Santa Ana Fire Department experiment at 1315 South Bristol, July 14, 1994

Abstract

IntroductlonThe Santa Ana Fire Department of Santa Ana, California, conducted a series of fire experiments in residences Qn South Bristol Street in the City of Santa Ana in July, 1994. NIST provided technical support, consisting of measurements of fire phenomena, to the fire department during these experiments. The experiment to be addressed in this report occurred on July 14, 1994, at 1315 South Bristol Street. The measurements included temperatures within various rooms, the velocity and temperature of outflowing gases, smoke detector activation time, sprinkler activation times, and time to full room involvement. Data were recorded every 5 seconds with a computerized acquisition system. StructureThe building used for the experiment was a vacant, one-story, single-family dwelling. The building was of wood-frame construction, with gypsumboard interior walls and ceiling, and stucco-over-wire-mesh-and-paper exterior walls. The floors throughout the building, with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom, were constructed of hardwood. The floors in the kitchen and bathroom were covered with vinyl flooring.The building had no basement, but rather a ventilated crawl space. The building was covered with a pitched roof, consisting of asphalt shingles over redwood planks.The layout of the building is shown in Figures 1 and 2, along with interior dimensions. There were three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a garage. In order to simulate a second-story bedroom, a section of roof was removed, and a room was added above the living room. The addition was of wood-frame construction, with the interior walls and ceiling consisting of fire-rated gypsumboard 15.9 m m (0.625 inch nominal) thick. There was no exterior covering over the wood members of the second-story room. Smoke DetectorA smoke detector was installed in the hallway outside the bedrooms in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. The detector was ä single-station, batteryThis paper is a contribution of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is not subject to copyright.