What is the term used when smoke and heat travel horizontally in a common attic space of a building?

The term used when smoke and heat travel horizontally in a common attic space is "mushrooming." This phenomenon occurs during a fire when hot gases and smoke rise to the top of the attic space and begin to spread out horizontally, resembling the shape of a mushroom. The accumulation of smoke and heat in this manner can create a highly hazardous situation, as it can lead to the potential for fire spread and decrease visibility, affecting the safety of occupants and responding firefighters.

Understanding this process as mushrooming is crucial for firefighters and incident commanders, as it informs tactics for search and rescue operations and helps in making decisions regarding ventilation and firefighting strategies in such spaces. The awareness of how smoke and heat behave in attics can significantly impact the effectiveness and safety of operations during a fire incident.