- Author
-
Saito, K.
- Title
- Reconstruction of Fire Whirls Using Scale Models. BFRL Fire Research Seminar. VHS Video.
- Coporate
- University of Kentucky, Lexington
- Report
-
Video
March 24, 1998
- Keywords
-
fire whirls
|
scale models
- Abstract
- This seminar describes scale modeling of very large scale fires as a practically useful means to investigate thoroughly their mechanisms in laboratory. A good example of very large scale fires is "fire whirl". If they are generated in urban and wildland fires, they can be dangerous for the fire fighters nearby the fire whirls and will cause extensive damage in environments. For over 25 years we have collected information and conducted experimental studies of fire whirl in mass fires using scale models. These studies indicated that a large mass fire often broke out when a large earthquake hit a city of dense population. The mass fire-related casualties were far more serious than those caused by destruction of building and houses by the earthquake itself. A good example is the 1938 Tokyo earthquake which caused mass fires and whirls claiming 38,000 deaths.