A place to ask questions and add to probative and informative discussions associated with the various aspects of the field of fire investigation. -- FORUM RULES---BE CIVIL AND NO NAME CALLING, NO BELITTLING, NO BERATING, NO DENIGRATING others. Postings in violation of these rules can be removed or editted to remove the offending remarks at the discretion of the moderators and/or site administrator.
Re: Fire Origin Pattern Persistence
Posted by:
Dennis Merkley (IP Logged)
Date: November 06, 2016 11:09AM
STEVE, would the following be correct?
For a fire that has never reached flashover or full involvement, the fuel loading and arrangements might be critical to understand and determine the origin of the fire.
But!
For fires that have become fully involved, especially if the involvement lasts more than a few seconds, the fuel loading and arrangements becomes less and less important.
Why?
Because once full room involvement and flashover occurs, the origin of the pyrolyzed fuel gases is of little importance. By that time, the turbulence associated with these conditions will swirl the pyrolyzed fuel gases throughout the space regardless of where they were released during the initial phase of pyrolysis. The location where the fuel then burns and releases its energy has little to do with fuel’s original pyrolyzed location but everything to do with where the fuel encounters sufficient oxygen—ventilation. Where the fuel comes in contact with the oxygen is where the energy is released and where burn damage is generated. This is why understanding the ventilation factors of the enclosure is so important.