Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective ventilation?

Effective ventilation in fire scenarios primarily involves controlling smoke and heat to improve conditions within the structure and enhance firefighter safety. Facilitating heat dissipation is crucial as it lowers the temperature inside the building, which helps prevent flashover and provides a safer environment for both occupants and firefighters. Allowing smoke to escape is another key characteristic of effective ventilation, as it improves visibility and decreases toxic smoke accumulation, making it safer for firefighting operations.

Enabling visibility for firefighters is also vital as effective ventilation helps clear the air of smoke, allowing firefighters to navigate and locate victims or the fire source more efficiently.

Providing a direct source of oxygen to the fire is not characteristic of effective ventilation practices as it can actually worsen the situation. Introducing more oxygen can intensify the fire, potentially leading to explosive growth, which is counterproductive to the goal of controlling the fire and ensuring safety. Therefore, the correct answer highlights a misconception about ventilation that is fundamentally inconsistent with its intended purpose in fire management and safety practices.