Which of the following is NOT a component of the fire tetrahedron?

The fire tetrahedron is a model that describes the four essential components needed for a fire to ignite and sustain combustion: fuel, oxygen, heat, and a chemical chain reaction. Among these components, water is not a necessary element for fire to burn, and in fact, it is often used as an extinguishing agent to put out fires by cooling the flames and removing heat from the situation.

Fuel refers to any combustible material that can ignite, such as wood, paper, or liquid fuels. Oxygen is the oxidizing agent that supports combustion; it is commonly found in the air and is essential for flames to persist. Heat is the energy that raises the temperature of the fuel to its ignition point, allowing combustion to occur. The chemical reaction component describes the continuous cycle that maintains the fire.

In this context, while water plays a significant role in firefighting, it is not a fundamental component of the fire tetrahedron, hence confirming that it is the correct answer.