Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Critical ignition temperatures were estimated for fifteen species of wood sawdust slabs, being stacked in air at normal pressure, with an adiabatic self ignition testing apparatus following a procedure. Assuming each stack to be in the form of an infinite slab of a thickness of 60.96 cm (2 feet), the temperature is estimated to range from 118 for Zelkova to 142 'C for Sitka spruce. These values are in reasonable agreement with a few real data observed on wood sawdust stacks of similar sizes. Zelkova and Western red cedar are relatively easy to ignite, meanwhile Sitka spruce and Western hemlock are relatively hard to ignite. Douglas fir and Port Orford cedar are medium in ignitability.