Fire Behavior the Basics to Build On
Joseph Devito
Friday, June 12, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Sports teams often study their opponents in greater detail than we study an enemy that can kill us. Fire behavior has changed significantly over time as a result of modern materials, evolving building construction, and how people interact with both. Through the use of videos and images, this session will clearly demonstrate these changes and help participants develop a stronger, more practical understanding of fire behavior. That understanding can improve operational efficiency and support educated, aggressive decision-making on the fireground.
This course will cover key concepts including fire dynamics, heat transfer, the differences between legacy and modern materials, various hostile fire events, reading smoke, recognizing flow paths, and understanding the impacts of wind-driven fires.
Joseph Devito
Joseph DeVito is a Captain at Fort Myers Beach FD in Florida. He has 16 years there with a total of 27 years in public service including volunteer and EMS transport services. He is Level 1 Infrared Certified and holds the Fire Officer designation at Center of Public Safety Excellence. He has presented at FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, and Orlando Fire Conference as well as MAFFC and the Great Florida Fire School. He has also been a guest on multiple podcasts.
