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Teaching Reduction of Fire Ignitions and Fire Size No Matter the Location

by  Dr. Richard Gann     Nov 29, 2023
firefighters_fighting_fires

In the classic baseball movie "Bull Durham," the manager of the hapless Durham Bulls tells his players that baseball is a simple game: "You throw the ball, you hit the ball, and you catch the ball." Of course, doing these three things well is not really so simple, but by the end of the movie the team is at the top of the Carolina League.

There is also a trio of ways to reduce the losses from unwanted fires: reduce ignitions, slow flame spread, and limit the size of the fire. These, too, are more difficult than is implied by these few words, so let’s take a look at what’s involved in doing them well, and how you can teach students the critical concepts behind how fire ignitions can be reduced at work, home, school, or other locales.

First, Let’s Talk About Fire Science

The fundamental scientific principle of fire is as follows: Fire is a chemical process that behaves according to the laws of physics.

In the following descriptions of ignition, flame spread, and fire size, you’ll see that there are some common principles that lead from a fuel and an oxidizer to a fire. I’ve highlighted these basic principles in italics.

Reduce Ignitions

In our home, work, commercial, and entertainment buildings there are many potential ignition sources, such as lit cigarettes and candles, space heaters, and overheated electrical wiring. While these are quite different from each other in size and shape, they all have one feature in common: they generate heat. Heat flows from a hot substance to a cooler substance.

When enough of this heat reaches a fuel (such as natural gas, gasoline, or an upholstered chair), it raises the temperature of the fuel, which can then be ignited; that is, the fuel can start to burn. If the burning continues after the cigarette goes out or the space heater is turned off, the result is a fire.

Ignition to smoldering results from the reaction of oxygen with the surface within a solid fuel, such as the foam padding in chairs or charcoal briquettes. Initially, this is a slow reaction that generates little heat, but the heat release rate (HRR) increases as the fuel temperature rises. Thus, for the reaction to accelerate, it must take place over a large fuel surface area and the heat generated by the reaction must stay near the ignition site to increase the fuel temperature. These conditions are only met when the fuel:

(a) is highly porous (large surface area inside the numerous pores) and

(b) is a good heat insulator (so the heat stays near the reacting surface). There are typically no flames.

Ignition to flaming is a different process. With few exceptions, flaming ignition involves the chemical reaction of a gaseous fuel with a gaseous oxidant. In unwanted fires, the oxidant is most often the oxygen in air. Here is how a gaseous fuel results from each of the three fuels mentioned earlier.

  1. Natural gas (which is mostly methane) is already a gas.
  2. A liquid evaporates to become a gas when the applied heat overcomes the weak attractive force holding the liquid molecules together. The gas molecules are chemically the same as the liquid molecules. Thus, the evaporation of liquid water, H2O, forms steam, which is composed of gaseous water molecules, also H2O. Gasoline is a mixture of liquids, and the vaporized gas molecules are chemically the same as the molecules in the liquid.
  3. Converting a solid fuel to a gas requires breaking chemical bonds within the solid. These bonds are far stronger than the forces holding molecules together in a liquid. Thus, breaking these bonds requires considerably more heat than the evaporation of a liquid. The gases thus formed are typically chemically different from the molecules that make up the solid.

Once the gaseous fuel molecules have been formed and the mixing with air is underway, the molecules need to be “activated.” Chemical bonds in the fuel need to be broken to form free radicals, which are energetic fragments of molecules that can react readily with oxygen. The heat to break the bonds can be from a nearby flame (e.g., a gas burner on a stove), an electric spark, or a very hot surface (e.g., in a space heater).

Smoldering of a solid can transition to flaming if the reaction of oxygen with the fuel surface raises the surface temperature becomes high enough to break chemical bonds in the solid.

In each of these cases, the reaction of the free radicals with oxygen begins a sequence of reactions (called a chain reaction) that results in what we see as a flame.

Reading even this abbreviated text indicates a variety of approaches to reducing the number of ignitions. These approaches are typically designed into the ignition sources, the potential fuels, and/or their locations relative to each other.

Here are some options:

  • Reduce the heat output from the ignition source (e.g., cigarettes that generate less heat).
  • Decrease the duration over which the ignition source emits heat (e.g., tip-over power shutoff for space heaters).
  • Add a fire retardant (FR) chemical that chemically prevents or eliminates free radicals. Some FR additives have been banned due to potential harm to health or the environment; others are being investigated. Thus, there is some uncertainty about the future use of FR additives.
  • Select materials that require more heat to evaporate a liquid fuel or decompose a solid fuel (e.g., substitute kerosene for gasoline or add an inert, heat-absorbing filler to a solid fuel).
  • Separate the fuel from the air (e.g., wrap a solid fuel with a material that limits the fuel vapors from reaching the air).

