Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Scale-model experiments were performed to measure rates of horizontal and up-slope flame spread for models of stem fires (fires of the tree crowns and the fibrous bark on the tree boles) and grass fires and radiant heat flux to the environments. This work was motivated by previous studies of stationary fires in which two different types of scaling laws were proposed, both of which were applicable for turbulent flame spread. Data obtained include radiant heat fluxes, flame heights and depths, and pyrolysis front locations. Comparisons of the measurements with the scaling laws aid understanding of scaling effects on turbulent flame spread; scaling laws for the flame spread in the wild land are suggested.