts that creates a conductive
and continuous (safe) path for electrical currents
British Thermal Unit (BTU) - correct answera unit of energy, 1055 joules of energy
Calcination of Gypsum - correct answerthe release of chemically bound water from
gypsum by fire that results in a pattern (looks like different levels of normal wall burn
damage, see fire patterns section)
Calorie - correct answera unit of energy, 4.184 joules of energy
Cause - correct answerthe circumstances, conditions and agents that brought about a
fire or explosion and its affects
Ceiling jet/Ceiling layer/Upper layer - correct answer: the thin layer of hot gases that
forms in the top of a room as a result of convective heat pushing up
Char - correct answercarbon material that has been burned to the point of blackening
Char blisters - correct answerthe alligator skin looking pattern/cracks on burned carbon
materials
Clean burn - correct answerareas in which fire temperature either burned away soot or
prevented soot deposits from forming
Combustible - correct answercapable of undergoing combustion
Combustible Gas Indicator - correct answerequipment that indicates the presence of
ignitable vapors (sniffer
