As a process, fire can take many form, all of which involve chemical reaction between combustible specties and oxygen from the air and heat to meet our industrial and domestic needs but unchecked, can cause untold material damage and human suffering. Such an approach require a detailed understanding of fire behaviour from an engineering standpoint. The study of fire chemistry is as essential to the fire protection Engineer as study of chemistry is to the Chemical Engineer.

The flamming mode can be conceived of as a tetrahedrol , in which each of the four sides is contiguous with the other sides and each sides represent one of the four basic requirements of combustion: fuel, temperature, oxygen and uninhibited combustion chain reactions.

As Shown on the Right side of the figure, the Surface combustion mode can be symbolized correctly in the form of traditional triangle; in which each of the three sides in contiguous with other two sides and each sides representing one of the three basic requirements - fuel, temperature, oxygen.