The specific objectives of this research were 1) to examine how differences in ventilation to full-scale structure fires result in changes to the fire damage and fire patterns within the structure; 2) to measure the fire environment within the structures and compare the data with the fire damage in the structures; 3) to document the repeatability or lack thereof of the fire conditions and fire patterns within a structure, based on the available ventilation; and 4) to report on basic fire dynamics in structures, specifically regarding the impact of ventilation on the resulting fire patterns. Based on a review of the results from 21 full-scale fire experiments, the project's summary concludes that the time histories of the data and the videos from this study, along with the narrative reporting, provide foundational documentation for understanding ventilation-controlled fires and the resulting fire patterns. Project findings support the conclusion that separate and distinct fire patterns can be generated during different stages of the fire and by ventilation-controlled burning conditions in a structure. 300 figures, 36 tables, and 39 references
Impact of Fixed Ventilation on Fire Damage Patterns in Full-Scale Structures
NCJ Number
252831
Date Published
April 2019
Length
381 pages
Annotation
The overall goal of this study was to obtain knowledge of fire patterns under various conditions, so as to expand the capabilities of fire investigators to understand fire patterns.
Abstract