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Understanding the Critical Conditions During a Backdraft—A Review

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Advances in Construction Safety

Abstract

Backdraft is a rapid phenomenon that occurs in confined and enclosed places resulting in fireballs and flashovers. Ordinary fires formed due to ignitable fuels can often use the oxygen present in the confined space, like a room having limited ventilation, and become oxygen-starved, but still, they continue to burn to form a rich fuel gas mixture in the confined space. When an opening is provided for ventilation, such as breaking a window or opening a door, the fuel gas mixture could mix with the oxygen-rich air at the interface, forming a flammable mixture. This flammable mixture ignites rapidly, causing flashovers and, in high concentration, deflagration. This backdraft phenomenon hinders the rescue operation being performed by the fire safety and rescue personnel. The critical conditions responsible for the backdraft and the possible methods to prevent these conditions are discussed in the study.

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Correspondence to Akshi Kunwar Singh .

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Dubey, S., Singh, A.K. (2023). Understanding the Critical Conditions During a Backdraft—A Review. In: Siddiqui, N.A., Yadav, B.P., Tauseef, S.M., Garg, S.P., Devendra Gill, E.R. (eds) Advances in Construction Safety. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4001-9_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4001-9_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-4000-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-4001-9

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