[pdabbadabba]

You might want to include the end of that sentence: "...in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products."

This confirms the, imo, common-sense position that no, oxidation is not just a slow fire. A fire is a specific type of oxidation process that involves the production of significant light and heat. In other words, it is only true that oxidation is a slow fire if one adopts a definition of fire that is significantly different from its ordinary usage.

[jaywalk]

A fire releases the "heat, light and various reaction products" that it does because of the speed of oxidation. It's obvious even from the snippet I posted that slow oxidation is not actually a fire.

[pdabbadabba]

Yes, but aluminum oxidizes rapidly yet this oxidation process does not produce significant heat and light. So in this context, the independent heat/light requirement makes a difference!

[orlp]

Mill aluminium under inert gas into a powder and then release the pure unoxidized powder into the air.

My money is on some fireworks occurring.

[ivalm]

Oxidation of aluminum does produce heat and light (the reaction is exothermic). It’s just a very small and fast fire.

[kevin_thibedeau]

It does as a powder.