Which term describes the combustion process where the fire's size is limited by available fuel?

The term that describes the combustion process where the fire's size is limited by the available fuel is fuel-controlled burning. In this scenario, the amount of fuel present directly restricts how large the fire can grow. When fuel is scarce, the fire will not have sufficient material to sustain a high level of heat or spread aggressively.

This concept is important in fire dynamics, as understanding whether a fire is fuel-controlled helps in assessing fire behavior and its potential growth or spread. Unlike other types of burning, such as ventilation-controlled burning, where the fire size is primarily limited by the amount of oxygen available for combustion, fuel-controlled burning allows for the examination of how fuel types and quantities will impact fire development.

In the context of firefighting and arson investigations, recognizing a fuel-controlled fire can be critical in determining the cause of the fire and predicting how it might behave under different conditions or interventions.