Not just what and how, but why!
This post continues study of an incident that resulted in two line-of-duty deaths as a result of extreme fire behavior in a townhouse style apartment building in Washington, DC. A Quick Review The previous post in this series, Fire Behavior Case Study of a Townhouse Fire: Washington, DC examined building construction and configuration that had … Read more
I had intended to continue discussion of flame indicators in this post, but was motivated to address a common fire service myth based on information presented in an article in the New Canaan (Connecticut) Advertiser’s on-line newspaper titled Real ‘Backdraft’. Figure 1. Backdraft Demonstration Note: Photos of backdraft demonstration at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency … Read more
This series of posts focused on Understanding Flashover has provided a definition of flashover; examined flashover in the context of fire development in both fuel and ventilation controlled fires; and looked at the importance of air track on rapid fire progression through multiple compartments. To review prior posts see: Myths and Misconceptions Myths and Misconceptions: … Read more
This is the fourth in a series of posts dealing with flashover, to review prior posts see: Understanding Flashover: Myths and Misconceptions Understanding Flashover: Myths and Misconceptions: Part 2 The Ventilation Paradox As previously discussed flashover requires sufficient heat release rate for the temperature of fuel packages within a compartment to increase sufficiently to ignite … Read more
I originally intended to write this post about the influence of air track on flashover in multiple compartments. However, after several conversations in the last week about the bathtub analogy and ventilation induced flashover, I had a change in plans. The Bathtub Analogy In Understanding Flashover: Myths and Misconceptions, I presented the bathtub analogy (Kennedy … Read more
A Quick Review The first post in this series, Understanding Flashover: Myths & Misconceptions provided a definition of flashover and examined this extreme fire behavior phenomenon in the context of fire development in a compartment. Flashover is the sudden transition to fully developed fire. This phenomenon involves a rapid transition to a state of total … Read more
Flashover is likely the most common type of extreme fire behavior encountered in structural firefighting. As my friends and colleagues from Sweden frequently observe, this is not really extreme fire behavior, its normal fire behavior. I think it is both. The term extreme “is framed within the context of our perception with ‘extreme’ defining our … Read more
Unanticipated smoke explosion and building collapse nearly kills three firefighters. Portsmouth, VA Near-Miss Incident Firefighter Eric Kirk gives a firsthand account of a near-miss incident involving a smoke explosion in the June 2009 issue of FireRescue magazine. On a December morning in 2007, firefighters in Portsmouth, Virginia responded to a fire in a church. On … Read more
Fire Behavior Indicators – A Quick Review The B-SAHF (Building, Smoke, Air Track, Heat, & Flame) organizing scheme for fire behavior indicators provides a sound method for assessment of current and potential fire behavior in compartment fires. The following provides a quick review of each of these indicator types. Figure 1. B-SAHF Building: Many aspects … Read more
Art and Science of Firefighting NIST has performed a wide range of research that can have a positive impact on the safety and effectiveness of firefighting operations. However, all too often, this information has not made it to front line firefighters. Dan Madrzykowski and Steve Kerber have made a concerted effort to address this issue … Read more