Wind-Driven Building-to-Building Fire Spread: Experimental Results and Probabilistic Modeling

This study presents a comprehensive experimental and probabilistic analysis of wind-driven building-to-building fire spread, focusing on the interplay between exposure intensity, duration, and material response. Twenty-three full-scale tests were conducted under varied wind speeds, separation distances, and material configurations to capture a spectrum of damage levels and move beyond the conventional binary outcomes of most fire experiments. As fire intensity builds, the target structure experiences increasing heat exposure, while collapse of the source structure during the growth phase disrupts flame dynamics and causes abrupt intensity drops. This deviation from the classic growth, steady, and decay pattern…

• CD
  California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection