Full-Scale House Fire Experiment for InterFIRE VR, May 6, 1998. Report of Test.
Full-Scale House Fire Experiment for InterFIRE VR, May
6, 1998. Report of Test.
(945 K)
Putorti, A. D., Jr.; McElroy, J. A.
Report of Test FR 4009; FR 4009; 19 p. April 10, 2000.
Keywords:
home fires; experiments; arson; fire investigators;
radiation heat flux; building fires; fire
investigations; temperature; residential buildings; fuel
load; thermocouples; temperature measurements
Abstract:
A public/private partnership involving multiple federal
agencies and private industry was assembled to develop a
comprehensive fire investigation training tool. The
partnership consisted of the following federal agencies:
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the
U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST); and private industry
partners: American Re-Insurance and the National Fire
Protection Association. NIST provided technical
assistance to the partnership during development of an
educational interactive CD-ROM for fire investigators,
titled "InterFIRE VR." The CD-ROM contains video of fire
ignition and development in a single family dwelling, as
well as visual documentation of the pre- and post-fire
scene. Prior to the fire, NIST provided input into the
choice of furnishings, fire scenarios, and ventilation
conditions necessary for the desired fire effects.
Recommendations were developed using the results of
computer-based zone fire models, empirical correlations,
and engineering judgment. During the fire experiment,
NIST conducted measurements of temperature and radiant
heat flux, and recorded video inside the structure. Data
were recorded every 3 s with a computerized acquisition
system. The experiment discussed in this report occurred
on May 6, 1998, at the Massachusetts State Police
Academy, 340 Brookfield Rd., New Braintree,
Massachusetts. The address of the dwelling was 5 Circle
Drive, New Braintree, Massachusetts. The measurements
conducted in the structure during the test included:
ceiling to floor temperatures within various rooms, and
radiant heat flux at floor level. The fuels for the fire
consisted of household furnishings and a liquid
accelerant: two-cycle engine fuel.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899