A Case Study on a Fire Disaster in a Textile Factory

Abstract

A large number of factories have been sequentially established in Taiwan following the economic take-off several decades ago. However, this growth in number has led to the prevalence of fire hazards. Factory fires typically cause substantial casualties and property losses, and have therefore become a focal point for research. In the present study, the researchers employed the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to simulate and evaluate a factory fire scene in Taiwan. The fire continued for approximately 74 h, rendering this outbreak the single longest building fire and rescue in Taiwan. By analyzing relevant data, the researchers established a numerical model of the fire scene to simulate, evaluate, and analyze the influences that temperature, smoke conditions, and smoke layer height parameters had on the fire scene. The findings enabled the researchers to better understand the damage conditions that occur during fire outbreaks. The results of this case study can serve as a reference for designing and improving future fire prevention and safety plans.