 

fire triangle 

The fire tetrahedron embodies all these approaches. No ignition will result if sufficient fuel, oxygen, high temperature (from heat), and free radicals do not all exist in the same space.

Keeping an ignition from occurring is a go/no-go event. This means that if we prevent 25 percent of the ignitions, we also prevent 25 percent of the fires. (While this might seem obvious, this is not always true for the other two ways of reducing fire losses.)

Reduce flame spread

Once there is a flame, the fire can grow in two ways. The first way increases the mass or area of the ignited substance that is covered in flames. Think of flame spread as a series of ignitions. The hot material near the newly ignited flame heats the adjacent material (conductive heat transfer). At the same time, the existing flame radiates heat onto the adjacent material (radiative heat transfer). The hot adjacent material generates gaseous fuel, and the flames supply the free radicals that ignite the gases. The second way involves fire spread to a nearby fuel supply that is separated from the fuel that is already burning. Think of two upholstered chairs separated by several inches or more. The first chair has been ignited. Since there is a space between the two chairs, there is no conductive heat transfer between them. Ignition of the second chair is by radiative heat transfer from the flames from the first chair.

Once again, the fire tetrahedron guides our thinking about how to reduce the rate at which flames spread away from the point of ignition. Some of the approaches that reduce the number of ignitions also apply to reducing the spread of flames away from the ignition location:

  • Add a FR chemical that chemically prevents or eliminates free radicals. As noted above, there is some uncertainty about future use of these additives.
  • Select materials that require more heat to evaporate a liquid fuel or decompose a solid fuel.
  • Separate the fuel from the air.

Flame spread takes time, and this might allow nearby people or responding firefighters to react to the ignition and take action, such as:

  • Apply water to the unburned fuel.
  • Apply a fire extinguishing chemical to the flames.
  • Separate the burning fuel from new fuel (e.g., by removing a circle of fuel around the existing fire, that is, create a firebreak).

Unlike ignition prevention, implementing one of these measures might reduce flame spread but not enough to insure a reduction in the fire hazard. Some examples are, (a) wetting unburned fuel is effective until the water boils off and (b) the flames from a windblown fire can jump across a firebreak (while a fire spreading into the wind might be stopped). In other words, implementing a flame spread reduction measure to 25 percent of the fires does not necessarily result in a 25 percent reduction in overall fire losses.

Limit fire size

When the heat release rate (HRR) from an indoor fire reaches a sufficient intensity, the hazard from the fire can surge. Thus, it is valuable to (a) keep the HRR below such an intensity or (b) know that the fire has exceeded that intensity. The following are three dangerous cases.

Room flashover. As a fire grows, the temperatures of all the combustibles in the room increase. When the combustibles are hot enough, they ignite. This happens quite suddenly, resulting in what is called room flashover – the fire changes from a local fire to a fire that fills the space. The fire is now generating so much fuel gas that it consumes much of the oxygen within the fire room. If there is an open doorway or a broken window, the hot gases flow out and mix with fresh air. This sends flames out the opening, spreading the fire throughout the building. Furthermore, the burning in the oxygen-depleted (underventilated) environment in the room generates smoke that is much more toxic than the smoke from a small, well-ventilated fire.

Approaches for significantly decreasing the likelihood of room flashover include:

  • Wrapping a solid combustible in a fire barrier. This is more practical if there are only one or two major combustible items present, such as in a bedroom. For example, the peak HRR (PHRR) for every mattress sold in the U.S. since 2006 must be low enough to reduce the likelihood of a flaming bed igniting other combustibles in the bedroom and together reaching room flashover. This PHRR limit is about 1/10 the PHRR of earlier mattresses. Fire deaths from flaming bed fires are already decreasing as the old mattresses are replaced.
  • Distributing liquid fuels among multiple containers. A rupture of one (smaller) container leads to a less severe fire. The other containers can be spaced to reduce the likelihood of them being overheated and the contents being ignited by the initial fire.
  • Automatic venting of a space when a flammable gas leak is detected.
  • Installing automatic fire sprinklers that control the fire until the firefighters arrive and extinguish the flames.

