High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In firefighting, ventilation refers to the tactic of creating a draft with an opening above or opposite the entry point so that heat and smoke will be released, permitting the firefighters to find and attack the fire. If a large fire is not properly ventilated, not only will it be much harder to fight, but it could also build up enough poorly burned smoke to create a smoke explosion, or enough heat to create a flashover. Contrarily, poorly placed or timed ventilation may increase the fire's air supply, causing it to grow and spread rapidly.