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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12

An experimental study at a laboratory scale that aims to compare the fire behaviour in two configurations: a regular flat slope and a slope with an embedded canyon. In configurations of slope with an embedded canyon, a rapid increase in the rate of…
Author(s): André Rodrigues, Domingos Xavier Viegas, Miguel Almeida, Carlos Ribeiro, Jorge R. Raposo, Jorge André
Year Published:

Escape routes keep firefighters safe by providing efficient evacuation pathways from the fire line to safety zones. Effectively utilizing escape routes requires a precise understanding of how much time it will take firefighters to traverse them. To…
Author(s): Patrick R. Sullivan, Michael J. Campbell, Philip E. Dennison, Simon C. Brewer, Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

The Coanda effect is the phenomenon in which a jet entering quiescent fluid attaches to a nearby solid object due to inhibited entrainment of ambient fluid near the solid. Little is known about the influence of the Coanda effect on wildland fire…
Author(s): Jonathan R. Gallacher, Brad Ripa, Bret W. Butler, Thomas H. Fletcher
Year Published:

Wildland firefighters in the US are mandated to identify areas that provide adequate separation between themselves and the flames (i.e. safety zones) to reduce the risk of burn injury. This study presents empirical models that estimate the distance…
Author(s): Wesley G. Page, Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

Safety zones are areas where firefighters can retreat to in order to avoid bodily harm when threatened by burnover or entrapment from wildland fire. At present, safety zones are primarily designated by firefighting personnel as part of daily fire…
Author(s): Michael J. Campbell, Philip E. Dennison, Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

Designation of safety zones is a primary duty of all wildland firefighters. Unfortunately, information regarding what constitutes an adequate safety zone is inadequately defined. Measurements of energy release from wildland fires have been used to…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler, Russell A. Parsons, William E. Mell
Year Published:

Current wildland firefighter safety zone guidelines are based on studies that assume flat terrain, radiant heating, finite flame width, constant flame temperature and high flame emissivity. Firefighter entrapments and injuries occur across a broad…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

The current safety zone guidelines used in the US were developed based on the assumption that the fire and safety zone were located on flat terrain. The minimum safe distance for a firefighter to be from a flame was calculated as that corresponding…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler, Jason M. Forthofer, Kyle S. Shannon, Daniel M. Jimenez, David Frankman
Year Published:

Perhaps one of the most critical decisions made on wildland fires is the identification of suitable safety zones for firefighters during daily fire management operations. To be effective (timely, repeatable, and accurate), these decisions rely on…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler, Jason M. Forthofer
Year Published:

One of the most critical decisions made on wildland fires is the identification of suitable safety zones for firefighters during daily fire management operations. To be effective (timely, repeatable, and accurate), these decisions rely on good…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

Firefighters are required to play close attention to fire behavior and have safety zones readily available in case of unexpected fire behavior. However, safety zone location and size are often a matter of anecdotal evidence, personal experience, and…
Author(s): Bret W. Butler
Year Published:

In a presentation to the USDA Forest Service's national Fire and Aviation Staff, Gleason provides a clear overview of his proposed Lookouts, Communication, Escape Routes, Safety Zones (LCES) method of training firefighters for greater safety. After…
Author(s): Paul Gleason
Year Published: