What occurs during ventilation-limited decay?

During ventilation-limited decay, the primary concern is the availability of oxygen, which is crucial for sustaining combustion. In this phase, the fire has consumed the oxygen in the environment to the point that there is not enough available to continue the combustion process effectively. As a result, the flames may diminish, and if the oxygen levels are not replenished, the combustion will slow down or possibly extinguish, demonstrating the critical role oxygen plays in the fire triangle (heat, fuel, and oxygen).

In this context, the other options do not accurately describe what occurs in ventilation-limited decay. Insufficient fuel supply for combustion pertains to a different scenario where the fire can no longer continue due to the lack of fuel rather than oxygen. While complete extinguishment of the fire can happen over time in a ventilation-limited scenario, it is not a defining characteristic of this phase. A rapid increase in temperature is not typical during ventilation-limited decay since the temperature would stabilize or decrease due to the lack of sufficient oxygen for combustion to continue efficiently.