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Re: Pyrophoric Carbonization
Posted by:
J L Mazerat (IP Logged)
Date: January 23, 2018 08:24PM
As to your original question, there is a lack of information through testing. Does wood ignite at a lower temperature after being exposed to heating over time. The answer to that is yes. This is based on actual situations found starting in the late 1800’s with steam lines running through wood structural members. The following is from a paper titled “Steam Pipes and Other Causes of Fires in Manufacturing Establishments”.
An insurance officer, visiting mills at Exeter, N. H., observed a steam pipe running through a partition, and in contact with the wood-work. The agent, although incredulous of danger, promised to cut out the wood around the pipes. A few days afterwards the wood was removed where-ever in contact. In the course of the examination, timbers in contact with the pipe, at a distance of three hundred feet from the boiler, were found to have been on fire.
If you want to do some further investigation check Vyto’s book for the location where the picture was taken of the hot water pipe igniting the wood structural member. That is where I started. I tracked down the fire department in the person that took the photograph. He was a wealth of information when these types of fires. Wish I still had his name, sorry. Good luck
Jim Mazerat
Forensic Investigations Group