Oregon House Holds Live Fire Demonstration for Cadets

OREGON HOUSE — On Sunday, Dobbins-Oregon House Fire Department Cadets spent a day learning fire dynamics using a scale model of a house. The house was used for a live fire demonstration, which showcased smoke burning as fuel, smoke explosions, backdrafts, ventilation-deprived fire vs oxygen-deprived fire, and the travel patterns and effects of smoke, heat, and fire. Firefighters W. and O. Stensler guided the demonstration and maintained a controlled environment.

A fire was lit in the scale house, and various openings were uncovered or blocked to model different firefighting circumstances. Heavy smoke plumes could be lit with a lighter to demonstrate their ability to act as fuel. A ventilation-deprived fire was created by closing most openings, and backdrafts were effectively made by subsequently uncovering multiple openings simultaneously. The demonstration ended with the complete destruction of the model by fire.