Which of the following lists the four stages of a building fire's growth and development?

• A. Incipient, growth, fully developed, and decay.
• B. Incipient, ignition, flashover, extinction.
• C. Start, spread, peak, and suppression.
• D. Initial, active, controlled, resolved.

Answer: (C)

Fire growth is described in four phases that show how a fire develops and how responders respond. Start is when ignition begins and there’s little growth. Spread follows as the fire enlarges and consumes more fuel. Peak is the point of maximum intensity, when the fire is most dangerous and difficult to control. Suppression is the phase where firefighters work to contain and extinguish the fire, bringing it under control and ending the incident. This sequence mirrors the real-world progression from ignition to growth to the fire’s worst stage, and then to active control, which is why it’s the best match among the options.