Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

This report continues the study of fires in cubical enclosures with one side open (1)(2); the results of experiments with cribs of 1 in wood with one packing density have already been reported (2). In this report, results are given for cribs of 1/2 in, 1 in, 2 in and 3 in square section wood burnt in 2 and 3 ft cubical boxes, with one side open, in order to compare their rates of burning for the same packing density. Some experiments have also been made with 1 in and 1/2 in wood at various packing densities. Cribs made with different thicknesses of stick lose weight at different rates, but maximum rates of loss of weight per unit area in the first 4 minutes for 2 in thick sticks are about the same as those for 1 in wood. It is shown that when 1/2 in and 1 in sticks are spaced sufficiently far apart they burn at the same rate per unit area. The reasons why cribs of 3 in wood sticks burn more slowly are discussed. The heights of the flames and the radiation from the enclosure and the flames are also reported and discussed.