The practice is called ventilation or “venting” amongst the firefighters. The purpose of ventilation is to systematically remove hot air, unburned flammable gases, and toxic byproducts caused by fire from the building. The intent is to then replace the hot air and gases with cooler, fresh air, thereby improving a victim's chance of survival and enhancing the firefighter's ability to work safely.

Photo Credit: IFSTA/Oklahoma State University