According to Brannigan, what is fire load primarily considered?

Fire load is primarily considered as potential fuel within the context of fire safety and inspection practices. This term refers to the total amount of combustible materials present in a building and their associated heat energy potential. Understanding fire load is crucial for fire prevention and management, as it helps assess the risk and intensity of a fire should one occur.

While the concepts of building and contents, heat energy, and flammable materials are all relevant to fire safety, they represent either factors that contribute to fire load or aspects that help quantify it. However, the definition of fire load specifically emphasizes the concept of potential fuel available for combustion, which ultimately determines how much energy a fire can release and how rapidly it can spread. This insight is essential for firefighters and fire inspectors when evaluating a structure’s safety and developing effective firefighting strategies.