Smoke plays a critical role in fire simulation training. It’s more than just a visual effect—smoke helps replicate the challenging environments faced by emergency responders, aiding in realism, visibility control, and participant immersion. But not all smoke behaves the same way.
That’s why FireWare has developed a suite of smoke fluids, each with distinct characteristics to suit a range of training objectives. Whether you’re conducting a simple evacuation drill or simulating a full-scale wildfire scenario, selecting the right smoke fluid—and pairing it with the right generator—can transform your training environment.
🔬 Why Smoke Characteristics Matter in Simulation
In a realistic fire scenario, smoke serves several key purposes:
- Acts as a projection surface for light, giving the illusion of flames.
- Rises and forms a smoke layer near the ceiling, mimicking real fire behaviour.
- Interacts with lighting to appear darker when backlit, enhancing visibility conditions for trainees.
To achieve this realism, you need control—not just over volume, but over the type and behaviour of smoke.
🎥 Watch: Comparing the 4 FireWare Smoke Fluids at Full Output
Before we dive into the specifics of each fluid, take a look at our video comparison of all four smoke fluids in use with the FireWare Stratus, in vertical stand, at 100% Smoke Output:
This side-by-side demonstration gives a clear visual of how each fluid performs in practice.
💨 FireWare Smoke Fluids: Which One is Right for You?
Here’s a breakdown of each smoke fluid type and its best use cases:
🔸 Fire Drill Smoke Fluid
- Light and fast-dissipating
- Ideal for evacuation drills
- Suitable for simulating evaporation of hazardous materials
- Low visibility impact—great for when visibility should return quickly
🔸 Universal Smoke Fluid
- Versatile and balanced
- FireWare’s best-selling fluid
- Works in most indoor scenarios, from basic firefighting drills to moderate search and rescue situations
🔸 Intensive Smoke Fluid
- Thick, dense smoke
- Great for low-visibility search and rescue and heat and smoke layering demonstrations
- More persistent than Universal, but quicker to clear than Extreme
🔸 Extreme Smoke Fluid
- Long-lasting and cohesive
- Best for outdoor environments, such as wildland fire simulation or large-scale defensive operations
- Stays intact even in windy conditions, helping maintain realism outdoors
⚙️ FireWare Smoke Generators: Designed for Every Scenario
Choosing the right smoke generator is just as important as the fluid. FireWare’s range includes four powerful machines—each named after types of clouds (not stars, as often mistaken!)—that align with different training demands:
- Compact and portable
- Ideal for indoor training or quick setups
- Use with FireWare remote
- Designed for large-scale and outdoor simulations
- Great for building up sustained smoke in multiple rooms or compartments
- Twice the power and capacity of the Cumulus
- Compact and portable
- Suitable for smaller simulations
- Ideal for simulating a single fire source in combination with a FireSpot.
- Battery-powered and fully wireless
- Highly portable—ideal for mobile training, vehicles, or rapid deployment
Each machine is engineered for compatibility with all FireWare smoke fluids (apart from the Cirrus which requires a different type of fluid), allowing you to adjust your setup depending on the training intensity and environment.
🔗 Ready to Enhance Your Fire Training?
As exclusive UK distributors of FireWare products, Ruth Lee offers access to the complete range of smoke fluids and generators, backed by expert advice and support.
👉 Browse all FireWare smoke fluids
👉 Explore FireWare smoke machines
📩 Contact us to discuss the best setup for your team’s training needs.