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Fluid mechanics of fires
Article By:
Lilley, David G. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Lilley & Associates, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Last reviewed:2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB130189
A seemingly simple fire can grow rapidly into an inescapable furious inferno, resulting in a catastrophic fire. It is not unusual for as little as 3 min to elapse from the start of a fire to a full-room inferno, with disastrous consequences. For example, the Rhode Island nightclub fire on the evening of February 20, 2003, began when the band used a “pyrotechnic” display, and the heat was enough to ignite the polyurethane foam behind the stage. Burning spread very rapidly, with a great deal of thick, dark, deadly smoke. The fire in the single-story structure with floor area about 418 m2 (4500 ft2) became an inferno within 3 min and resulted in the loss of 100 lives. A simple kitchen or room fire can completely destroy a typical 167-m2 (1800-ft2) house in less than 1 h.
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