What does flashover mean?

• A. In 30 sec a fire can develop in catastrophic situation.
• B. A sudden transfer of heat from a local fire to a more wide spread area.
• C. Some materials release flammable gases when they burn.
• D. The environment in the cabin is non-survivable

Answer: (B)

Flashover is the rapid change in a fire where heat buildup in an enclosed space causes all exposed fuels to reach ignition almost at the same time, so the entire compartment becomes engulfed in flames and superheated gases. This sudden heat transfer drives ignition across the room, turning a localized fire into a room-wide event. In practice you’d see flames and hot gases spreading quickly from the source to the rest of the space, not a fixed time frame or a simple release of gases. It’s about how heat builds up and causes widespread ignition, not about survivability or a specific moment.