Fire shelter performance in simulated wildfires an exploratory study

Fire shelters are required equipment for most wildland firefighters in the United States. In this study we report flame emissive power and temperature s inside and outside fire shelters placed in one prescribed fire, five expe rimental field fires, and one laboratory fire. Energy levels radiated by fl ames varied from 70 to 150 kW m(-2) and lasted less than 10 min. Maximum fi re shelter internal air temperatures reached 250 degreesC and occurred duri ng the test with the maximum external air temperatures (1000 degreesC). Air temperatures inside the fire shelters did not show a strong dependence on flame radiant power, rather they correlated most strongly with external air temperature. We compare measurements from these tests with results reporte d by others. The data clearly indicate (I) the capability of the fire shelt er to protect the occupant from radiant heating; (2) the susceptibility of the current design to convective heating; and (3) the significant decrease in burn injury when fire shelters are used.