Presenter Names:  Jerry R. Tindal and Jeffery H. Warren
Name of Firm:  The Warren Group, Inc.
Address:  7805 St. Andrews Road, Irmo, SC 29063

Name of Seminar:  NAFE Regular Seminar
Date:   January 17, 2009
Location:  Austin, Texas

Subject of Presentation: Forensic Engineering Investigation of Low Temperature Ignition of Wood

Brief Synopsis of Presentation:

A 2004 US Court of Appeals decision was made in Colorado which made it difficult for fire investigators to deal with ignition of fires due to long-term low temperature ignition of wood. The purpose of this paper is to report on empirical case studies and experiments undertaken which clearly demonstrate that wood will ignite when exposed for an extended period of time to temperatures well below its commonly recognized published ignition temperature of 482 F. In particular, it was concluded that ignition of wood occurred under exposure temperatures of as low as 256 F when exposed 12 to 16 hours per day in as little as 21 months. Data from three well documented restaurant kitchen fires and observations of wood located behind wall mounted appliances in three operating restaurants, combined with laboratory and manufacturer testing are used to demonstrate that low temperature ignition of wood clearly occurs.

Brief Bio:

Jerry R. Tindal is a Senior Consulting Engineer with The Warren Group, a forensic engineering firm in Columbia, South Carolina. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. Jerry is a licensed professional engineer in 12 states. He is also a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and a Certified Fire and Explosion Instructor.

Dr. Jeffery H. Warren is the CEO and Chief Engineer of The Warren Group, a forensic engineering firm in Columbia, South Carolina.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte and a Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.  Dr. Warren is a licensed professional engineer in 12 states. He is also a Certified Safety Professional and a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator.