
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Butler, BW 
A1  - Cohen, JD 
T1  - Firefighter Safety Zones: A Theoretical Model Based on Radiative Heating
JF  - International Journal of Wildland Fire
JO  - Int. J. Wildland Fire
Y1  - 1998
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
SP  - 73
EP  - 77
KW  - Net radiant energy transfer; entrapment; wildfires;safety zones
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/WF9980073 
N2  - Quantitative information regarding safety zone size for wildland firefighters is limited. We present a 3-surface theoretical model that describes the net radiant energy transfer to a firefighter standing a specified distance from a fire of specified height. Model predictions compare favorably with qualitative data from entrapments on four wildfires and two previously published models. Calculations indicate that for most fires, safety zones must be greater than 20 m wide to ensure firefighter survival. A general rule-of-thumb derived from this work is that a safety zone radius must be equal to or greater than 4 times the maximum flame height. 
ER  -

