What key component does not belong to the fire triangle?

The fire triangle consists of three essential components necessary for a fire to ignite and sustain: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Each of these elements plays a critical role in the combustion process.

Heat is required to raise the material to its ignition temperature. Oxygen, present in the air, is needed to support the combustion process, while fuel serves as the combustible material that burns. These three components work together; removing any one of them will stop the fire.

Water, while important in firefighting and extinguishing fires, is not a part of the fire triangle. It can effectively cool the heat and smother flames by displacing the oxygen, but it does not contribute to the fire's ignition or sustainment during combustion. Thus, water does not belong to the essential components of the fire triangle.