What stage follows the fully developed stage of fire development?

The stage that follows the fully developed stage of fire development is the decay stage. During the decay stage, the fire begins to lose energy and intensity as it consumes the available fuel. This reduction in fuel supply can occur due to several factors, such as the depletion of combustible materials or changes in airflow that impact combustion efficiency.

In this stage, the temperature decreases, and the flames become smaller as the fire transitions towards extinction. Understanding this stage is crucial for firefighting efforts, as recognizing when a fire has entered the decay phase can influence strategies for extinguishment and salvage operations.

The other stages do not accurately follow the fully developed stage—the growth stage describes the increase in fire size and intensity, the incipient stage refers to the initial formation of the fire, and the extinguishment stage indicates that the fire has been successfully controlled and is being put out.