Incomplete Combustion 1 : A process in which there is insufficient oxygen available for complete combustion; the result is a smoldering fire that produces smoke and carbon monoxide, and may be in danger of a backdraft
Ralph W. Burklin & Robert G. Purington, Fire Terms: A Guide to Their Meaning and Use, National Protection Association, Boston, MA 1980 USA. (Guide: Meaning and Use, Nat Prot Association Fr Srvc - Amer) {457}