Full-Scale Burn Test of a 2014 Sport Utility Vehicle

Results from a full-scale vehicle burn test involving a sport utility vehicle illustrated how fire spread throughout the vehicle, how temperature distributions changed over time, and how arcing-through-char is not guaranteed in a vehicle fire. The fire was initiated on a grommet on the rear portion of the passenger’s side of the engine compartment. Once the temperature near the origin reached approximately 600°C, the rate of fire spread rapidly increased. Over the next 3.5 minutes, the fire spread to all locations within the engine compartment and both front tires. Although the vehicle’s electrical system was energized for the duration of the fire, with the battery located at the rear of the passenger compartment, no evidence of beaded copper wires was observed on any of the conductors located in the engine compartment.