At what temperature will a liquid produce sufficient vapors to support continuous combustion once ignited?

The fire point is the temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapor to sustain continuous combustion once it has been ignited. At this temperature, the vapor viscosity and concentration are sufficient for a fire to continue without the need for additional heat input.

The significance of the fire point is crucial for understanding flammability and fire dynamics. It indicates the ability of a liquid to not only ignite but to maintain a flame. This is essential for assessing the risk of fire in various situations, particularly in environments where flammable liquids are used or stored.

In contrast, while the boiling point and flash point are important concepts, they define different behaviors of liquids under heat. The boiling point refers to the temperature at which a liquid turns to vapor, and the flash point is the lowest temperature at which sufficient vapor is produced to ignite momentarily, but not necessarily sustain combustion. The ignition point refers to the temperature at which a material begins to combust spontaneously, but does not specifically account for the continual burning aspect that the fire point indicates.