its-a-throw-away_ t1_jeb5m89 wrote
Reply to comment by Coomb in ELI5: if a flame needs oxygen to burn then why it doesn't our atmosphere explode from a single flame? by [deleted]
The old fire triangle was changed to the fire "tetrahedron" which includes "chemical reaction" after chemical extinguishants were developed that solely disrupt the ability for oxygen and fuel to combine quickly enough to sustain fire. These extinguishants do not displace oxygen or fuel, or absorb heat, but inhibit the reaction itself as a catalyst's functional opposite.
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