Final answer:
The three components of the fire triangle are fuel, heat, and oxygen, which are essential for combustion to occur. Heat ignites and maintains the fire, fuel is the combustible material, and oxygen supports the fire's chemical processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three components referred to as the fire triangle that can result in a fire or explosion are fuel, heat, and oxygen. These are essential elements for combustion to occur. Heat is necessary to start the fire and to maintain it, allowing it to spread. It does this by drying out nearby fuel and warming the surrounding air.
Fuel is any combustible material, and its characteristics such as moisture content, size, shape, and arrangement in the landscape determine how easily it will burn. Oxygen, which makes up about 21 percent of air, is vital as it supports the chemical processes during a fire. When fuel burns, it reacts with oxygen, releasing heat and producing combustion products. Thus, water is not a component of the fire triangle; rather, it can be a product of combustion, and carbon dioxide is a combustion product, not a reactant. Therefore, the correct components are fuel, heat, and oxygen, making the answer to the question option 1) Fuel, heat, and oxygen.