Rollover (also known as flameover) is a stage of a

structure fire A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various types of residential, commercial or industrial buildings, such as barn fires. Residential buildings range from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments ...

when fire gases in a room or other enclosed area ignite. Since heated fire gases, the product of

pyrolysis The pyrolysis (or devolatilization) process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere. It involves a change of chemical composition. The word is coined from the Greek-derived elements ''py ...

, rise to the ceiling, this is where a rollover phenomenon is most often witnessed. Visually, this may be seen as flames "rolling" across the ceiling, radiating outward from the seat of the fire to the extent of gas spread. Rollover is not the same as

flashover A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. When certain organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases. Flashover occurs w ...

, although it may precede it, and the terms may be confused. In the case of rollover, only gases present in the room, not the room contents, ignite.

External links

Term of the week: Flameover
* Pictures **http://www.ci.frisco.tx.us/departments/fire/PublishingImages/Training%20Center%20-%20Living%20Room%20Flashover.jpg **https://web.archive.org/web/20111008023759/http://www.firecontrolservices.co.uk/large_imgs/structural3.htm **http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/images/home_specific/feature_photos/2009/379x250_031909a2.jpg

References

External links

* {{fire fighting Firefighting Types of fire Thermodynamics Combustion