If you see darkened windows but little visible smoke, which stage of fire might you be dealing with?

When observing darkened windows coupled with little visible smoke, it suggests that the fire is likely in the decay stage. This stage typically occurs after the fully developed stage when the fire has reached its peak intensity and is now beginning to lose heat and energy. The reduced production of visible smoke can be attributed to the fact that the fire has consumed most of the available fuels and oxygen, leading to a decrease in combustion activity. The darkened windows indicate a lack of light and possibly low visibility conditions within the structure, often due to smoke remnants, soot, or heat damage that has already occurred, rather than active burning.

In contrast, a fully developed stage would usually present with significant smoke and visible flames, while the growth stage would see increasing smoke production as the fire spreads. The ignition stage typically involves a small flame or smoldering material, which would not correlate with darkened windows. Hence, the characteristics of darkened windows and minimal smoke are indicative of the fire moving towards or at the decay stage.