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The application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the investigation of carbon monoxide exposure in the deaths of three Pittsburgh fire fighters.
J Forensic Sci. 2004 Jan; 49(1):104-7.JF

Abstract

A case is reported in which computer fire modeling was used to reevaluate a fire that killed three fire fighters. NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) was employed to model the fire in order to estimate the concentration of carbon monoxide present in the dwelling, which was the immediate cause of death of two of the fire fighters, who appear to have removed their face pieces in order to share available air. This estimate, along with an assumed respiration volume and known blood carboxyhemoglobin, was plugged into a standard equation to estimate the time of exposure. The model indicated that 27 min into the fire, the carbon monoxide concentration had already reached approximately 3600 ppm. At this concentration, and a respiration of 70 L/min, an estimated 3 to 8 min of exposure would have been required to accumulate the concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin (49, 44, and 10%) measured on the fire fighters at autopsy.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Christensen AM
U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority Police, 400 W. Summit Hill Dr., WT-3D, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Icove DJ
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Carbon Monoxide PoisoningCarboxyhemoglobinComputer SimulationEnvironmental ExposureFiresHumansModels, TheoreticalPennsylvania

Pub Type(s)

Case Reports
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Language

eng

PubMed ID

14979353

Citation

Christensen, Angi M., and David J. Icove. "The Application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the Investigation of Carbon Monoxide Exposure in the Deaths of Three Pittsburgh Fire Fighters." Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 49, no. 1, 2004, pp. 104-7.
Christensen AM, Icove DJ. The application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the investigation of carbon monoxide exposure in the deaths of three Pittsburgh fire fighters. J Forensic Sci. 2004;49(1):104-7.
Christensen, A. M., & Icove, D. J. (2004). The application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the investigation of carbon monoxide exposure in the deaths of three Pittsburgh fire fighters. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 49(1), 104-7.
Christensen AM, Icove DJ. The Application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the Investigation of Carbon Monoxide Exposure in the Deaths of Three Pittsburgh Fire Fighters. J Forensic Sci. 2004;49(1):104-7. PubMed PMID: 14979353.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - The application of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator to the investigation of carbon monoxide exposure in the deaths of three Pittsburgh fire fighters. AU - Christensen,Angi M, AU - Icove,David J, PY - 2004/2/26/pubmed PY - 2004/4/23/medline PY - 2004/2/26/entrez SP - 104 EP - 7 JF - Journal of forensic sciences JO - J Forensic Sci VL - 49 IS - 1 N2 - A case is reported in which computer fire modeling was used to reevaluate a fire that killed three fire fighters. NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) was employed to model the fire in order to estimate the concentration of carbon monoxide present in the dwelling, which was the immediate cause of death of two of the fire fighters, who appear to have removed their face pieces in order to share available air. This estimate, along with an assumed respiration volume and known blood carboxyhemoglobin, was plugged into a standard equation to estimate the time of exposure. The model indicated that 27 min into the fire, the carbon monoxide concentration had already reached approximately 3600 ppm. At this concentration, and a respiration of 70 L/min, an estimated 3 to 8 min of exposure would have been required to accumulate the concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin (49, 44, and 10%) measured on the fire fighters at autopsy. SN - 0022-1198 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/14979353/The_application_of_NIST's_Fire_Dynamics_Simulator_to_the_investigation_of_carbon_monoxide_exposure_in_the_deaths_of_three_Pittsburgh_fire_fighters_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -