- Author
- Nelson, H. E.
- Title
- Fire Growth Analysis of the Fire of March 20, 1990, Pulaski Building, 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- Department of Army, Washington, DC
- Report
- NISTIR 4489, June 1994, 51 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- office buildings | fire investigatios | fire models | fire spread | flashover | fire spread
- Abstract
- An analysis of an office building fire was made using fire modeling techniques. The data to conduct the analysis was obtained through on-site inspection and interviews. The analysis describes a rapid fire developing in easily ignited boxing materials that flashed over in about six minutes from flame initiation, causing failure of the ceiling system, venting of fire products in the plenum system above the ceiling, and rapid filling of the entire flow area with smoke. The report suggests a likely source of ignition and provides analysis of the impact that several fire protection systems would have had were they present at the time of this fire.