Dan,

Your posting piqued my interest with respect to your test cell burns and the interpretation of burn patterns. You have some interesting data here that may be useful in a qualitative context of burn pattern analysis. Here are some questions that come to my mind. Others may have additional thoughts.

Doug

Did the students know the type and configuration of the pre-fire fuels within the compartment?

What fuels were in the compartment and where were they located prior to the fire?

What ignition sources were present and where were they located prior to the fire?

What ventilation openings were present in the compartment?

What was the technical basis for thier determination of the origin of the fire (right or wrong)?

Did this exercise yield determination of the right area of origin for the fire, but the wrong technical basis?

How many of the students used "burn pattern analysis" as the methodology for determining the origin of the fire?

If they used burn pattern analysis, how did the students determine that the patterns analyzed were directly related to the origin of the fire as opposed to the result of conditions within a post-flashover, under-ventilated compartment fire?

Did any of the students used a methodology other than burn pattern analysis in determining the origin of the fire? If so, what was the methodology used?

For the 50% who got it wrong, what was the distribution amoung the three remaining areas of origin?

Were all those who this was thier first fire and those who have not had any formal training in the group who got it wrong?

Did any of these students get the area of origin right?

Did anyone who this was not thier first fire and/or who have had previous formal traning get it wrong?

Douglas J. Carpenter, MScFPE, CFEI, PE, FSFPE
Vice President & Principal Engineer
Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc.
8940 Old Annapolis Road, Suite L
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 884-3266
(410) 884-3267 (fax)
www.csefire.com