Experimental Study of Fire Ventilation During Fire Fighting Operations

Fire ventilation measures taken by fire & rescue services, including positive pressure ventilation, were investigated. Fifteen tests were performed in a three-room apartment, with an attached staircase, on the first floor of a training facility. The fire source was a 0.5 m diameter pool of heptane. The temperature and pressure in the apartment, the weight of the fire source, and the flow through openings were recorded continuously. The tests showed that the rate of burning was increased by positive pressure ventilation. Also, positive pressure ventilation increases the temperature in rooms on the leeward side of the fire and reduces temperatures in rooms on the windward side of the fire. Safety and working conditions for fire fighters are improved by positive pressure ventilation, but it jeopardises the lives of anyone that might be trapped. The importance of command and control during fire fighting operations is prominent.