Protecting fire fighters exposed in room fires: Comparison of results of bench scale test for thermal protection and conditions during room flashover

Heat flux conditions measured in seven room fires are discussed. The conditions varied from just below flashover in a sparsely furnished bedroom to flashover and severe postflashover fire in a typically furnished recreation room. These heat flux conditions are compared with the protection level provided by fire fighter turnout coats conforming to NFPA 1971,Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting. This standard requires that the turnout coat or pants assembly must protect the wearer against second degree burns when a heat flux of 84 kW/m2 (2 cal/cm2.s) is applied to its outside surface for a minimum of 17.5 seconds [“thermal protective performance (TPP) of 35”]. The results imply that fire fighters have only ten seconds or less to escape under most flashover conditions. However, the turnout coats provide good protection in many other fire situations. Practical definitions for flashover are given, and possible means for making the TPP test more relevant for research and development work are discussed.