Backdraft. If there is a fire in a nearly closed room, the temperature and pressure in the room will rise, and smoke will be pushed out through, for example, the undercut of a doorway. The HRR will begin to decrease as the room oxygen is consumed. The temperature and pressure in the room also decrease, and fresh air is sucked in through the undercut in the doorway. From this comes the name “backdraft.” If a building occupant or an emergency responder opens a door, there is a sudden mixing of fresh air with the hot fuel gas. This results in flames jetting from the doorway.

The same approaches for reducing the likelihood of room flashover also can decrease the potential for a backdraft. However, at present mattresses are the only combustible whose PHRR is regulated. Thus, it is important when faced with a closed door to touch it to see if it is hot and look to see if smoke is emerging or air is entering through the undercut.

Boiling Liquid/Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). This violent pressure release occurs when a closed container of a liquefied gas (e.g., propane) is heated and weakened by an external fire. This vaporizes the liquid, creating an internal pressure that exceeds the strength of the container. The result is a violent expulsion of hot gas. The liquid need not be flammable; but if it is, then the vapor might well be ignited which increases the hazard.

In the U.S., the tanks for storing liquefied gases are designed to withstand very high pressures. A tank is also fitted with a pressure relief valve that vents gas well before the tank rupture pressure is reached.

The descriptions in this blog entry are highly condensed to fit within the confines of this blog. More detailed (yet equally easy to follow) versions appear in the fifth edition of Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, which is authored by Dr. Richard G. Gann and brought to you by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

This distinctive book introduces the scientific concepts and principles needed to understand the unwanted fire, its consequences, and how it is controlled. In essence, it provides the basics of what could be called fire literacy.

The text is directed at firefighters and engineers who are embarking on a fire science curriculum; those who have a business, scientific, or regulatory interest in material and product flammability and building construction; and those who would just like to learn more about fire. The text addresses the course objectives and learning outcomes in both the National Fire Academy FESHE Bachelor’s degree course on Fire Dynamics and the FESHE Associate's course on Fire Behavior and Combustion.

While our efforts have reduced the losses from some types of fires, we have created new fire hazards and conceded others in favor of protecting our health and the global environment. Responding effectively to this evolution requires that each of the fire safety professions share a common knowledge of unwanted fires with the other fire safety professions. This book includes this breadth.

People learn in different ways, and this book responds to all these. Each principle and each property of combustibles and the fire environment is presented in narrative form. This text is complemented by visuals, tables of materials’ fire property data, and accounts of severe fires. Then, the interactions among the physical and chemical variables are presented in elementary equations. Worked examples help develop a feel for the magnitudes of the calculated fire properties. Each chapter includes questions that reinforce what the student has read and additional questions to stimulate students to think about what they have learned. There are extensive references to help readers delve into topics that have piqued their curiosity.

Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition

Readers of Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition will develop a thorough understanding of the chemical and physical properties of flammable materials and fire, the combustion process, and the latest in suppression and extinguishment.

Request Your Digital Review Copy
Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition

Related Content:

About the author:

Dr. Richard G. Gann is Senior Scientist Emeritus of the Fire Research Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He has been conducting and leading research into fire phenomena for 50 years and translating the results of his work and that of others into durable fire safety standards. His expertise is a combination of understanding the fundamental chemistry and physics of fires, knowing the marketplace of products and technologies, relating to practical fire protection, and functioning in the consensus processes for codification of scientific findings. Dr. Gann has published 150 technical papers in the top journals in the field, in proceedings of the premier fire science conferences, in books, and as NIST technical reports. His research and leadership have influenced almost all aspects of fire science and have been central to saving the lives of hundreds of Americans every year.

Dr. Gann has been a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers Task Group on Human Behavior in Fires, the ASTM International Committee on Fire Standards, the NFPA Committee on Fire Tests, and the Boards of Editors of the technical journals: Fire and Materials, Combustion and Flame, and Fire Technology. He has chaired the International Standards Organization’s Subcommittee on Fire Threat to People and the Environment, the U.S.-Japan-Canada Working Group on the Toxicity of Smoke from Building Materials, the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute, the Federal Interagency Group on Fire and Materials, and the NFPA Toxicity Technical Advisory Committee.

His leadership in fire science and fire safety standards has led to his receiving the (U.S.) Presidential Rank of Distinguished Senior Professional. He has also received two Gold Medals from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the triennial Interflam Award, the Simon H. Ingberg Award from ASTM International, the Congressman John Joseph Moakley Award from the Harvard University School of Public Health, and the Willem Sjolin Award from the Forum of International Fire Laboratory Directors.

