What characterizes a fuel-limited fire?

A fuel-limited fire is characterized by conditions where the heat release and growth of the fire are fundamentally influenced by the type and amount of fuel available. In a fuel-limited scenario, the fire does not have enough fuel to reach its potential intensity, which means its behavior, including how rapidly it grows or spreads, is directly tied to the characteristics of the available fuel. This includes factors such as the fuel's type, its arrangement, and how quickly it can combust.

While it’s true that oxygen and heat play crucial roles in combustion, in the context of a fuel-limited fire, the focus is specifically on the fuel's limitations rather than the limitations imposed by oxygen. Additionally, fuel-limited fires may still spread, but at a rate influenced heavily by the characteristics of the fuel rather than by the availability of oxygen. Thus, this choice accurately encapsulates the defining aspect of fuel limitation in fire behavior.