firefighter quincy pearson heads into the smoke-filled restaurant to fight what appears to be a kitchenire. >> initially when we got inside, the smoke was very light at the moment. but i could see through it. i could see a glow coming from the area of the kitchen and also the area of the bar. >> but conditions take a turn for the worse as firefighters move farther into the restaurant. the smoke changes color and becomes dark and heavy as it falls toward the floor. the temperature around the firefighters rapidly increases. pearson's expertise kick into high gear. he realizes the firefighters are in imminent danger. >> the smoke has started to catch on fire. that's when everything is starting to go bad real quick. it's starting to get really hot in the room. i'm watching these signs before me unfold and i'm starting to recognize that we're about to be caught in a flashover. >> flashovers are triggered when extreme heat causes all exposed flammable material to ignite at the same time. pearson says flashovers are a firefighter's worst nightmare and almost also a calling card for certain dea