A fire cannot be considered fully extinguished until _______ is complete.

The process of overhaul is crucial in fire suppression as it ensures that all hidden and smoldering fires are identified and completely extinguished. Overhaul involves systematically checking the fire area to confirm that there are no remaining hot spots or embers that could reignite the fire. This may include moving furniture, tearing down walls, or overhauling materials that fire may have traveled through.

Completing overhaul effectively prevents reintegration and helps investigators determine the cause of the fire with accuracy. Other tasks such as primary and secondary searches focus on victim rescue and determining whether any other individuals might be trapped, which, while essential for life safety, do not ensure that the fire itself is out. Cause determination comes into play after extinguishment but does not relate to the immediate task of ensuring fire suppression is thoroughly complete.