Fires in the home
Home fires are the most common fire a firefighter will attend. Know the stages of fire (incipient, growth, fully developed, decay) and the fire tetrahedron (adds chemical chain reaction to the triangle). Understand the main causes: unattended cooking, heating, electrical faults, smoking materials and candles. Candidates must know smoke alarms - required on each level and near sleeping areas, tested monthly, batteries replaced yearly - and that working alarms save lives.
Know escape planning: two ways out of each room, a meeting place, and 'get out, stay out, call Triple Zero (000)'. Understand stop, drop and roll for clothing fires and that you should stay low under smoke. Learn fire extinguisher classes (A: ordinary combustibles; B: flammable liquids; C: gases; E: electrical; F: cooking oils/fats) and that water must never be used on electrical or cooking oil fires. Wet chemical extinguishers are for fat fires; a fire blanket smothers a pan fire.
Traps: questions often reward 'fight the fire first' - the correct priority is life safety, then alerting others and calling 000. Another trap: never assume a fire is out because flames are gone; smouldering can reignite.
Rule of thumb: Only tackle a small, contained fire with your back to an exit and a clear escape route.
Worked example: A chip pan ignites. The correct action is to turn off the heat if safe and smother with a fire blanket or lid - never water, which causes violent steam explosion and spreading burning oil.