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Teaching Reduction of Fire Ignitions and Fire Size No Matter the Location

by  Dr. Richard Gann     Nov 29, 2023
firefighters_fighting_fires

In the classic baseball movie "Bull Durham," the manager of the hapless Durham Bulls tells his players that baseball is a simple game: "You throw the ball, you hit the ball, and you catch the ball." Of course, doing these three things well is not really so simple, but by the end of the movie the team is at the top of the Carolina League.

There is also a trio of ways to reduce the losses from unwanted fires: reduce ignitions, slow flame spread, and limit the size of the fire. These, too, are more difficult than is implied by these few words, so let’s take a look at what’s involved in doing them well, and how you can teach students the critical concepts behind how fire ignitions can be reduced at work, home, school, or other locales.

First, Let’s Talk About Fire Science

The fundamental scientific principle of fire is as follows: Fire is a chemical process that behaves according to the laws of physics.

In the following descriptions of ignition, flame spread, and fire size, you’ll see that there are some common principles that lead from a fuel and an oxidizer to a fire. I’ve highlighted these basic principles in italics.

Reduce Ignitions

In our home, work, commercial, and entertainment buildings there are many potential ignition sources, such as lit cigarettes and candles, space heaters, and overheated electrical wiring. While these are quite different from each other in size and shape, they all have one feature in common: they generate heat. Heat flows from a hot substance to a cooler substance.

When enough of this heat reaches a fuel (such as natural gas, gasoline, or an upholstered chair), it raises the temperature of the fuel, which can then be ignited; that is, the fuel can start to burn. If the burning continues after the cigarette goes out or the space heater is turned off, the result is a fire.

Ignition to smoldering results from the reaction of oxygen with the surface within a solid fuel, such as the foam padding in chairs or charcoal briquettes. Initially, this is a slow reaction that generates little heat, but the heat release rate (HRR) increases as the fuel temperature rises. Thus, for the reaction to accelerate, it must take place over a large fuel surface area and the heat generated by the reaction must stay near the ignition site to increase the fuel temperature. These conditions are only met when the fuel:

(a) is highly porous (large surface area inside the numerous pores) and

(b) is a good heat insulator (so the heat stays near the reacting surface). There are typically no flames.

Ignition to flaming is a different process. With few exceptions, flaming ignition involves the chemical reaction of a gaseous fuel with a gaseous oxidant. In unwanted fires, the oxidant is most often the oxygen in air. Here is how a gaseous fuel results from each of the three fuels mentioned earlier.

  1. Natural gas (which is mostly methane) is already a gas.
  2. A liquid evaporates to become a gas when the applied heat overcomes the weak attractive force holding the liquid molecules together. The gas molecules are chemically the same as the liquid molecules. Thus, the evaporation of liquid water, H2O, forms steam, which is composed of gaseous water molecules, also H2O. Gasoline is a mixture of liquids, and the vaporized gas molecules are chemically the same as the molecules in the liquid.
  3. Converting a solid fuel to a gas requires breaking chemical bonds within the solid. These bonds are far stronger than the forces holding molecules together in a liquid. Thus, breaking these bonds requires considerably more heat than the evaporation of a liquid. The gases thus formed are typically chemically different from the molecules that make up the solid.

Once the gaseous fuel molecules have been formed and the mixing with air is underway, the molecules need to be “activated.” Chemical bonds in the fuel need to be broken to form free radicals, which are energetic fragments of molecules that can react readily with oxygen. The heat to break the bonds can be from a nearby flame (e.g., a gas burner on a stove), an electric spark, or a very hot surface (e.g., in a space heater).

Smoldering of a solid can transition to flaming if the reaction of oxygen with the fuel surface raises the surface temperature becomes high enough to break chemical bonds in the solid.

In each of these cases, the reaction of the free radicals with oxygen begins a sequence of reactions (called a chain reaction) that results in what we see as a flame.

Reading even this abbreviated text indicates a variety of approaches to reducing the number of ignitions. These approaches are typically designed into the ignition sources, the potential fuels, and/or their locations relative to each other.

Here are some options:

  • Reduce the heat output from the ignition source (e.g., cigarettes that generate less heat).
  • Decrease the duration over which the ignition source emits heat (e.g., tip-over power shutoff for space heaters).
  • Add a fire retardant (FR) chemical that chemically prevents or eliminates free radicals. Some FR additives have been banned due to potential harm to health or the environment; others are being investigated. Thus, there is some uncertainty about the future use of FR additives.
  • Select materials that require more heat to evaporate a liquid fuel or decompose a solid fuel (e.g., substitute kerosene for gasoline or add an inert, heat-absorbing filler to a solid fuel).
  • Separate the fuel from the air (e.g., wrap a solid fuel with a material that limits the fuel vapors from reaching the air).

