Experimental analysis of fire growth and thermal response in clothing retail layouts

This study investigates fire growth and thermal response in clothing retail stores, focusing on hanger arrangement, product density, and fire load. Full-scale burning tests were conducted in a fire room designed for two experimental setups: A1 (single-row hanger, 20 kg of products) and B1 (linear wall unit with circular free-standing hanger, 40 kg). Temperatures, CO, CO 2 , and O 2 concentrations were obtained during tests. Results showed maximum heat release rates of 1991 kW (A1) and 2308 kW (B1), with fire spread to the circular hanger group in B1 at 493 s. CO exceeded critical levels 1.5 min after ignition, O 2 dropped to critical levels at 11 min, and CO 2 surpassed exposure limits at 4 min. The experiments highlight the influence of product arrangement and spacing on fire propagation, gas emissions, and heat release, providing critical data for performance-based fire safety design and evacuation planning in retail textile environments.