Lighting a torch produces toxic ____ and flammable ____, which pair completes the sentence?

• A. Fumes and Vapors
• B. Gases and Fumes
• C. Fumes and Gases
• D. Vapors and Gases

Answer: (C)

The statement hinges on two distinct airborne hazard forms you must recognize in a burning or post-fire environment: fumes and gases. Fumes are fine solid particles formed during combustion that can be highly toxic when inhaled, while gases are the actual gaseous substances that can be very flammable. When a torch is used, you can encounter toxic fumes from the materials being burned and flammable gases in the air from the fuel or surrounding sources. The pairing “toxic fumes and flammable gases” captures these common, real-world hazards and uses the standard terminology you’ll hear in US&R training. The other options mix in vapors or swap the hazard types, which is less consistent with how these dangers are typically described in the field.