 

fire triangle 

The fire tetrahedron embodies all these approaches. No ignition will result if sufficient fuel, oxygen, high temperature (from heat), and free radicals do not all exist in the same space.

Keeping an ignition from occurring is a go/no-go event. This means that if we prevent 25 percent of the ignitions, we also prevent 25 percent of the fires. (While this might seem obvious, this is not always true for the other two ways of reducing fire losses.)

Reduce flame spread

Once there is a flame, the fire can grow in two ways. The first way increases the mass or area of the ignited substance that is covered in flames. Think of flame spread as a series of ignitions. The hot material near the newly ignited flame heats the adjacent material (conductive heat transfer). At the same time, the existing flame radiates heat onto the adjacent material (radiative heat transfer). The hot adjacent material generates gaseous fuel, and the flames supply the free radicals that ignite the gases. The second way involves fire spread to a nearby fuel supply that is separated from the fuel that is already burning. Think of two upholstered chairs separated by several inches or more. The first chair has been ignited. Since there is a space between the two chairs, there is no conductive heat transfer between them. Ignition of the second chair is by radiative heat transfer from the flames from the first chair.

Once again, the fire tetrahedron guides our thinking about how to reduce the rate at which flames spread away from the point of ignition. Some of the approaches that reduce the number of ignitions also apply to reducing the spread of flames away from the ignition location:

  • Add a FR chemical that chemically prevents or eliminates free radicals. As noted above, there is some uncertainty about future use of these additives.
  • Select materials that require more heat to evaporate a liquid fuel or decompose a solid fuel.
  • Separate the fuel from the air.

Flame spread takes time, and this might allow nearby people or responding firefighters to react to the ignition and take action, such as:

  • Apply water to the unburned fuel.
  • Apply a fire extinguishing chemical to the flames.
  • Separate the burning fuel from new fuel (e.g., by removing a circle of fuel around the existing fire, that is, create a firebreak).

Unlike ignition prevention, implementing one of these measures might reduce flame spread but not enough to insure a reduction in the fire hazard. Some examples are, (a) wetting unburned fuel is effective until the water boils off and (b) the flames from a windblown fire can jump across a firebreak (while a fire spreading into the wind might be stopped). In other words, implementing a flame spread reduction measure to 25 percent of the fires does not necessarily result in a 25 percent reduction in overall fire losses.

Limit fire size

When the heat release rate (HRR) from an indoor fire reaches a sufficient intensity, the hazard from the fire can surge. Thus, it is valuable to (a) keep the HRR below such an intensity or (b) know that the fire has exceeded that intensity. The following are three dangerous cases.

Room flashover. As a fire grows, the temperatures of all the combustibles in the room increase. When the combustibles are hot enough, they ignite. This happens quite suddenly, resulting in what is called room flashover – the fire changes from a local fire to a fire that fills the space. The fire is now generating so much fuel gas that it consumes much of the oxygen within the fire room. If there is an open doorway or a broken window, the hot gases flow out and mix with fresh air. This sends flames out the opening, spreading the fire throughout the building. Furthermore, the burning in the oxygen-depleted (underventilated) environment in the room generates smoke that is much more toxic than the smoke from a small, well-ventilated fire.

Approaches for significantly decreasing the likelihood of room flashover include:

  • Wrapping a solid combustible in a fire barrier. This is more practical if there are only one or two major combustible items present, such as in a bedroom. For example, the peak HRR (PHRR) for every mattress sold in the U.S. since 2006 must be low enough to reduce the likelihood of a flaming bed igniting other combustibles in the bedroom and together reaching room flashover. This PHRR limit is about 1/10 the PHRR of earlier mattresses. Fire deaths from flaming bed fires are already decreasing as the old mattresses are replaced.
  • Distributing liquid fuels among multiple containers. A rupture of one (smaller) container leads to a less severe fire. The other containers can be spaced to reduce the likelihood of them being overheated and the contents being ignited by the initial fire.
  • Automatic venting of a space when a flammable gas leak is detected.
  • Installing automatic fire sprinklers that control the fire until the firefighters arrive and extinguish the flames.

