What is classified as a fire that can be extinguished without protective clothing or SCBA?

An incipient fire is characterized as a fire that is in its early stage and relatively small. At this point, the fire has not yet expanded significantly, which means it can often be extinguished using common extinguishing methods without the need for protective clothing or a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This stage is crucial because it allows trained individuals to safely intervene and extinguish the fire with appropriate fire suppression aids, such as a fire extinguisher, as the hazards are minimal and the conditions are relatively safe for unprotected personnel.

In contrast, structural fires, wildfires, and flashover fires present substantially greater risks. Structural fires typically involve larger, more intense flames, and might expose responders to toxic smoke and hazardous materials, thus necessitating the use of full protective equipment and SCBAs. Wildfires can quickly become uncontrollable and pose severe danger due to the scale of the fire and the potential for erratic fire behavior, requiring specialized gear and tactics. Flashover fires occur when a room reaches a point of temperature where everything ignites almost simultaneously, creating an extremely dangerous environment that demands full protective gear and safety precautions.