Christmas Tree Heat Release Rate (HRR)

The Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland hosts an annual competition to predict the burning behavior (heat release rate, HRR) of a Fraser Fir Christmas tree from ignition to final burnout. More information about this competition can be found at: https://fpe.umd.edu/events/christmas-fire-safety-demo.

On this page, you can ‘build’ (and submit) your own Christmas tree fire HRR prediction for this year’s competition by adjusting four parameters that define: fire growth rate, peak heat release, the duration of steady burning, and fire decay.

For over two decades, the Fire Research Division at NIST has supported Christmas tree fire safety awareness by conducting multiple burn experiments using both dry and wet trees. Using measurement science based on oxygen consumption calorimetry, researchers are able to quantify how rapidly a burning tree releases energy (heat release rate).

These experiments are part of a of a larger fire science program to 1) support and promote better public awareness of fire safety during the holiday season and 2) highlight relevant research projects and tools – both experimental¹ and modeling² – that are developed to quantify the behavior of fire and to reduce the impact of fire on people, property, and the environment.

This competition also provides a platform for open communication between members of the fire safety science community. This competition provides an opportunity to encourage and motivate current researchers and the next generation of scientists and engineers to explore and develop collaborations related to emerging areas of fire safety science.