Backdraft. If there is a fire in a nearly closed room, the temperature and pressure in the room will rise, and smoke will be pushed out through, for example, the undercut of a doorway. The HRR will begin to decrease as the room oxygen is consumed. The temperature and pressure in the room also decrease, and fresh air is sucked in through the undercut in the doorway. From this comes the name “backdraft.” If a building occupant or an emergency responder opens a door, there is a sudden mixing of fresh air with the hot fuel gas. This results in flames jetting from the doorway.

The same approaches for reducing the likelihood of room flashover also can decrease the potential for a backdraft. However, at present mattresses are the only combustible whose PHRR is regulated. Thus, it is important when faced with a closed door to touch it to see if it is hot and look to see if smoke is emerging or air is entering through the undercut.

Boiling Liquid/Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE). This violent pressure release occurs when a closed container of a liquefied gas (e.g., propane) is heated and weakened by an external fire. This vaporizes the liquid, creating an internal pressure that exceeds the strength of the container. The result is a violent expulsion of hot gas. The liquid need not be flammable; but if it is, then the vapor might well be ignited which increases the hazard.

In the U.S., the tanks for storing liquefied gases are designed to withstand very high pressures. A tank is also fitted with a pressure relief valve that vents gas well before the tank rupture pressure is reached.

The descriptions in this blog entry are highly condensed to fit within the confines of this blog. More detailed (yet equally easy to follow) versions appear in the fifth edition of Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, which is authored by Dr. Richard G. Gann and brought to you by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

This distinctive book introduces the scientific concepts and principles needed to understand the unwanted fire, its consequences, and how it is controlled. In essence, it provides the basics of what could be called fire literacy.

The text is directed at firefighters and engineers who are embarking on a fire science curriculum; those who have a business, scientific, or regulatory interest in material and product flammability and building construction; and those who would just like to learn more about fire. The text addresses the course objectives and learning outcomes in both the National Fire Academy FESHE Bachelor’s degree course on Fire Dynamics and the FESHE Associate's course on Fire Behavior and Combustion.

While our efforts have reduced the losses from some types of fires, we have created new fire hazards and conceded others in favor of protecting our health and the global environment. Responding effectively to this evolution requires that each of the fire safety professions share a common knowledge of unwanted fires with the other fire safety professions. This book includes this breadth.

People learn in different ways, and this book responds to all these. Each principle and each property of combustibles and the fire environment is presented in narrative form. This text is complemented by visuals, tables of materials’ fire property data, and accounts of severe fires. Then, the interactions among the physical and chemical variables are presented in elementary equations. Worked examples help develop a feel for the magnitudes of the calculated fire properties. Each chapter includes questions that reinforce what the student has read and additional questions to stimulate students to think about what they have learned. There are extensive references to help readers delve into topics that have piqued their curiosity.

Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition

Readers of Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition will develop a thorough understanding of the chemical and physical properties of flammable materials and fire, the combustion process, and the latest in suppression and extinguishment.

Request Your Digital Review Copy
Principles of Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fifth Edition

Related Content:

About the author:

Dr. Richard G. Gann is Senior Scientist Emeritus of the Fire Research Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He has been conducting and leading research into fire phenomena for 50 years and translating the results of his work and that of others into durable fire safety standards. His expertise is a combination of understanding the fundamental chemistry and physics of fires, knowing the marketplace of products and technologies, relating to practical fire protection, and functioning in the consensus processes for codification of scientific findings. Dr. Gann has published 150 technical papers in the top journals in the field, in proceedings of the premier fire science conferences, in books, and as NIST technical reports. His research and leadership have influenced almost all aspects of fire science and have been central to saving the lives of hundreds of Americans every year.

Dr. Gann has been a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers Task Group on Human Behavior in Fires, the ASTM International Committee on Fire Standards, the NFPA Committee on Fire Tests, and the Boards of Editors of the technical journals: Fire and Materials, Combustion and Flame, and Fire Technology. He has chaired the International Standards Organization’s Subcommittee on Fire Threat to People and the Environment, the U.S.-Japan-Canada Working Group on the Toxicity of Smoke from Building Materials, the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute, the Federal Interagency Group on Fire and Materials, and the NFPA Toxicity Technical Advisory Committee.

His leadership in fire science and fire safety standards has led to his receiving the (U.S.) Presidential Rank of Distinguished Senior Professional. He has also received two Gold Medals from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the triennial Interflam Award, the Simon H. Ingberg Award from ASTM International, the Congressman John Joseph Moakley Award from the Harvard University School of Public Health, and the Willem Sjolin Award from the Forum of International Fire Laboratory Directors.

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