- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | DiNenno, P. J.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the Manor Care, Largo Nursing Home on August 14, 1978.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-223, September 30, 1978, 36 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- evacuation | fire departments | fire extinguishers | fire investigations | nursing homes | nursing staff | smoke
- Abstract
- The fire incident at the Manor Care, Largo Nursing Home on August 14, 1978 was detected by the maintenance engineer at approximately 1100 hours. The fire at detection consisted of flaming in the flue of the incinerator with smoke propagation to the incinerator room and the first floor corridor of the east wing. The two story building of fire resistive construction was approximately two years old. At the time of the fire incident the building had a registered occupancy of approximately 100 patients. Forty patients were evacuated by the nursing staff from the second floor skilled care areas, above the area of fire origin, to the second floor solarium. The fire was contained within the incinerator and extinguished by the maintenance engineer with a 5 pound all-purpose dry chemical extinguisher immediately prior to fire department arrival. The smoke spread was confined to the first floor east wing area by the smoke barrier doors, with smoke migration to the second floor east wing through minor openings between the first and second floors.