Large building fires - experiments and analysis

Abstract

Because of its inherent complexity and detail, as well as its rather tenuous relationship to existing combustion theory, the propagation of uncontrolled fires in large buildings remains one of the unsolved problems facing our cities. On October 13, 1969 (see Appendix), a fire in a Los Angeles apartment claimed the lives of eight people and sent more than a score to the hospital for various degrees of burn and smoke inhalation. As the fire developed, flames spread quickly up the main stairwell, blocking exits from apartment units, forcing some to jump from upper floors. Within a matter of minutes, all three floors were so involved in fire that normal escape was impossible. Our lack of quantitative knowledge about the propagation of building fire has a more widespread effect than such disasters. It is a major factor in preserving archaic and inappropriate building codes; it places a severe limit on architectural innovation because fire hazards in novel structures cannot be evaluated quantitatively. This is a truly serious restriction in an era where low-cost multiple dwellings are in urgent need.